49 Blog & Content Ideas For When You Have A Mental Block

If you want your blog to be popular and get loads of free traffic from Google & social networks, it’s essential to create a steady stream of interesting and compelling blog post ideas.

Doing this week after week, however, can seem like a challenge.

Many bloggers start off with boundless enthusiasm but then feel like they are running out of blogging topics after a few months.

There are, however, many sources from which you can draw inspiration. No matter what your topic, the list of topics you can blog about is virtually endless. The reason for this is that there are always new ideas, news and developments coming out in every field. In this article, we’ll be looking at some of the best ways to come up with great blog ideas.

For me, content is the main way I make money from blogging. Content brings traffic to my site, and then I monetize that content with affiliate offers or display ads.

Here’s an infographic with some cool blog and content ideas for when you have brain freeze or a mental block. We’ve all been there. Sitting in front of your computer screen thinking..”Now what do I create now?”

Have a look through some of my content ideas to help you gain more traffic to your website through organic, referral links and social sources.

Feel free to add any more ideas in the comments section below. If you are yet to start a blog, then why not head over too my easy to follow tutorial on how to start a blog, and get up and running in just 30 mins.

Here’s the list of URLs of content examples and blog post ideas that are mentioned in the graphic above.

1. Curation

Compile a Top ten best / favourite blog posts from other people’s blogs.

Live example: Resource Tools For Web Designers

2. Best of Twitter

Come up with the top 25 or 50 people to follow on Twitter within your niche. Bring attention to influencers in your industry and other colleagues, friends or accounts you discover that are sharing valuable content.
It’s a great resource for your followers and it’s a great way to get people to notice you and many are even likely to reciprocate.

Live example: MahiFX Top Forex Twitter List

3. Group Brainstorm

Ask people for ideas. Ask for their opinion on what you could create.
People to ask
– Offline friends / colleagues
– Online peers
– Blogger friends
– Work contacts

Live example: 27 Killer Strategies for Brainstorming Blog Post Ideas

4. Interview someone authoritative in your niche

Ask a handful of questions to someone that is interesting / authoritative within your niche. It doesn’t have to be face to face. It could be via Skype or email. The great thing is you don’t have to write it yourself. The interviewee creates the content for you. This is also a good relationship building exercise.

5. Ask Questions on Reddit

Get ideas from sub-reddits within the niche your website resides.
You can do this by looking to see – What people are talking about

– What they are sharing
– Ask the questions.

Live example: SiegeMedia Post On Subreddits

6. Group Interviews

Ask a handful of people a couple of questions ( interesting ones that people want to hear ) and create a group interview post.

Live example: White Hat Link Building Expert Round Up

7. Guest Posts

Invite well respected bloggers to write on your site.
This way they get access to your audience and you have a great article on your site for free.
Contact the smaller blogs that could do with the exposure and invite them to guest post on your site.

Live example: Guest Post example on ReadWrite

8. Create a Resource

Create a post, infographic or video that people will find useful.
If your website is in the photography niche, why not create an Instagram Tips infographic.
Create resources that people find useful and you have a web asset that will always attract traffic.

Live example: Photoshop Cheat Sheet

9. Create a Case Study

Cover an experiment you are testing with your blog or audience.
Or you could write about a success or failure that you’ve experienced within your niche.

Live example: Case study on web traffic

10. Review a Service / Product / Experience on your site

Give your opinion on a product or service you use. You can sometimes earn money if there is an affiliate program for that product.
Writing reviews is a wonderful way to let companies know exactly what you think of them, either good or bad. It’s also a great way to share with your audience the products that you rate.

Live example: Sendible review

You can also create product list reviews like this example. Choose 10 products on Amazon in a particular niche relevant to your site and write a mini review on each item. This is like a roundup post where you can earn money from sending people to Amazon.com. If they buy anything, you then get commission from Amazon.

11. Share Your Successes

Look back at some of your most successful posts and why they did well.

Live example: Successful Blogging post

12. Post someone else’s infographic

Look on sites like Visual.ly for inspirational infographics and write about them.
Or you can do a Google search for infographics that focus on subjects that cross over into your niche.

Live example: Infographic placement example

13. Look in your blog archives

Repurpose an old list article into a Slideshare or Infographic.
Update an old blog post with new information.

Live example: Repurpose your content

14. Host a Competition or Giveaway

Partner with a business to offer prizes for your readers through competitions or cool stuff like games and quizzes.

Live example: Fun online quiz / competition
Giveaways

15. Create A Glossary

What are the less well known technical terms or acronyms in your niche.
Helpful resource for novices are always worth doing and will attract traffic.

Live example: WordPress glossary

16. Name Recognition

What the general election can teach you about content marketing.
What the Super Bowl can teach us about keeping fit.

Live example: Henry Ford

17. Create a Spotify Playlist

Share your favourite music with your readers.

Live example: Spotify playlists

18. Be Interviewed By Your Readers

Invite your readers to submit questions about you or your blog and answer them.

Live example: AMA

19. Look for Outdated Content

There’s so much information out there on the internet that is out of date.
Look for out dated content in your vertical and update it.

Check out this handy tool from Green Lane SEO!

20. Compile Useful Resources

A compilation of useful resources regarding your industry can create a one-stop shop for your customer base. If your audience has to come through your site or blog to access these resources, they may end up staying for a bit of a read and a bit of a shop.

Live example: Example of a useful online resource

21. Start a Weekly Blog Roundup Post

Share the top 10 articles you think your readers will enjoy.
Put the spotlight on other people in your vertical.
Build up relationships with other bloggers.

Live example: upcity.com

22. Analyze Google Trends

Check what’s hot, what people are searching for to get some ideas on creating content for your blog.

Live example:Ways to use google trends

23. Publish an E-book and promote it on your blog

Promoting your own eBooks on your blog can be a great way to make money, build an email list and showcase your knowledge.

Live example: ViperChill Ebook

24. Create a Custom 404 page

A useful 404 page will help your visitors find their way around your site if they accidentally end up on the wrong page. Alternatively a creative or fun 404 page can be a great way to get your name out there.

25. Write about common misconceptions in your niche

Crush those myths and let your readers know the truth.

Live example:
Common Blogging Myths

26. Showcase a small business, artist, or writer

Take some time out to interview or review a small business and help them get some attention

Live example: Small biz review

27. Start a poll or survey

Use your audience to create new content ideas and data.
Use the data for follow up articles and infographics.

Live example: http://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/blogger-analysis/

28. Create a Monthly Blog Traffic or Income Report

Use your audience to create new content ideas and data.
Use the data for follow up articles and infographics.

Live example: http://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/blogger-analysis/

29. Make predictions

Look at some of the big changes that might happen in your niche 12 months or 5 years from now.

Live example: http://girllostinthecity.com/2015/01/blogging-reflections-4-predictions/

30. Create a Listicles

A listicle is an article in the form of a list; listicles are heavily used by websites such as Buzzfeed and are incredibly popular due to the bitesize nature of the information shared. An example of their efficacy is you, reading this listicle, right now. When you probably should be working instead.

Live example: http://www.buzzfeed.com/nalavezos/24-signs-you-belong-in-a-different-time-period-xlbs

31. Create Seasonal Content

Creating the right content at the right time can get you a ton of attention. Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or Halloween, you can create holiday themed content that can get a ton of attention over a short period of time (and every year after).

Live example: http://www.bonfire-night-safety.co.uk/

32. Tell people about your failures

Look back at some of your decisions and why they didn’t turn out as you hoped.

Live example: Why my first blog failed

33. Things to do before you die lists

Create a list with descriptions and photos of the following ideas…

– 25 Restaurants To Eat At Before
You Kick The Bucket.

– 50 Cities You Have To Go To
Before You’re Old.

– 100 Things You Have To Buy
Before You Die.

Live example: http://bucketlistjourney.net/my-bucket-list/

34. Create an A to Z blog post or infographic

Write an A to Z post about something within your niche. Example: A to Z of photography Tips, A to Z on The Best Universities in The World.

35. Create a profile on an influential figure

Is there someone in your niche you admire? Write a profile on them detailing who they are, what they do, why you love them, and where your readers can learn more.

Live example: http://www.daveendsor.com/quotable-rand-fishkin/

36. Create a quiz

Use a quiz-building application like Online Quiz Creator, and make your next post into a game for your readers.

Check out this handy tool for creating quizzes http://www.onlinequizcreator.com

37. Life Hacks

Compile the best life hacks within your niche. People love this kind of content and will link to and share.

Live example: Student Life Hacks

38. Video Workshops

If you have something valuable to offer within your niche then why not share some of your training and consulting material with your readers via a live online workshop or pre-recorded video.

Live example: https://blog.udemy.com/how-to-make-a-great-tutorial-video/

39. Use Quora For Content Ideas

Find questions people are asking in your niche or industry and try to answer them on your own blog. Create a short answer on Quora with a link through to the full answer on your blog.

40. Build a Tool

Your tool doesn’t have to be an expensive piece of software. It could be something simple that helps people speed up a common task.

Ideas for tools
– Calculators
– Widgets
– Excel Docs
– Templates

Live Example: Embed Code Generator

41. Create a White Paper

A White Paper is a detailed guide on a particular subject.

A Whitepaper is a great way to establish your credibility as an expert and positioning you as the perfect person to solve their problems.

Live Example: White Paper Samples

42. The Best Books In Your Niche

There’s a lot of great books around that people aren’t aware of. Information seems to be confined to the internet. Open peoples’ eyes to the amazing literature out there and create a 10 Best Books In
(your niche).

Live Example: Top Ten Irish Novels

43. Instructographics

These are infographics that teach you how to do something. You might create a 10-step process to create a particular tool or product or digital media such as a podcast. It’ll help if the thing you are teaching your audience to build is something interesting or cool.

Live Example: How to build a light saber

44. Day in the life of…

This could be in the form of a blog post with animated gifs to document in a funny way the day in the life of any given person or job.

You could create a post about The Day In The Life Of A Designer or anything that is related to your niche.

45. Find dead content and re-create

Find content that is no longer on the web and re-create & publish it on your own site.
Update an old blog post with new information.

46. NewsJacking

Instead of trying to cover news first, see if you can take advantage of currently hot topics through newsjacking. This is the practice of looking for new & upcoming stories then capitalizing on them by writing up a blog post on the topic.

Live Example: Check out the post on SiteBeginner on NewsJacking to fully understand this content idea.

47. Google Maps Mashups

Google Maps is a great tool, and you can use it to attract links if you get it in front of the right audience. A great idea would be to map out all the industry events taking place this year.

48. Create An Ultimate Guide

Ultimate guides are an amazing way to not only attract traffic to your website via search engines but also to establish yourself as an authority in your niche. Why not create an ultimate guide to something within your industry. If you’re good at Excel spreadsheets then why not create an ultimate guide on using Excel for Small Businesses. You can then put this on your website as a free download or charge people $10 for it.  Teach people the tricks of your trade. Resources like this will only bring good things to your business or blog. This can be in the form of new customers or new visitors to your website.

49. Call Someone Out

Now I’m not saying for you to be nasty with this. I’m talking about constructive criticism of a blog, website, person or a service. If you have a strong argument about something and you can back-up your feelings with real facts and figures, then go for it. Avoid random rantings and abusive language.