10 New Content Ideas for Your Blog: Which Will You Try Today?

Do you ever feel a bit tired of your blog?

Perhaps writing yet another post feels like a real effort.

Or maybe you’re quite enjoying writing, but your posts don’t seem to be getting so many comments and shares as they used to.

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with blogging, producing the same types of post over and over again.

Here are ten fresh ideas to shake things up:

#1: Don’t Write a List (or Do!)

List posts are popular with bloggers and with readers for a reason: they work! But if pretty much every post you write is “Six Ways to…” or “Fifteen Tips on…” it’s time to try something different.

If you’ve avoided lists because you think they’re shallow or overdone, though, give one a try — and see how it works for you and your readers.

#2: Write a Much Shorter Post Than Usual

Sometimes, a short post can have a disproportionate impact. You might choose to introduce a topic then open it up to your readers, or you might want to write something completely different from usual — perhaps a poem.

If you’re struggling to find the time to blog, or you’re feeling burned out, short posts are also a great way to keep up some momentum without pushing yourself too hard.

#3: Host a Guest Blogger

A fresh perspective and new voice can be great for your blog, so why not invite someone you know to contribute a guest piece?

If there’s someone who regularly comments (and has interesting things to say), they could be a great person to ask.

#4: Be Opinionated

If your posts tend to be quite fact-based and informative, try shaking things up with an opinionated, or even controversial, take on something in your industry.

What makes you angry? What do you disagree with other bloggers about? Of course, you won’t want to be rude or offensive, but do state your thoughts and ideas strongly (and back them up with evidence).

#5: Collate Social Media Posts

If you spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or other social networks, why not collect some of your top updates and publish them as a blog post?

Darren Rowse did this with his post (and SlideShare) 10 Quick Tips for Entrepreneurial Bloggers — bringing ten of his best tweets to a new audience in a fresh format.

#6: Interview an Expert

Is there someone in your niche whose brain you’d love to pick? A great way to get their insights and advice is to interview them on your blog — many bloggers, even busy ones, will be happy to answer a few questions by email.

To get the most out of this, read their About page and any other interviews with them first, and try to ask new questions rather than ones they’ll have answered dozens of times before.

#7: Get Graphical

If, like me, you’re very much a “words” person, shake things up with a post that’s image-focused. This could be a single eye-catching image with a few words of explanation, or it could be a series of images.

You might even want to try a video — which can be a powerful way to connect with your audience. Alternatively, you could take your own photos or create your own artwork, rather than using free images you’ve found online.

#8: Refresh an Old Post

If you’ve been blogging for more than six months, you’ve probably got some great posts tucked away in your archives that rarely get visited. Pick one of these, and update it: change any out-dated information, fix any broken links, and do some editing if necessary.

You can republish this as a new post — which hopefully means it gets a lot more attention than before, as your audience will have grown since you first published it.

#9: Write About a New Experience

Almost every topic allows you to explore some new experiences, whether that’s going to a new country (travel blog) or trying out a new gadget (technology blog) or testing a new productivity system (personal development blog).

Pick something new to try this week, and take notes during the experience, so you can easily write up a blog post.

#10: Link to Other Posts

Link round-ups aren’t quite so popular these days as they used to be, as many blogger share links via Twitter or Facebook rather than on their blogs. This means that a post of links can really stand out.

You can either round-up posts from the last week / month in your niche, or you can choose a topic and find resources that relate to it. Either way, your aim is to find great content that your readers will love to explore.

 

Which of these ten ideas will you have a go at this week … or is there something else you’re going to try out? Drop a comment below to tell us…