. BLOG IDEAS: HOW TO GET MORE IDEAS, AND THEN GET THEM ONTO YOUR BLOG .
Having ideas for content sometimes comes super easily, and other times can feel like getting water out of a stone. Regardless of which of these camps you tend to sit in (often I have more ideas than I have time to think about), there are some really easy ways to a) get more ideas and b) get them onto your blog, and today I wanted to share my little tips and tricks that I use to get ideas for content and then make them into something you guys might like to read.
For me, it all comes down to a process, and not a formal and strict one, just a simple little routine that helps keep ideas and content flowing, and ensures no great brain wave is ever lost.
. 5 WAYS TO GET MORE BLOG IDEAS. AND TURN THEM INTO REAL CONTENT .
#1 NO PRESSURE
First of all, no good ideas come from sitting out your desk and trying to force out something genius. We all know this, but sometimes we don’t acknowledge it. The first step to becoming a little more creative and getting your ideas flowing is just to remove the pressure. Take a break, go for a walk, meet your friends. Most of my best ideas come to mind during my commute to work or when I’m just sat around relaxing, reading magazines or even just having lunch. The best stimulus for ideas is everything around us. Not your desk.
So first things first, let your ideation be a little more natural. Take away the pressure and just let your mind free a little. I wrote a whole post on boosting your creativity here which you might find helpful.
#2 CAPTURE EVERYTHING
Capture everything. Seriously.
My best ideas come when I am out and about, so I always jot them down in a note pad or on my phone notes pages to make sure I don’t lose them. If they’re a developed idea, I also add additional details so that I don’t forget what I was thinking by the time I get round to writing my post.
It’s more often than not when you’re out and about, having fun, that your content ideas will come to you. So be sure to capture them.
#3 ALWAYS ON
Naturally when it comes to creativity and thinking up ideas, it’s always on, it’s non stop. So you have to be prepared and ready. One big tip I have for turning your ideas into real content, is to carry a camera around with you as often as possible. I know DSLR’s are crazy heavy, but heres where investing in a little point and shoot is a good idea, light weight, easy to carry around and means you can snap pictures for content whenever and wherever you want.
I use the Canon 5D Mark III for my photography, but recently bought myself the Olympus Pen with the F1.8 lens to shoot blog shots on the go. It was a genius decision, because we’re often out and about enjoying life, whether it be a lunch in a new cafe, a little stroll around a cute or quirky village, or meeting with friends who all look impeccably stylish, but rather than let these moments go without capture, by having a camera on you at all times you can start to create content from moments that you hadn’t even planned.
And in fact, more often than not these sporadic moments create the best content – city guides, restaurant recommendations, street style posts.
Open your eyes and capture what you see, what makes you happy and what makes you inspired. Chances are it’ll a) make a great post, and b) help inspire you when you’re back home too.
#4 MAKE A START
When it comes to turning an idea into an actual piece of content, the best thing to do is just make a start. Even if that means starting a new post with a title, and saving the rest for later, or whether it’s shooting some pictures, to have ready and waiting to go.
More often than not my blog process consists of non stop ideas which I capture on my phone, a few hours a week of writing these into draft blog posts, a day dedicated to shooting, and then ad hoc time spent finessing each post daily. It’s an always on, fluid process, but they key to it, is simply making a start.
#5 PLAN
Whilst the process is fluid and always on … it does help to have a plan. Have a plan of content that always keeps you a few days ahead, or a week ahead if possible. This means you’ll never be sat at your desk, desperate for inspiration and trying to force an idea out so you can ‘knock something up’. Forced content is never as good as the content you love, are passionate about and that inspires you.
So have a plan, whether it’s a little schedule, or a weekend dedicated to getting ahead or even just a plan of themes or topics you might want to write about. Ensuring you have a back up of content, inspiration, photos and ideas is key to always being able to turn a thought, into a full piece of content.
So there you have it, 5 simple tips, a fluid process, and some of my tricks to help you have more blog ideas, and importantly turn them into content for your blog. I’d love to hear what tips you have and what your creative process is?
You can read more blogging and photography tips here too.
