Let me just start out by admitting—I love blogging. I know not every business owner does (and neither does every web copywriter!), but the moment I realized I could up my organic traffic game by writing a few SEO-savvy blogs built out of some hopefully-engaging blogging ideas…

Well, I was into it.

That is, until I realized how time consuming and repetitive blogging can feel.

Because producing high-quality content week after week…and coming up with the kind of blog ideas that lead to articles people actually want to read…isn’t quite as easy as it initially sounds.

(Especially when you’re a new copywriter like I was, trying to build a brand by taking on any blogging gig I could find. Even if that meant having 70+ pages of high-value content in my monthly “to write” queue.)

At some point, I realized I had a choice: I could either become one of those copywriters who secretly hated blogging. OR I could learn to streamline my process and make coming up with blog ideas a breeze.

Which option did I choose?

You’ve probably already guessed it, but I chose the latter.

And though it took some trial and error to get my blog idea strategies down to a science, I’m back to loving blogging. And now I’m here to help you to skip over the “struggle” part of blogging to get back to the “love.”

Blogging Tip #1: Answer the Public

I swear this isn’t a sponsored post. But it may as well be, because I’m about to sing Answer the Public’s praises.

If you’ve never heard of Answer the Public, it’s a tool developed by the same SEO gurus who are trying to make Search Engine Optimization accessible and budget-friendly for all with UberSuggest. Why does this connection matter?

Because Answer the Public does similar work as an SEO tool by telling you exactly what an audience is searching for when they start typing away in the search bar.

But while a traditional search tool might tell you what words an audience is using for their search and how many of them are doing it, Answer the Public tells you…

*drumroll please*

What questions your audience is asking. Ones that you can totally help answer in a post.

If I know I want to write, for instance, a blog about blogging (how meta of me!), I might pop “blogging” into the Answer the Public search tool. I’ll then get a list of searcher-generated questions that look a little like this:

Each one of these questions is a potential blog post in the making, one that will answer a question that your ideal customers are actively asking—so that new and returning visitors alike can find your blog page (and brand!) with ease.

(And in case you’re wondering, the answer to “Does blogging have a future?” is a total and resounding YES!!)

Blogging Tip #2: Question Your Network

I once had a client tell me they were tapped out of content ideas…while sitting on a network of 5,000+ followers on LinkedIn.

If you have an audience at your fingertips (no matter if they come in the form of Instagram followers, LinkedIn connections, Facebook friends, or an email subscriber list) then you have an actively-engaged group of people ready to help you come up with new blog ideas.

When you’re feeling stuck for blog ideas, reaching out to your network in the form of an informal survey is an idea-generating way to go. Try sending out a quick check-in to see if there are any topics your audience would love to hear more about. One that looks a little something like this…

Real quick!

Do you have any burning questions that you’d love to get answered? Take just 30 seconds to tell me what blog topics you’d love to see covered next by clicking the link below.

(Boosting my brainstorming efforts will take just 30 seconds, but will make sure my content is tailored to what you want to see!)

By putting brainstorming in the hands of your audience, you aren’t only taking some of the blog idea pressure off yourself, you’re also getting your brand in front of your leads’ eyes. And you’re also inviting them to actively engage with conversations you’re starting—which is likely to lead to a conversion down the line!

Blogging Tip #3: Keep a Doc

Back when I was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed high schooler, an English teacher gave me some pretty helpful advice (English teachers were always the best teachers, amirite or am I just biased??)…

Keep a notebook. It will make you a better writer and thinker.

Though I quickly got sick of carrying around my notebook and pen everywhere I went, I still take note taking seriously.

(Luckily, having an iPhone makes it easy to keep your mental ramblings organized.)

Whenever I read an article that really engages me or see my competitor post something that I just know will help my audience too, I make note of it.

When I’m ready to write my blog, I take a look at that list and see if there’s any idea or topic that I want to try to offer my own spin on.

Not only does taking inspiration from others help cure any kind of brain fog and set you back on the course toward a published blog post, it also confirms that there’s an audience who wants to hear more about the topics you’re addressing on your business blog.

If someone else already wrote about it through their own angle, it must be important. Which means adding your voice to the conversation is a no-brainer next step.

Blogging Tip #4: Ask Yourself the Tough Questions

Whenever I get stuck or feel like I’m spinning my wheels trying to think of where to go next, I don’t push toward the chaos. I sit back and reassess.

Because sometimes, the problem isn’t that I’m out of answers. The problem is that I’m not asking the right questions.

And to start asking the right questions, I like to take out a piece of paper, grab a latte just for fun, and think about this…

By focusing on where your audience could use a little extra support or know-how, you start building a list of core topics.

These core topics can become blogs in and of themselves (like when deciding that your audience needs to know more about content marketing types leads you to write the article “Content Marketing Types That You Could Be Using to Boost Your Biz.”).

Or they can become themes you pop into Answer the Public’s question generator to spur new ideas and take you down new directions of thinking.

But no matter how you turn these core topics into blogging gold, they’ll help you write your blog post from new angles. Which is the perfect way to get un-stuck when trying to write a blog.

Blogging Tip #5: Don’t Overthink It

Sounds a little too obvious to be truly helpful, right? But if you’re a perfectionist like me (or just a business owner who takes every blog idea seriously), then sometimes it’s good to remember that not every blog will blow away your analytics…and that’s okay!

It can be hard to guess what blog topics will really strike a chord with your audience, or which will really create viral engagement through an algorithm.

At the end of the day, focusing on building a brand by getting words down on the page is always more helpful than worrying about whether you got those words right.

As your business blog grows (and so do you as a business owner!) you can easily go into the back-end to adjust, revise, or edit your initial blog posts with new lessons and advice in mind.

But you’ll be surprised how half-formed blogging ideas can turn into a super-viral or audience-loved post (I once wrote a blog that I thought was just “meh” that quickly started bringing in 12,000 organic traffic eyes a month).

So don’t overthink things too much. And when in doubt, just start.