8 ideas for creating fresh blog content

Organised desk with blogging typewriter

Weekly, monthly or yearly, no matter the frequency you blog, finding fresh content that is relevant enough to win a click can be difficult. You want original content that has a unique selling point (USP) and piques interest. But it must be suitable for the audience too. Inevitably, this could make it similar to what is already out there. So, where can you get the inspiration for your next hit blog and avoid writer’s block? Find out below.

1. Pay attention to the latest trends in your sector

  1. Pay attention to the latest trends in your sector

In the I.T. and general web design and software development industry, nothing stands still for too long. This makes finding fresh content easy. So long as you have some understanding of what the subject is, as specialist subjects can get complicated!

 

There are a number of ways of finding these trends:

  • reading published reports and research;
  • general publications and influencers;
  • google trends;
  • other online analytical tools;
  • competitor observation;
  • ask your colleagues and other industry experts.

Find what works best for you, it can only take one idea to write a decent-sized, interesting blog. Stay up-to-date with trends and remain on topic to keep copy relevant and search-worthy.

2. Send a survey

Person filling in a web survey

If you have a large following, use it. Social media, websites, print and focus groups etc. can be used to find what others are interested in by using surveys. Qualitative data feedback can help you find fresh ideas too, which you may not have otherwise thought of.

Talk to your customers. Ask them questions, if they have gaps in knowledge or, better yet, future needs – others might too. These would be great to fill with your next blog. The more you can inform and help people, the more credible your blogs and brand will be. The more they connect with you, the more likely they are to use your services.

 

3. What is social media saying?

Again, this is paying attention to the current trends. Except social media is in real-time. You can see exactly what your customers or clients are saying and can interact directly with them. Better yet, competitors and other industry professionals are on the same platforms. You can see what others are writing about, tweeting and projects they’re working on. This will help find something relevant you can apply to your business or recent project that others may be interested in.

Hashtags and latest trends will help you easily find something relevant to your field.

4. Answer the public FAQs

Every day people go online to cast their opinions or ask questions. Reddit and Quora are popular websites that might be able to help you find interesting subjects, that may help people.

They have specific sections for most sectors and subjects which helps target problems that you and your business might be able to help with.

When you find something of interest, do a bit of research into it, find others that may be struggling and integrate the answers into your blog.

5. Revisit your old blogs

Often, I stumble across old blogs I have written. It can just be one paragraph that grabs my attention, but I find it is always enough to encourage me to do a bit more research and add more to it. It is a great way to freshen up old content.

Another gem is paying attention to the comments from these blogs. The questions that are asked will often be the next development or gap of knowledge that you can help with.

Give it a try, reread some of your old stuff from a couple of years ago. However, it is worth noting, duplicate content isn’t favoured with Google and readers alike, so make sure it is fresh enough!

6. Read and write. A lot.

The more you read, the better the chance of finding inspiration. You may find questions of your own in what you’re reading, which you can research and use as material for a blog. It is useful to find and pay attention to all sorts of sources that focus on your interests and sector.

When you have ideas, writing them down can be helpful to come back to later on. I have missed a lot of content that I thought of in the early hours of the morning because I didn’t write them down. Even if it isn’t your best stuff, there will be a golden nugget in your notebook to come back to when you have writer’s block.

7. Keyword research repurposing

The same keyword research you do to improve your website’s SEO will also help you identify what people are searching for generally. There may well be something in there worth writing about.

An interesting blog page that makes it to the first page of Google will receive traffic and general interest in your blog. It is a quick and easy inspiration for your next hit blog.

Google analytics SEO stats

8. What’s worked for others, explore further

What’s popular and working for others? Oxfordshire is home to lots of innovative, scientific organisations that write blogs and websites. Could you consider writing about the contribution your business has on the community?

This will give a deeper insight into your business and may motivate them to share their stories.

You can also pick up where others left off. Perhaps a particular blog caught your eye. You can take this in a different direction or expand on key points. Again, proceed with caution as duplicate content won’t be well accepted by prospective readers. Original content will always be king.

How can we help?

Oxford Web are experienced in web design. We can create designing websites that are optimised for blog integration. If this is something you are interested in, please get in touch.