Welcome solopreneurs, to the wild and wooly world of blogging! Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to come up with new and exciting topics to write about? Are you having trouble overcoming writer’s block? Don’t fret, I’ve got your back with this latest guide on “Blog Topic Generation 101: How to Come up with Killer Ideas for Your Niche”.
In this blog post, you’ll learn the process of identifying your target audience, researching trending topics and creating a list of keywords that will help you find the perfect topic to write about.
You’ll also learn you how to put your own unique spin on topics and how to research them further to make sure they have enough information to write a comprehensive blog post.
So, grab a pen and paper, or take notes in Notion and let’s get started on creating content that your audience will love!
Let’s Talk About Your Target Audience
Who are you writing for? What are their interests and pain points? This sounds too simple right? but it’s usually one of the main reasons new bloggers have “blogger block”.
For example, let’s say you’re a yoga instructor for seniors
As a yoga instructor for seniors, it’s important to know who your target audience is when brainstorming blog topics because it allows you to tailor your content to their specific needs, interests and concerns.
By understanding your target audience, you can create content that will resonate with them and be more likely to engage and inform them.
Here are examples of good and bad blog topic ideas for a yoga instructor who works with seniors:
Good:
- Yoga for Arthritis: How to Modify Poses for Increased Comfort
- Yoga for Balance: Tips and Tricks for Improving Stability
- The Benefits of Yoga for Cognitive Health in Seniors
- Yoga for Sleep: How to Use Yoga to Improve Sleep Quality
- Yoga for Chronic Pain: How Yoga Can Help Alleviate Symptoms
- Yoga for Stress Relief: How Yoga Can Help Manage Stress in Seniors
Bad:
- Yoga for Athletes: How to Take Your Practice to the Next Level
- Yoga for Weight Loss: How to Use Yoga to Shed Pounds Fast
- Yoga for Flexibility: How to Become More Flexible in 7 Days
- Yoga for Kids: How to Get Your Kids into Yoga
- Yoga for Men Under 30: How Yoga Can Benefit Men’s Health
- Yoga for Stress Relief: How Yoga Can Help Manage Stress in Office Workers
Once you have a clear understanding of who you’re trying to reach, you’ll be able to narrow down your topic choices to those that will be most relevant and interesting to them.
Refer to this other article I wrote that has detailed comparisons on what copy might look like when you have an ideal customer in place and not.
Create a Keyword List
Next, it’s time to get yourself a list of keywords related to your target audience and their interests. These can include specific topics, industries, or problems that they may be facing.
For example, if you’re writing for the niche of “fitness for seniors,” your keywords might include “aging,” “exercise,” and “health, but these are very broad keywords and can apply do senior dogs. The key (see what I did there) is to get an idea what keywords your target audience might use on Google.
- Yoga for seniors
- Senior yoga classes
- Yoga for older adults
- Yoga for seniors benefits
- Senior yoga exercises
You can use tools such as Google Trends, Buzzsumo or Answer the Public to help you out with this. This can give you an idea of what people are currently interested in and provide inspiration for your blog.
Research Your Competition
But don’t stop there, my friends. Take a look at your competitors’ blogs and see what types of content they’re producing. Take note of what’s working well for them and try to put your own unique spin on similar topics.
As the great Mark Twain once said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
so let’s take the bad examples in the Target Audience section and assume they were written by other yoga instructors. You can re-write these to fit your own audience.
Competitor Topics to Use as Inspiration
- Yoga for Athletes: How to Take Your Practice to the Next Level
- Yoga for Weight Loss: How to Use Yoga to Shed Pounds
- Yoga for Flexibility: How to Become More Flexible
- Yoga for Kids: How to Get Your Kids into Yoga
- Yoga for Men: How Yoga Can Benefit Men’s Health
- Yoga for Stress Relief: How Yoga Can Help Manage Stress in Office Workers
Re-Written for Your Audience
- Yoga for Active Seniors: How to Adapt Your Practice to Your Abilities
- Yoga for Healthy Aging: How to use Yoga to Promote Wellness in Seniors
- Gentle Yoga for Seniors: How to Improve Flexibility and Mobility
- Yoga for Grandparents: How to Share the Benefits of Yoga with the Next Generation
- Yoga for Men Over 50: How Yoga Can Benefit Men’s Health in Mid-life
- Yoga for Retirement Living: How Yoga Can Help Manage Stress and promote Relaxation in Seniors
What’s the Purpose of Your Blog
Another important consideration when brainstorming blog topics is the purpose of your blog.
Are you looking to educate, entertain, inspired or motivate your audience? Once you have a clear purpose in mind, you can come up with ideas that align with it.
For example: your a yoga instructor and your target audience are seniors
- if your goal is to educate your audience on the benefits of yoga for seniors, your topics might include:
- The Science behind Yoga for Seniors
- 10 Easy Yoga Poses for Seniors
- similar to the previous topics, let’s say you want to educate your audience on the importance of safe yoga:
- Safe Yoga for Seniors: How to Practice Yoga Safely and Effectively
- Yoga for Seniors: How to Modify Poses and Avoid Common Injuries
- Yoga for Seniors: Tips and Tricks for a Safe and Enjoyable Practice
- if your goal is to entertain your audience, topics might include:
- Yoga for Seniors: The Fountain of Youth in a Mat
- Why Yoga is the Secret to a Long and Limber Life
- Yoga for Seniors: Because Who Wants to Be a Bendy Straw When You Can Be a Yoga Master
- if your goal is to inspire your audience, topics might include:
- Unlock the Power of Yoga for a Healthier and Happier Senior Life
- Yoga for Seniors: A Path to Physical and Mental Wellness
- Discover the Transformative Benefits of Yoga for the Golden Years
- if your goal is to motivate your audience, topics might include:
- Yoga for Seniors: Embrace the Power of Movement and Age Gracefully
- Find Balance and Vitality in Your Golden Years with Yoga
- Yoga for Seniors: A Journey to Renewed Strength, Flexibility and Mindfulness
Still Stuck for Blog Topic Ideas
Now, I know you might be thinking, “But Gisèle, I’m fresh out of ideas!” Never fear, my friends.
- Take some time to brainstorm when you feel most creative. If you’re tired, you’ll likely give up. But when you’re feeling most creative, the ideas should flow more naturally.
- Try using a mind map (post it notes or software) to help flesh out some ideas.
- Brainstorming with a colleague, over a cup of tea or coffee or in a coworking session.
- Let’s say your in a coffee shop and your ideal reader sits down at your table and says “I hear your a yoga instructor for seniors, can I ask you a few questions?” These questions can be your blog topics. (this one is my favourite)
- Check out industry articles and blogs to see what others in your field are talking about.
- Use social media to see what people are talking about in your niche and what content is being shared the most.
- While on the topic of Social Media, find a competitor and read the comments that people are posting. What stands out? Add your own unique perspective to come up with some topic ideas.
- Join online communities or forums related to your niche and see what questions people are asking or what problems they are facing.
- If all else fails, take a walk in nature, or better yet, take a nap, “Because sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” Most of the time you just have to get out of your own head.
Narrow Down Your List of Blog Topic Ideas
Once you have a list of potential topics, narrow it down to the most promising ideas, and then research them further to see if they have enough information to write a comprehensive blog post.
Ask yourself, “can I talk about this for an hour?” and if your answer is yes, it would make a good, natural topic to write about. Because if you can naturally talk about it for an hour, you are well versed in that topic and you’ll enjoy writing about it.
And last but not least, choose the one that resonates with you the most and that you feel excited to write about. The more passionate you are about the topic, the more likely you are to produce high-quality content that your audience will enjoy.
Conclusion
Brainstorming blog topics for any niche may seem like a daunting task, but with a clear understanding of your target audience, a list of keywords, and a bit of research and brainstorming, you’ll be well on your way to producing content that your audience will love.
And remember, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” So, go forth and write, my solopreneur friends and if you’re still stuck for ideas, let me know what your niche is below in the comments.
References:
-Twain, Mark. The Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain: A Book of Quotations. Courier Corporation, 2012.
0 Comments