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16 Tips for Blog Idea Brainstorming

ByJohn P.

Idea Light BulbIn the last week at least 5 people have asked me, “how do you come up with so many interesting articles?” To be honest, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to write about this topic if Lorelle hadn’t asked me to (anything for you Lorelle!) because I’m afraid it will bore you people to tears! But I’ll do my best to make it somewhat entertaining, just keep plenty of Kleenex nearby in case I fail…

Before we get into the meat of this question (mmmm… meat), its worth noting that I enjoy writing. On top of that, I wrote a lot in my previous life as a corporate executive, so I’ve had plenty of practice (translation – I raise BS to an art level). As a result of my experience, I recommend that all Bloggers examine two fundamental questions:

  • Are you really a good writer? If you know you are weak in this area then you need to get some help. (Tip #1) Take a writing course at a community college, or at the very least have someone proofread your work before posting it. A poor writer can make the most interesting topic boring, while a great writer can turn the most mundane task into a true joy to read. (Example: Dr. Seuss on morning breakfast.)
  • Do you enjoy writing? Trying to be a Blogger without a fundamental love of writing would be like trying to be a dentist who finds halitosis repugnant. These things just don’t go together, and eventually you are going to quit.

And while we’re just getting started, I will say that I worry that the reason people are asking this question is really because they are searching for a “quick and dirty” source that will make this whole thing easy. I’m sorry to disappoint, but I spend as much time doing this as most people do at their full time job. So if there is an “easy way”, I don’t know it.

But I digress…

Philosophy and Methodology

Back to the topic at hand,

“Where do you come up with the ideas for all of these articles?”

Let’s see, in the last year I’ve written nearly 750 articles, so I suppose that I’m “prolific” in terms of writing frequency. Of course, this is in line with one of my most important personal goals – consistency. (I also appreciate regularity, but that is a different topic.) My readers expect me to deliver at least one new article each day, and no matter what – I do so.

It’s also interesting to note that I broke all the rules by having a blog that doesn’t concentrate on just one specific topic. Frankly, I’d get bored with that. Plus I didn’t start my blog to make money, I did it to share information with family and friends as well as document things for myself to remember and reference later. I’m guessing that these underlying characteristics have played a significant role in the incredible growth it’s seen. (Tip #2) And frankly I’d recommend that everyone else expand their focus a bit if you’re feeling too boxed in.

Many of the articles on One Man’s Blog are completely original content. I’m not sure what the percentage is, but I’d estimate at least 30%. However, I couldn’t fill up my schedule with original content alone because I wouldn’t have time to write that much. (Many of my original articles take a full day or more to write). So in between original content I fill in with interesting things I find elsewhere, or current news events. But I don’t just re-post other people’s content. (Tip #3) I always try to do a little more research and add to the original story with additional information or at least my thoughts on the subject.

Now, if I were to sit down each day and try to come up with something off the top of my head I’d be hard pressed to do so. On average I spend about 3 hours on each article I post. That means that whether it is something original I’ve authored, or something interesting I found elsewhere, 3 hours is the minimum. Problem is, I don’t always have 3 hours to spare.

Draft Articles(Tip #4) For this reason I always have several mostly-complete articles sitting in draft mode. With 15-30 minutes notice I can put out a quality article. If I can’t put out something that I’d want to read, then I’ll put out nothing.

One other thing, I’m always blogging – even when I’m not at my computer. (Tip #5) When I’m not connected, I make notes. Lots of them. Reminders of URLs I heard mentioned on TV or by someone in passing. News that I heard on the radio while driving. Topics of interesting discussions I have with people which are intellectually stimulating. (Tip #6) There are note pads and pens in the armrests of my cars, and I try to keep a little pad of paper in my back pocket at all times. I guess I’m just like a reporter in this sense.

Money and financial documents on a dark surface. (Tip #7) If I’m reading a magazine and come across an article that inspires me I rip the page out and keep it in a folder. I’ve got hundreds of pages, and if I need inspiration I can search through the folder until I come across something I feel like writing about.

Sources

I don’t go searching specifically for content on the Internet. I just read a LOT, and part of the reason for launching my blog in the first place was so that I’d have a place to catalog the most interesting stuff I find while surfing so that I can find it again. (Tip #8) A few of my favorite places to read include:

I don’t just read online, I also read more magazines than anyone you know. I love magazines. The writers are usually quite good, and they’ve been facing the same issue as Bloggers since the first editor asked “…great story, now what are you working on for next month”? We can also learn a lot from their writing style.

Workspace with laptops, coffee cups, and notebooks for productivity and blogging. (Tip #9) Some of my favorite periodicals include (I read 2-3 times this many magazines each month):

(Tip #10) Inspiration for some of my articles come from products I use. For example I try to review many of the things I buy, especially if they are expensive or risky purchases, because I know other people search for things like that before they make purchases. Of course, I don’t write the reviews to try to get traffic. I do it to try to help people get an accurate assessment of what the product is like from a real consumer. Google will bring them to a well written article (that’s another subject altogether).

Some examples of my product reviews include:

(Tip #11) I also read a lot of catalogs and sometimes write about things I haven’t purchased, but think would be cool to have. Heck, sometimes it’s just something a friend told me that he bought.

(Tip #12) In addition to product reviews, I try to put up as many travel related reviews as possible (have you read about Lorelle’s travels). Travel decisions are very hard to make, and if someone has a great vacation I’d like to read all about it – in detail – so that I could duplicate it. Unfortunately most people don’t document their vacations the way I typically do. Here are a few of my travel reviews as examples:

Summary

To wrap things up I’d just like to make a few quick points:

  • (Tip #13) If you will note, in all of the sample articles I’ve provided there is extensive information, hyperlinking and multimedia. Emulate this style and ensure that your articles are authoritative enought that people really don’t have to go anywhere else to learn more.
  • (Tip #14) There is no wrong topic to blog about. As long as you take your time to write an article that is complete and authoritative someone is going to appreciate it. In fact your readers will probably welcome hearing a few “off-topic” stories on occasion, and it makes you more “human” to them.
  • (Tip #15) Let’s not forget, the more quality content you have on your site, the more search engine traffic will come your way. As your content grows you will eventually reach a critical mass which will allow your site to sustain an actual community. Keep plugging away and you’ll get there!
  • (Tip #16) You must allow comments without requiring registration on your blog. Comments add content, and content brings search engines as well as readers. On my blog people enjoy reading the comments as much as the articles. But you must police the comments and delete useless ones.

As a final note, I’d like to point out that my family is unbelievably patient and tolerant of my dedication to the blog. They realize that I really love doing it, and allow me to stay up half the night, or sit in my office for hours on end. So, if you’re like me I hope you remember to let your loved ones know how much you appreciate their tolerance.
:-)

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John P.

John P. is a former CEO, former TV Show Host, and the Founder and Wizard behind Texas Metal Works. You can find him on X, Facebook and LinkedIn. Feel free to send shoutouts, insults, and praise.

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28 Comments

  1. A powerful share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing slightly evaluation on this. And he in actual fact purchased me breakfast as a result of I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I really feel strongly about it and love studying more on this topic. If possible, as you change into experience, would you thoughts updating your blog with extra particulars? It’s extremely useful for me. Big thumb up for this weblog post!

  2. היי, אני רוצה להמליץ לכם על פתרונות למגוון דרישות בתחום רהיטי ילדים, שולחנות, מיטות ילדים ועוד…

  3. קבלו אתר עם מוצרים בבלעדיות מוחלטת למספר ענפים: הנעלה, בנייה ושיפוצים, ספורט, איטום/אטמים, מזרנים, דבקים, יין ועוד

  4. Yesterday, while I was at work, my cousin stole my apple ipad and tested to see if it can survive a forty foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now broken and she has 83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it with someone!

  6. First of all I want to say terrific blog! I had a quick question which I’d like to ask if you do not mind. I was interested to know how you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing. I’ve had difficulty clearing my thoughts in getting my ideas out. I truly do enjoy writing however it just seems like the first 10 to 15 minutes are usually lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any suggestions or tips? Thanks!

  7. Hi there, just became alert to your blog through Google, and found that it’s truly informative. I am going to watch out for brussels. I will be grateful if you continue this in future. Many people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

  9. Hi John I am new to this blog business, but keen to start my own blog. I am currently enrolled in a course in freelance journalism. I was wondering if there was any money in it? If so how?

  10. This is great. I find ideas like this a lot too. I’m a big fan of exposing yourself to a variety of new inputs for this purpose. Nice job. Glad to have found your blog.

  11. I totally agree with tip #16! I’ve currently got 15-16 or so blogs on my feed list that have commenting enabled, but I only actually comment on maybe 3-4 because they’re the ones that, like here, only require a name and email address. When I’m surfing the net in between doing real work, I’d rather just be able to throw in my name and email (now using Roboform, thanks) and comment than have to log in to something like WordPress.

    After reading quite a few of their articles, I recently decided to actually comment at Lifehacker, only to find that they had to deem my first (few?) comments worthy in order for me to continue…Not just “you’re not a trolling moron” worthy, but “we feel that you’re contributing positively and creatively to our site” worthy. So I’m back to just reading their feed now :)

  12. Kelly,

    Thank you very much for the kind words. :-)

    I would highly encourage you to start a blog if you love writing. I find it is a great creative outlet. And yes, as you see I am all over the map on my blog. One day it might be food, another it might be politics.

    My advice however would be to make sure that you aren’t writing about yourself, but rather writing about topics that interest you.

    So for example, if you look at what I wrote about my trip to Denver, you see that there really isn’t much about me but instead it’s all about the places I visited and things I did. This helps other people to research and learn from what I experienced.

    Good luck with it, and a great place to start a blog quickly and easily is WordPress.com.

    Take care,

    John

  13. I just wanted to say LOVE IT! Thanks so much for your great tips.

    I love to write and “don’t know what to do with it.” ;P I am thinking now of starting a personal blog because you said I don’t have to focus on only ONE topic (as I thought perhaps was mostly desired). Just be me and blog.

    (I have a family blog but won’t share it here ;) )

    You really are a source of inspiration to me on your blog…so thanks! :)

    Kelly

  14. Its a shame they wont post comments :)

    My main hobby site is a travel site about a city in the Philippines, and even when my whole family came down here from Denmark none of them joined the forum and asked questions or even used he site for research. My sister actually joined after they got back to Denmark, but she only posted one post ever hehehe…

  15. I definitely think that this was an interesting post to read. When I initially heard about your site (through a comment on my own), I knew that I was going to be reading a site that had an eclectic mix of topics. And that appeals to me because that is much more in line with why and how I blog.

    I must admit that not all of your articles are interesting to me, but there are definitely enough of them that I am commenting and subscribed to your feed. I appreciate your authority (something I might need to work on sometimes), and how much research and thoroughness you put in your posts.

    It was neat to note that a lot of the ways that you find ideas (magazines, just while around) were very similar to how I find ideas of what to write. It’s nice to be a bit affirmed in your methods every now and again!

  16. You’re right. That’s what most bloggers are looking for – ‘quick and dirty’ ways to make it easy. Great tips. I really enjoy reading your blog everyday. It covers an interesting mix of topics.

  18. Very interesting article. There’s a lot of inspiration there, and possibly the best blog posts I’ve read in a long time.

    They are real tips. Everywhere else you see the same old tips being recycled, but what you said there is real, and true.

  19. Thanks Kim. I’m glad to be able to kick start your day like that. My Mom and several other people I know do the same thing. I usually get up a little later and by the time I do I have e-mails waiting in response to the day’s post.

    I don’t know why they don’t actually post comments – and I’ve encouraged them many times to do so – but I guess some people just do not like to post comments on a Web site. :-)

    Yes, I’m spending a lot of time on the site, but I enjoy it and hey I’ve got nothing else to do while everyone I know is at work! ;-) Plus I’m making a lot of new friends all over the world!

    John

  20. This is a great post John, thanks for sharing.

    3-6 hours a day (1-2) articles a day is a long time to spend on the site, but this site is very complete and I enjoy the different topics on here, I have now made it part of my morning routine to check what crazy stuff you came up with today :)

    So your work is for sure appreciated, at least by the Dane camping out in the sticks in the Philippines :)

    Kim:)

  22. This is a great post for my bloggers I have. I have a little network of guys who blog on various topics and I’m always looking to expand. Thanks!

  23. That’s Ok Brandon. We all need to work on that one.

    One of the best ways I’ve found to improve my writing is to save a draft and then come back to it hours or days later. That way you are reading it fresh and you can look for areas that are a little unclear to improve your wording.

    Also keep an eye out for places where you could add a little more information to bring additional value. For example, on the Web sometimes a link can add great value.

    John

  24. Brad,

    First, thank you for the kind words.

    With regards to your question, it seems to me there are two different “philosophies” :-) that could be employed in relation to the ratio of Quality to Filler content. And by the way, I’m not at all offended by the label. You are absolutely correct in your assessment.

    1. It is my preference to give people a little something to read every single day. This reinforces my routine, and I think it makes it fun for my readers. Plus, in the grand scheme of things I’m not deluded enough to think that my Quality content is more valuable than the Filler. After all, this article isn’t going to hit the front page of Digg, but the 10 Worst Drivers post did. Ultimately the “market” will decide what your best content is. I’ve found it impossible to predict.
    2. There are those people whose reputations, or egos, demand that only high quality content be published. They would rather post only once a week, but make sure the content is “reference grade”. That is probably appropriate if you are a Professor, or Alan Greenspan or something.

    If you were to force me to recommend between one of the two philosophies to be applied as a blanket to everyone, I’d opt for the former for the following reasons:

    • A LOT of my readers will never read this article. Believe me, my whole family will skip over this one, as will thousands of other people. After all, it will only appeal to people who run a Blog or are a little curious about my methodology. That is a small portion of my readership.
    • The short filler articles have almost universal appeal. Who doesn’t like a video of a dancing dog, or learning about price protection for online purchases? Normal readers might use the information, and other Bloggers might spread the information. Either way, the information is good.
    • I think the Filler articles provide more insight to the personality of the Blogger. You can learn a lot about me from the types of things that I post, and I believe this has a humanizing effect with the readers. They see the person behind the words, not just the words.

    For me, the filler articles give me something to do every day, while the quality content comes along when I feel inspired. I hope that answered your fundamental question,

    John

  27. It is certainly well worth the read, and is clearly obvious the level of attention and detail you put into your blog posts such as this one.

    You love of writing and unique style is very clear and obvious from your larger posts.

    Not only do you seem to make the time for such helpfull posts and ideas, but you also seem to have the time to respond to many comments. So yes, you family must be very patient ;-)

    Not meaning to be overly critical, but I would say some of your posts, while interesting are more “fillers” then the well written articulated articles as this one.

    How do you balance your “filler articles” with your “original content” ?(I use quotes because I’m not sure my terminology is correct).

    Would your recommend for example, that it is better to write at least 1 article every day, even if it’s not your “best” content, then to say write 1 or 2 really well written articles per week and no other content the rest of the week

    Specifically, what I am wondering about is, the folks out there who have 1 or 2 really good ideas, but no one see’s or hears about them because they don’t have the desire, patience or maybe even the ability to write an excellent thought provoking article everyday.

    …In case you haven’t figured it out, I love to comment on articles that contain the word “philosophy”

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