For as many reasons to blog there are equally as many things to blog about. The trick is learning to carve your niche and make a name for yourself. You want to be that “Go To Person” That leader in your niche…and you should be!
There shouldn’t be any reason why you can not carve a nice slice of living from blogging. But there’s a problem and every blogger worth his or her weight has faced it head on. And that’s…
WHAT DO I BLOG ABOUT?
Now if you’re stuck in this perplexing paradox don’t worry. Like I said everyone has been there. I’ve seen a blogger scrap an entire year worth of posts because she finally figured out what SHE WANTED TO BLOG ABOUT. And here’s a tip…listen closely. It’s NOT what other people tell you to write about.
I’ve also seen multiple bloggers find quick success because they have found a niche that didn’t have much competition, but then they to found themselves scrapping their site.
Why?
You need to have a passion for your blog. Reason being is when it starts looking more like work than fun you need to dig deep to keep going. We’re not even going to talk about those who’ve started blogging and quite before they even got their site up and running. They don’t count in this equation. So why the negative then?
Simple…I don’t want you reading this to believe for a second that you are going to jump into a blog, find just 10 things to blog about, and think you are going to find instant success. I figure you just might want to know the lay of the land first. The idea behind this post is for YOU to identify 101 things to blog about. Set yourself up for success. You can always leave me your comments below.
Things to blog about…Try Starting With Your Passion
Now for some of the good stuff. I have seen many bloggers rise up and take center stage in a matter of months or less than a year. Some bloggers even get more traffic to their blogs than a lot of fortune 100 companies and all they do is rant and rave about anything they want to. You’re probably saying…”How can that be?”
Easy… PASSION! Bring the fire and people will come from miles to watch you burn! There are a lot of things to blog about when you just can’t shut up.
Things to blog about hot blog tip #1. Find your passion. A lot of bloggers know this and teach it, but I still see that it’s a bit of a struggle for new people. The question usually is “How do I know what my passion is?” Sometimes it takes a while to uncover this. If you start writing about what you know or what you’re good at then you will start to uncover what you true passions are. It’s ok to give it some time.
I get it…some bloggers are not interested in earning money from their blog. Your blog may just be a way to vent or a hobby where you can give free advise. Contrary to popular belief Internet marketing may not be the top niche to blog about…or is it?
More Things To Blog About…Think of Others First
Think about this while your starting a blog or revamping your brand. There will always be two things everyone needs and wants to know more about. Food and money. Top blogs right now are ones that give advice and shed light on: making money, saving money, credit and debt, food and recipes. Go figure right?!
Things to blog about hot blog tip #2. Understand your marketplace and what they need. Identify who your reader is. Ask yourself questions like…what do they do for work, what are their hobbies? What are their passions or charities? What keep them up at night? What are their fears or concerns?
Then start to look for answers. See what’s already out on the net. Then craft your answers to their questions in a way that brands you the leader and go to person. Be bold…be confident. Knowing your reader and your marketplace gives you the advantage over others.
Sharing a Cause is One of The Things To Blog About
Build towards the cause. Once you have identified your passion now look for the bigger cause. Most people don’t teach this. But when someone starts sharing the bigger vision then you and your blog start taking on a different role.
You can now start to attract people to your bigger vision and not just to you. You can see a quest post I did on Share Your Dream Friday. However alignment to you now becomes even easier.
Start a movement and share the journey.
Last tip on things to blog about is to just bring it. Once you’ve started the momentum it must be continued. This is where a lot of bloggers including myself have stumbled. But here is a cool trick I just picked up. 10 x 10 x 4.
Find the top 10 question people ask in your niche or topic you know about. Then identify the 10 questions they should asking. Remember YOU ARE THE EXPERT. Then find 4 topics of interest. Now you can write a post on each of these and you have 24 pieces of content.
Pretty cool huh? But we’re not done yet. As the title says”101 Things To Blog About. Now I’m not going to give you a simple list of topics and pat you on the butt and send you on your way. Obviously from the information above I’ve wanted you to craft your own list. But I know you may need a nudge to get you going.
Short List of Things To Blog About
- Something You’re passionate about
- Time management
- Personal development
- A risk you took
- A book you read
- An interview
- A hobby
- Something you know a lot about
- Something you want to learn more about
- Bucket list
- Take a stand for something
- Something that is right in your niche or area of interest
- Something that is wrong or could use a fix
- A cause
- Your favorite Charity
- Your political view (don’t hate me on this)
- Financial issues
- Food likes or dislikes
- Family trips
- The scariest thing that ever happened to you
- You most embarrassing moment
- Rants and raves
- Holiday traditions
- About your mentor
- About your student
- Debunk a myth
- Guest posts
- Have someone interview you
- Create a collaboration post
- Ask questions or do a survey
- Review someone elses post
As you can see this list could go on and on. So keep this handy, book mark it and come back often if you get bloggers block…aka writers block…bad joke I know.
If you received any value from this let me know in the comments. Also tell the community what things you like to blog about. Who knows…someone may just come visit your blog. But they wont see it if you don’t leave a comment.
Ken Pickard
The Network Dad
P.S. And as always your likes and RT’s are ALWAYS APPRECIATED!! Oh and if you want to find more things to blog about and watch me as I enter a 100 day blog challenge.
Your “short” list of topics to blog about–that’s enough to keep me busy until the end of next year. Thank you for sharing.
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This was priceless. As I was reading this, once I saw 10x10x4, something went off and I sat there saying, “can it be that easy?”. I stopped wrote down some ideas and now I am off and running. This was an excellent post especially for people starting out.
I know some bloggers get discouraged along the way if they don’t see some success early on, but like you said, what are you truly passionate about and run with it.
It took me over 10 yrs to finally figure out what I am truly passionate about and it’s fishing, golfing, blogging and helping others. Oh yeah shooting my new rifles at the gun rage (Morgan Hill …you know where that is Ken).
Thank you for this well thought out article and I have already read it 3 times!!!
Sonia recently posted..How To Celebrate Your Wins To Create More Success
Love your list! Great topics to think about and find ways to incorporate into blogging. Thanks!
Great post Ken and if anyone ever got stuck with coming up with content to write about, they better bookmark this post.
I wrote something similar not too long ago and it still surprises me that people get stuck. I think the new blogger does better because they have so many ideas they want to share. But once they get over that initial high they fall into a slump.
All fabulous tips and I’m even going to bookmark this post because you just never know. I already have all my posts planned out for the remainder of this year but 2012 will be here before you know it.
Thanks again and hope you are having a great day and a wonderful week.
~Adrienne
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100% agree. There is no formula for blogging. No schedule. No rules. If you are not inspired enough to write, wait until you are.
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Good ideas! It’s nice to have a list handy when you get that old writer’s block! Thanks!
Martha Giffen recently posted..The #1 Reason Only a Handful of Online Businesses Will Succeed
I like your ideas! The “short list” isn’t so short but I like it that way. H-m-m-m … I’m wondering what a long list would look like…..maybe a Christmas list that keeps rolling out…and rolling…and ….wait a minute we weren’t talking about Christmas! but then again your ideas are like a Christmas gift of blog ideas. One thing to remember once you have your topic going is to put you personality into the article. Be real, that’s the fun part. Give it your view, how you feel. Communicate in a way that people will listen. If you don’t what’s the point?
Very cool. Love the 10x10x4 especially Ken.
Every successful blog needs a continuing stream of good blog post ideas, and finding that realm where your passion meets the needs of an active readership is the name of the game.
Without passion it’s impossible to sustain quality and energy in your writing – but without a basis in the questions people are asking and the problems they face (or interests that truly matter to them) – you can’t go far.
Thanks for sharing these tips!
Jym | Blog Topics recently posted..25 Ways to Discover Good Blog Topics in Your Niche
Hi Ken! This list is worth sharing. Liked your list very much and loved the cartoon (I am a cartoon freak, what can I say).
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Hey Ken, Great job on this post! I think the key here is Passion. When you are passionate about something, you can go on and on. But sometimes we it a brick wall. Your short list provides many ideas for even the most savvy blogger to think about. Also, when writing, you NEED to think of what others want from you. So many times we take for granted our knowledge on a subject. We have to put ourselves in our reader’s shoes and think of what content would help them the most. It may be trivial to us, but a big hit to the beginner or a person who is not in your niche and can learn from you. Thanks for the tips,
Donna
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I like your short list here,I keep it ‘cos I also experiencing writers block.I bookmark your site…
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Ken, I’m not sure I understand how the 10 x 10 x 4 works, but you gave me a great idea in the process. Thanks.
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Great article. The one question i have to help with time after time, is ‘what can i blog about?’ It really is something that people struggle with and this article will help them big style. Well done.
Ken,
I like your list so much I have bookmarked it for future reference. I especially like your suggestions about sharing a bigger vision than yourself, starting a movement, and sharing the journey. This is what I’m doing and there is no end to the ideas running through my head.
One thing I have learned, in addition to the great suggestions above, is the importance of being a solutions provider. So many people are looking for the answers to their most pressing questions. You have done that here.
Thank you so very much!
Juli
Juli Becker recently posted..Are You An Authentic Leader?
Lately, I’ve been suffering from writer’s block. Reading your article has just helped me find new ideas to work on. Thanks so much for the suggestions, Ken. This has been a big help!
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What an awesome post, Ken. Just bookmarked it so that, in the unusual times when I run out of things to say (quite rare!), I have this post to refer to.
Great list, thanks for sharing it!
Dr. Bob Clarke recently posted..Experts Speak: “How Do I Come Up With Great Content Ideas For My Blog?”
Hi ken,
I’m wondering if you need to be called out to “follow through on the 100 day challenge”. You have great content that needs to be heard:). Sending you the best -Stephen
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Hi Ken,
This is awesome!
Ya know, I was really apprehensive about the “undertaking” of becoming a blogger. In fact, at one point, I was sort of paralyzed in the “conceptualization” process wondering where in the heck I was going to come up with anything helpful or valid to share.
The truth is that if we’re even LUCID and paying attention to life (and hopefully our businesses), there is NO shortage of material to share about.
I did especially enjoy your 10X10X4 suggestion. This is a HUGE gold nugget right there. Love that. Thank you so much. I find your site to be a constant source of inspiration and food for fodder.
Cat Alexandra
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Great list there Ken (and I laughed out loud at the picture!!) – It’s funny one of the most popular posts on my blog and on the Better Networker site is a post I did where I was cross about something and was having a bit of a rant whilst displaying some passion at the same time – So I for one, think you’re right!!
Nicky
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Hi Ken,
Great short list! I’ve already picked up a few ideas from it. In fact, if I follow everything on your list I think I will already have a collection of articles for next year.
I just need to be creative and build those topics around my area of interest. Yes, what a wonderful idea.
Thanks for sharing your great tips!
Theresa Torres recently posted..Happy Holidays: Holiday Season in America
Excellent information. Keep it coming. We need good quality content these days, and from what I have read here so far you are right on the money
seo tips recently posted..5 Tips to a Great Website Design
Sharing a cause. I really like that tip.
I’ve never run out of things to blog about and I’ve created 1500 posts in 14 months. I have ideas for another 5k to 10k posts, probably more.
When you are passionate about something, it’s easy to think of new ideas.
Thanks for sharing this great information.
Chuck
Chuck,
Wow, 1500 posts in 14 months. That is amazing and you are right on the money. if you are truly passionate about something then you should be able to create quite a bit of content. Tell me though…what are your passions? And what cause are you trying to cultivate? I believe we can learn from each other when we share our gifts and strengths.
Ken
Hi Ken! i think one of the best things to log about are certain topics that the writer is so passionate about. This bog will certainly bring money thru ads that is why the blogger himself must explore on how to effectively engage his readers to follow him in his every post. If the blog owner needs further training , He must be humble enough to ask for help or even attend classes. In the long run the one will benefit from this is the blog owner himself . Thanks and Advance Happy new Year and more power to thenetworkdad.com
Thanks for the comments. I couldn’t agree more about engaging with your readers or community. one of the things I like to do is ask questions, reply to comments and keep the conversation going. For instance…I’d love to know more about how you interact with your community. Do you leave comments or ask questions? What kind of topics of you found that your community likes to reply to? Weather we ask questions for interaction or for the community at large..it’s all about the energy and passion we share.
Ken
Hi Ken,
I like your list of things to blog about. It happens to me where I go brain dead in regards to topics to write about. Your list refreshed me a bit.
take care…
Justin Mazza recently posted..How Does Acupuncture Work
Great article! In the end writing about subjects you have a passion for is the best way to go. I will share this every time I hear someone say “I have nothing to write about”.
Thanks!
Hi Ken,
This is really great advice for all bloggers. Passion is the key. I started two blogs two years ago because I thought that what I do at work was my passion. Wrong? Both blogs have disappeared from cyberspace because I simply ran out of ideas for content. Mind you that was my work, I thought I like my work.
But after some soul searching, I realize that what I do is not what I actually like. I might be still in my company now, but not for long. I am working harder on myself than at work these days, and I sure could branch out on my own soon.
BTW, what a great list for generating more content. I will keep your list handy.
Happy New Year!
Jimmy recently posted..Beginners Guide to NLP – Part 5 (Chunking as a NLP Strategy)
Ken,
What a great post! VaNessa said I should read this as I am a newbie that is struggling to write my posts consistently. Between this post and V kicking me in the butt weekly I have no excuse anymore!
Thanks again, you are a great role model in this industry.
Tom Brady
Tom Brady recently posted..Happy New Year!
Great post Ken. I recently seen someone on Facebook that asked the question “What should I blog about” I replied “YOUR PASSION” But sometimes we hit a writer’s block in our niche. Sometimes we are so passionate we forget where we started and that could be the ANSWER to someone’s question. Now That’s a great start.
I have had blocks an looked at some Ezine articles to get some ideas. Or go onto other blogs in my niche and get another idea. SO PASSION IS THE KEY!
UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET PLACE is another great way to get your wheels turning in your head. I have an “avatar” created of a person who would need my services. She is on my computer dressed up and raring to go. She gives me inspiration. Sometimes I blog just for her.
Great ideas here Ken, I appreciate it. Donna
Donna Merrill recently posted..A Day In The Life Of A “Life Coach”
Hi Ken,
I came across your blog from a link in my FB feed, posted by Donna Merrill.
I have book marked your site, and want to thank you for sharing your thoughts on how to be successful at blogging and being an entrepreneur.
Also thanks for the short list to help get us up and coming bloggers going.
I started my online journey back in 2009, and didn’t have a clue what to do or where to start. I spent hundreds of dollars on IM training via ebooks, courses and membership sites.
I was about to quit before I ever got started good because all’s I kept getting and hearing from the courses and stuff was in order to start online, you need to find a niche.
Great, so what is a niche I thought? After much frustration, I hit on the idea, to start a blog and simply blog about something I knew about, being a newbie.
So thus My blog is my personal story of my online and entrepreneur journey.
Again I almost quit before ever getting started, cause I just didn’t know what I wanted to do, but then I came across a blog post by David Walker saying as you have said, blog your passion.
I still have to give my self a swift butt kick to keep at it though. Lazyitis can be a deal killer, if you let it.
Thanks again for sharing.
Willie
willie recently posted..Gold At Your Fingertips
Hi Ken, Great list here! Also great points you are making about people needing to know about what it takes to establish a blog and to find what you will truly be passionate and blog about.
So many people see what other are doing and determine what their blogs will be like based on that….and that’s a starting point but the real starting point should be within you. I love all the tips you give here because we all know it is not easy to do.
I think blogging is an extension of you and what you love to talk about but also, since we change and transform our life constantly, it is normal to see a transition occur. This is a journey and it is critical to enjoy it.
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Nathalie,
You are right on the money. You blog is an extension…if you are looking to really add value to the marketplace. Some just see blogging as article marketing a way to just make money.
The niche we serve will keep coming back if they feel the value and sincerity we bring to the table. I love the points about telling people what it really takes to succeed in blogging.
What other tips would you share to new bloggers?
Ken
Hi Ken
Great post, as bloggers we all struggle for content ideas, your post has given me a few ideas already for a couple of new topics I would like to write about.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Bethany recently posted..Does Your Ex Want You Back?
Bethany,
I’m glad that you found some new ideas and you are welcome for the inspiration. As you can see from the post i was just passing that inspiration along.
What kinds of things do you like to blog about?
Ken
Hi ken
At the moment I like writting about relationship issues. One of the short list options was to blog about food likes and dislikes, this caught my eye as something I’m pasionate about and so would enjoy writting about that too. I also like the idea of blogging about a book I have just read, this being Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged.
Bethany recently posted..How to Get Him Back After Pushing Him Away
Hi Ken,
thanks for sharing this post.
i agree with Donna…. Passion is the Key!!!!!!
Last year started with a blogspot blog for learning about online marketing. hm, i sit down without a plan, but many ideas
in last months i read 1.385.4697 sites and posts about all the methods and tools and plugins and blogging tips…….
it`s a really interesting business or hobby for learning more about people, the web, the life. And the life is my inspiration. Go out, talk with people and the inspiration never stop. and that’s the secret for blogging. Write about your passion or the passion from other people.
It works!!!
Thanks a lot for your post and the interesting discussion on this site.
with best wishes for your projects. Sandy from germany
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Sandy from Germany,
Thank you very much for your comment. And it sounds like you read a lot of blogs! I’m hoping that you are able to implement a lot of what you are learning. There’s nothing better and faster for your leadership growth than to give away new knowledge.
What are some of your favorite bloggers?
Ken
Hi Ken,
Me, I blog because writing is my passion. I get to know and communicate other people no matter the nationality and language they have. I feel pleasure reading comments from them and I happily respond to some of their questions about the topic or title I posted. These things you mentioned above is absolutely correct. Good job!
Thank you for your comments. Looks like you were pretty interested in the back link more than the relationship. No worries, as I try to reply to everyone who leaves a good comment. But tel me…what is your blog? What do you like to blog about?
Ken
Hi there! I love your list. All of us have a different reasons why we are blogging and there is only one thing in common among different reasons is that we all want to have money from blogging right? But before that happens you should start in the starting point which is creating a good quality post in your blog.
Well i usually find the top 10 question people ask in your niche or topic you know about. Then identify the 10 questions they should asking. Remember YOU ARE THE EXPERT. Then find 4 topics of interest
Mike,
It sounds like you’ve been through some traffic guyser training. The 10 x 10 x 4 methodology works on so many levels. Thanks for sharing. What kind of projects are you using this concept for?
Ken
How wonderful to connect with like minded warriors who are passionate about their purpose
Stephanie,
Yes it is. Thanks for stopping by.
Ken
Amazing piece of information and would say that the image you have chosen for this post is really awesome..lol
Arjun Rai recently posted..Classic Cars
Those are great ideas to blog about. I deal with a lot of new bloggers/internet marketers and the comment “I’m not sure what I am passionate about” comes around very often.
I always tell them that’s going to be tough to blog about something they don’t really care for. Most likely a blog that will be let go sooner or later. I know that has happened to me in the past.
I noticed that is an older post, but really enjoyed it
anyway.
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Making blogs is not that easy then. You must set your plans on what to write, how it can attract readers, how it inspired/motivate them? You must encounter many failures and distractions before you can write a better and more innovative blogs.
Passion is one of the spices to make a good taste blog. Meditation and brainstorming maybe can help too. Just trust yourself and above all trust to GOD.
James Martin recently posted..Watch the Olympics on your iPhone
Writing about a passion is always a good idea. If you get fired up about something, then get someone else fired up about it too! There’s always someone else out there that will feel similar to you, and if you can share with just that one person, then good! Then they can share with their one friend, and so on and so forth.
Standing up for something you believe in can sometimes be tough, but if you believe in it, someone else will too. Especially if you blog about it really well. You can get people who already have the same opinion as you, or people who are on the fence about the topic.
So thanks for sharing! Your list of things to blog about is also really helpful. With it, anyone will have many many blogs to write about!
Elena Anne recently posted..Collagen Production Superfoods
What do I do? I made a blog a long time ago. Then I started to work on it more, because I noticed it got 20 visitors without any efforts (except for 1 post). So it has been 9 months since I got back to working on it, yet no one looks at it! Is my niche too small? I enjoy writing the posts… Also, I chose this niche because there is only 1 big competitor…History.comAll the other famous educational websites don\’t focus on World History or World Geography, Society, or Social Studies! Khan Academy doesn\’t… Can someone tell me if the Social Studies niche is too small? I enjoy it so much…Or the problem is it isn\’t school-time! Is that why?
Loved the post and the suggestion on things to blog about. For some reason the things that I think about blogging about always hit me as I am driving down the road. Thanks for the suggestions! Keep writing the good stuff!