How to Come Up with Blogging Ideas

Writer’s block? Creative streams run dry? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. At Helix House, we generate countless pieces of content on a weekly basis, so trust us, we know your pain. But we’ve also developed some strategies to overcome a dry spell of blogging ideas and wanted to share some with you. To help get your mojo back, we’ve also provided a couple starting topics for a few industries in this blog. So, let’s jump right into it.

Research What Others Are Doing

There is no shame in going online to find out what’s trendy! It’s never cheating to check out your competition and see what they’ve been covering, or to do keyword research using a tool like Ahrefs to see what people are searching on Google. In fact, we recommend doing all of this first! To be a successful blogger or content writer, you have to be up to date as to what people are looking for. You don’t want to be caught writing about how MySpace is the future of social media in 2020, after all. Let’s look at an example. One of our copywriters works with a client who sells vaping products. That copywriter has never even touched a vape in their life, so researching online trends and staying up to date with the news is extremely beneficial for them. This way, they know what’s hot in the market, despite being removed from that culture.

Talk it Out with Coworkers

It may seem simple, but asking a coworker for help and sharing where you are in your creative process is extremely helpful. They’ll be able to come up with a couple fresh ideas and hot takes on items that you may have overlooked. Never feel bad about it either! It’s extremely common for anyone to get burnout creatively. Sometimes, all it takes is a new set of eyes to give you the ideas you need to break out of your slump.

Look at What Their Customers are Saying

If you’re writing for a client who has an active social media channel, use that to your advantage! Many potential leads and customers will use social media as a way to communicate their thoughts and feelings about the product. Some even ask questions! Use this to your advantage and find topics they’re talking about. That way, you know it’s something they’ll be interested in reading!We do recommend avoiding reviews for content ideas, though, because you’re never sure what prompted the customer to leave a review in the first place. Stick to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media channels.

When in Doubt, Ask!

No one knows their business and their demographics better than business owners. If you’re running out of ideas or if you’re not sure on whether or not a topic fits, run it by the owner. Chances are, they’ll be more than happy to help and point you in the right direction. They probably even have ideas they’ve been wanting to share as well. Now, this may not be the case for all clients. So if you’re unable to ask them, please refer to our first two tips once again.

Still Need a Blogging Idea?

After all that, are you still out of ideas? That’s okay. Sometimes it helps to put it down and come back to it another day with a clear head. Other times, maybe you just need a clear suggestion. Here are a few ideas for specific industries that we’ve found success in writing. Retail/E-Commerce Blogs

• History of your business
• A monthly or seasonal showcase of specific products
• Cater to your demographic If you’re a petite clothing store, then cater to smaller women or women who may not know they’re petite!

Service-Related Industries

• A blog that states why you’re better than the rest What do you do that sets you apart? Capitalize on it
• A blog featuring a specific service you offer to explain what it is, who it benefits, and why it's better
• Humanize yourself   Talk with employees and the owner to make a cultural blog that is beneficial for your demographic every once in a while. Example: Funny office stories, relating to the current economic/world climate, etc.

Construction Industry

• Showcase what you’ve worked on in the past!   Go into how you made something, what materials you used, how you did it — it shows transparency, honesty, and expertise!
• Show off what makes you better than your competition
• Step by step guide to your construction process This way new clients can reference it while they’re doing business with you!

Digital Advertising

• Explain what you’re doing Always get asked what ROI is? Write a blog on it
• Give overviews of tools you use   Hint: Google Analytics has enough tools to give you a year’s worth of content
• Cultural pieces!   Humanize your company — you’re not just a data machine, you’re run by humans who have lives, personalities, pets, and fun. Make sure your clients see that too. It adds a level of transparency and trust!

Cultural Blogs

• A glimpse into the life of your office What’s it like working as a <position>?
• Humanizing pieces Everyone is hit by challenges. Share yours and how you overcame them (in a non-braggy way). You never know who could be facing the same issue
• Don’t be afraid to be funny.   Add a little personality to your blog section by mixing in a blog with sass and humor every now and then. A little humor never hurt anyone

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