What to Do When You Run Out of Content Ideas

I’m guessing that you’re right in the thick of things by now, hopefully generating unique content hand over fist. But I wanted to address what happens when you run out of ideas — and it will happen! Here are some ideas to help you uncover new blog posts, or worst case scenario, give you content even when you’ve run out of ideas for new posts. Don’t worry, if it does happen, it’s just temporary.

How to Find Content Inspiration

1) Subscribe to like-minded blogs. What are they writing about? Can you respond to a post, add to a post, or dispute a post of theirs? Do their posts give you any ideas?

Don’t short-change this tactic. You will be amazed at the number of posts you can create by pseudo-collaborating with other bloggers, and it’s also a great way to get links and establish your credibility.

2) Browse forums in your field. What are people talking about? What problems are they having?

3) Try StumbleUpon! You can find clever, inspiring content with a few clicks.

4) Create a video of yourself doing something in your niche or completing a task. What’s second-nature to you could be news to someone else.

5) Review your blog comments — write about a common thread in those comments, or answer them in a new post.

6) Use Twitter! With Twitter, I really feel like I have my fingertips on the pulse of the niches I follow.

7) Write a tutorial.

Review a new service, business, web site, or book in your niche. This also gives you a way to earn some commissions. You could even set up a regular review day — maybe once every two weeks or so.

9) Interview your peers, and posts the results. Most bloggers are open to surveys from their peers, provided that it doesn’t look like social climbing.

“I Have NOTHING to Blog About!”

1) Write a recap post. Recap the week’s events, recap your favorite blog posts over the past week, recap the comments left on your blog, etc.

2) Start reaching out to guest bloggers. You can create an author account in your WordPress blog, allowing them to write content, but not publish it.

3) Use private label content (PLR). Private label content can be purchased, rewritten, and rebranded. Its quality varies, with the best stuff being available from PLR Pro. They limit distribution to 200 people and it’s well-written. Another option is InfoGoRound. The quality is not quite as good, and the content is not as exclusive, but it’s cheaper and you’re not limited to whatever the content of the month is.

Almost all other PLR content I have found is very, very, very, very bad.

4) Take a break, gather your best post ideas from the past, and go on a blog commenting campaign (see the book for how to do this). You can gain traffic, backlinks, and find ideas at the same time.

Writer’s block happens to every blogger from time to time, but if approached methodically, there’s no reason that it should slow you down.