How to Find Blog Ideas

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Do you ever sit down at your computer searching for an answer to one of your latest problems + feel instantly OVERWHELMED with all of the info that pops up in your search engine?

Don’t worry. You’re not alone. Other moms feel the same way as you. (Confession: It happens to me ALL. THE. TIME.)

So how do you make your blog post stand out from the crowd so that it doesn’t overwhelm your audience? How do you cut through all of the noise to write about topics your fellow mamas care about reading?

The First Step in Finding Blog Ideas

Be YOU when you write. By this, I mean being you when you write is one of the BEST + FIRST ways to cut through the noise that all of the other “mom bloggers” are making on a topic + finding blog ideas your audience cares about reading.

Better yet, that answers their question or gives them a solution to the problem they are having.

I cover (at length) how to be you – how to write like you — in the Mommy Business Blogging eBook, but let’s take a few minutes to get an overview of what this looks like.

Bloggers ask my advice on writing all the time. My #1 tip that I love to share is to be you when you write.

It sounds so simple, right?

You are one of a million bloggers milling around in the blogosphere. What makes you so different from all the other bloggers sharing information online?

YOU!

That’s what makes you different. Your voice, your tone, your personality + your point of view are what makes you different, what makes you stand out from the crowd + what attracts your peeps to you.

Now, If you are a poor speller or your grammar sucks, then you have some adjusting to make before you launch a best seller, but…other than that, when you write, write using your own words, your own voice + voice your own opinion with your words (+ the facts that support what you think).

Take a moment to figure out your style.

1. Do you write like you would talk if you were having a conversation with someone sitting in front of you (or on the phone)?
2. Are you sarcastic?
3. Do you like to make jokes or use puns when you’re writing?
4. Are you serious and conservative?
5. Are you formal + stiff?

Remember, there are no wrong answers. You can’t BE you in the wrong way, unless you’re acting like someone else + not like you at all!

Remember, too, that you are writing for other people to read + understand, so write like a human being talking to another human being. Write like a mama talking to another mama.

The main point is that you give your content a voice, an opinion, a viewpoint that makes the content unique to you + isn’t just a regurgitation of what all the other mamas are saying — even if it is the same topic.

So that’s that. If you have a topic to write about in the first place, then put it in your own words, use your own opinions + your own experiences to write about it.

Now let’s talk about finding blog ideas when you don’t really know what to write about.

If you’re struggling for topics, here’s some secret sauce on how to come up with topics that moms actually want to know about, read + find the answers to their burning questions.

Buzzsumo for Blog Ideas

Head on over to Buzzsumo (www.buzzsumo.com).

I should mention here that there is a free + a paid version. You can decide for yourself which version is best for you. I use the free version + find that it suits my purposes. Again, only you can decide which one works for you.

I think you get about 10 searches per day with the free version. You may find this suits your writing needs just fine. The free version also limits the number of blog ideas you can see (I think it’s 5 blog ideas). If you want to see the whole kit + kaboodle then you have to go with the paid version.

Anywho, once you are at Buzzsumo, a search box appears at the top.

Type in a topic, keyword, or even a URL (of a site that is yours or covers similar topics to your site).

Buzzsumo then pulls up articles, blog posts + content that matches what you typed into the search box.

Alongside the content, it lists out each social networking site + how many times the content was shared. Buzzsumo covers the primary social media sites, so FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

These numbers are big clues on what moms find interesting enough to share. If they find it interesting enough to share, then they find it interesting enough to read.

Take a look at some of the articles. Read them. Pull out bits of info. Think on it.

Do you have an opinion on the article content?

Do you have a different viewpoint or experience from the author about this particular topic?

Can you expand on, condense down, or embellish the info that is in this article?

If you can do all of these, then you can even come up with more than one blog idea. BAM! A whole bunch of blog ideas from ONE. LITTLE. SEARCH.

OK, so that is Buzzsumo. Let’s move on to a second way to can conjure up some topics.

Google Trends for Blog Ideas

Trends are trends…well, because they are popular + hot at the moment. You saw a little of this just from our search on Buzzsumo. Google Trends lists out the hottest topics of the moment + the day – the trends come from how many times people are Googling the listed topic, talking about it, sharing it, etc.

Lots of parenting topics are evergreen but parenting trends pop up all the time.

So, peruse the topics that show on Google trends + see if there is any way to tie your knowledge + info in with something that is H-O-T. It can be far-fetched, but it can work.

I’ll give you an example. One of the most popular blog posts I wrote was something I tied in with a documentary I watched on Showtime called, My Date with Drew.

I wrote an entire article on what this documentary reminded me about marketing. I tied everything the guy did in the documentary with marketing tactics.

People loved it!

Plus, it was fun to write. I notice when I really love what I’m writing about it shows in my writing + it shows in the enthusiasm people show in reading + commenting on the blog post.

While I am not an SEO expert, I do know this, tying your content to hot topics + applying SEO rules to it can help couples find your articles + find you. (More about this later).

So that is Google Trends. Pretty simple in getting your creative juices flowing. Now, for a third way you can generate blog ideas – a Swipe File.

Ahhhh……the good ole swipe file. A swipe file essentially is a document or list that you put together or that someone else put together that you can just pull up + “swipe” or grab a blog idea from it.

(HINT: There’s a swipe file at the end of this post full of blog ideas + you can download it too!)

By the way, there are two different kinds of swipe files that I use.

1. My own: When I come across info that I think I can use at some point, I “swipe” the link + the title into a spreadsheet or folder on my computer. Later when I’m looking for something to write about, I scan my swipe file for ideas or inspiration. This might be blog posts I read, social media updates, emails that land in my inbox, or content from a Google alert that I set up about a particular topic.
2. Other people’s swipe file (OPSF): Bloggers, writers, marketers + people (in general) share swipe files all the time. Some are free. Some try to sell them to you. When I receive these, I keep them in a folder on my computer or I keep the link. Generally, these are not SPECIFIC topics, but contain a list, such as, “___ Ways _______ Taught Me How to _________.

Recently, I came across a pin on Pinterest offering 8,209 blog post ideas. This, my friend, is a SWIPE file.

Even if the swipe file is specific. Say it is about personal finance topics, which might seem hard to tie to a mom blog (except if you are talking household budgets + spending or family financing). You can still use these as idea generators.

Obviously, it is much easier if it is a swipe file that covers the industry you blog about.

Swipe files are blog idea generators. In a way, though, you can pretty much copy + paste with some revisions + additions on your part.

Again, you want to give it your own voice, tone, opinion, etc. You want to avoid simply regurgitating what someone else is already saying.

So a swipe file title of 7 Ways to Green Your Home might morph into The Top 7 Ways to Serve Up an Eco-Conscious Family Meals (or something like that).

I think you probably get the idea.

OK. Moving on to Competitive Shopping (OK, Browsing).

Take a tour of your competitors’ websites + blogs. Check out what other mom bloggers + other industry bloggers are talking about.

Once you find the bloggers you want to stalk, I mean, follow, Google their names to see what guest blog posts are published on sites other than their own – although you can also just look at what they publish on their own sites.

Again, go back to the questions that we talked about when using Buzzsumo. Figure out what they are saying + what you have to say about it too. You can even copy + paste their article link into Buzzsumo to see just how popular that article is in the world of social sharing.

You don’t want to say the same exact thing they are. You want to put your own twist on the same old, same old.

Sometimes, reading these articles generates an idea of a totally different topic. You might read a blog post about the 7 alternatives to using pesticides in your garden + decide to write about the 7 natural/organic cleaning products you can use for “safe” + healthy home.

Again, it is simply a jumping off point that might spur up a totally different blog idea in your head. Then, it’s a matter of hitting the publish button.

OK. Another way to find great topics is Inspired Reading.

I read articles + blogs all the time. I’m often inspired while reading. I voice an opinion or put my own take on the same or similar topic.

Am I saying copy someone else’s idea or work? NO WAY!

All I’m saying is that it can get your creative juices flowing by doing some research, looking around + reading what you normally read. Whether you jump on the Wall Street Journal site or People Magazine or Scary Mommy site every morning while you’re sipping your morning cup of Joe, it doesn’t matter.

It might not even be an industry blog that inspires you. Like I said before, a simple documentary about landing a date with Drew Barrymore inspired a very popular post about marketing. At the time, all I was doing was my morning ritual of walking on the treadmill + watching a little TV while I did it.

Reading a financial blog post about financial planning for the future can inspire you to write an article about ways you can save for your child’s college education or creative ways to pay off all your debt.

The possibilities are literally endless.

Just Ask for Blog Ideas

Ask other mamas or mamas that read your blog what kind of info they are looking for. Trust me, they are more than willing to share this info with, to pick your brain + to hear what you have to say.

Also, listen to what they are saying to you during your conversations. Listening more + talking less can really fill the pool with blog ideas. (My 5-year-old reminded me of this saying just yesterday when she told me her teacher told her it’s why we have two ears + one mouth. It made me chuckle.)

Mamas are usually willing to tell you what their problems are, what their issues are + what kind of information they’re seeking answers + solutions about – essentially what they are looking for from you + other bloggers like you.

Yes, these are opps to insert your services (or products) BUT they are also HUGE opportunities to position yourself as the expert that you are by creating content pieces that speak to their burning needs or desires.

Because if these are hot topics for the people you’re talking to that read your blog, then don’t you think other mamas like them probably have the same or similar issues that they’re searching for solutions or answers?

Answer yes to that question.

Talk to other bloggers that blog about similar topics to you. They are often a wealth of info on what readers are asking them. While you can set up a formal face-to-face coffee meeting or a virtual Skype meeting, you can also just listen to what they are saying when you do happen upon each other and have a convo.

Better yet, what they’re talking about on social media, in FB groups + on Twitter + Instagram.

When I was a wedding planner, I took courses, learned from hands-on work, but I learned THE most from talking to fellow wedding planners. When I first started out blogging, I learned the most from other bloggers. I still learn a crap ton of things (Yes, that is a technical term) from other mamas just like me who are bloggers in their own world of the blogosphere.

Trust me, it’s a fabulous way get the in on topics that are hot so you can bank on it.

SEO (The Easy Way) to Blog Ideas

I recently took on email course on SEO by Mike Pearson. While I have some general + basic knowledge (+ maybe even a little more advanced than general + basic), Mike truly simplified the process of keyword research.

Most SEO experts tell you to brainstorm the keywords you think your audience is searching for + then find out how competitive these keywords are. Blah, blah, blah.

Mike comes at it from a different (+ mind-blowing) angle. BTW: This is a free email course that Mike offers so what I am about to say is not leaking any of his course information (except that the email course does include some of what he covers in his paid course — Stupid Simple SEO).

Anyway, I digress.

Mike suggests you use a tool like SEMRush or Buzzsumo to research your top competitors to see which keywords they are ranking for + then…wait for it…create EPIC content so you can rank for the keywords that your competitors are.

One of the caveats is that you have to look for other bloggers, not huge publications like the New York Times, Parenting, or Good Housekeeping, for example.

Instead of plugging in a blog idea or a keyword, plug in the domain of the competitor + see which keywords they’re ranking for. Check out the content they wrote that is ranking + then find your own way to write a blog post that is EPIC + soooooooo much better than theirs so that you rank higher than them (theoretically).

Finally, Think of Your FAQs for Blog Ideas.

Think about the questions that readers ask you or that you hear being asked all the time. They are asking these questions because they want the answers. You can easily turn one question/answer topic into a piece of content.

It is easy peasy.

If they are always asking you about how to create a household budget, write a piece that details out exactly (step-by-step) how to create a household budget.

Get detailed.

Go line item by line item if you wish.

Add a household budget worksheet download or printable as a BONUS!

Again, this is but one of an infinity of examples…

OK, so now you have all of these blog ideas. Now what. Well, you actually have to write the blog post.

Once you find a topic, it’s time to write it with your own twist. Don’t write about the same old crap, in the same old way that everyone else is!

Be you when you write it! It really and truly is what cuts through the noise – setting you apart from all of those other bloggers in your area – all of your competitors.

Your readers relate to you in a way that they might not relate to another blogger. When your words, your story, your background, your credentials, resonate with them they want to read what you have to say because of your tone, personality, or character, or viewpoint on a common blog topic.

Whatever it is, it is something that connects your words to their hearts + BAM! They realize you are the pro they have been searching for all this time.

I cannot count how many times my client convos start with, “I’ve been following you for a while…” + this is all about sharing content that my people care about.

The same applies to you + your blog or mommy business.

So here is my challenge for you…

Come up with five fab pieces/topics/headlines of content you want to create for your blog.

Bang out the headline or topic (make it yummy, please) for each blog idea.

Then, of course, you have to write the content.

It’s OK. It happens to all of us.

Blog Ideas for Moms

Pregnancy Post Ideas

• Pregnancy announcement ideas
• Creating a birth plan
• How to deal with the birth not going as planned
• C-section recovery
• Birth recovery
• What to pack in a hospital bag (for mom + for baby)
• Foods to eat
• Foods to avoid
• Exercising while pregnant
• Best parenting/baby books to read
• Dealing with morning (or all day) sickness
• Maternity clothes
• Postpartum body
• Postpartum expectations
• Dealing with postpartum blues/depression
• What to expect each trimester
• Reviews of best car seats
• Reviews of best strollers
• Reviews of best [insert baby product here]
• Financial prep for baby
• Surviving a miscarriage
• Gender reveal ideas
• Baby shower ideas
• Babymoon ideas
• Meal prep for after coming home from the hospital
• Midwife
• Doula
• Home birth

Baby Blog Ideas

• Nursery decor
• Must-have baby products
• Surviving the first few weeks with baby
• Breastfeeding
• Sleeping (baby)
• Learning how to function on no/little sleep (adult)
• How to choose a diaper bag
• Top items to keep in a diaper bag
• Diapers (options/brands/which ones to use)
• How to care for a newborn
• Food for baby
• Sign language for babies
• Best books for babies
• Baby registry
• How to care for a newborn
• Formula feeding
• Baby’s first foods
• Baby food recipes
• Baby clothes
• Baby wearing
• Baby names/naming a baby
• Girl names
• Boy names
• Favorite apps for tracking feeding, diaper changes, etc.
• Traveling with a newborn
• Introducing baby to siblings
• Co-sleeping

Parenting Post Ideas

• Anger management (how not to lose your $#@! as a mom)
• Sibling rivalry
• Teaching kids to learn
• Teaching kids to read
• Discipline for toddler
• Discipline for adolescent/teen
• Single parenting
• Top mommy bloggers to follow
• Top parenting books
• Best parents books for caring for babies
• Best parenting books for caring for toddlers
• Best parenting books for caring for teenagers
• How to be a calmer mom
• Vacationing with kids
• Parenting multiples (twins/triplets)
• Marriage after kids
• Mommy self-care
• Home schooling
• Raising girls
• Raising boys
• Chores for kids
• Positive (instead of negative) parenting
• Discipline differences between parents

Toddler Post Ideas

• Rainy day activities for young kids
• Craft projects for kids
• Sleeping (toddlers)
• Girls’ hair
• Learning activities for kids
• Sensory activities for kids
• Books for kids
• Books for girls
• Books for boys
• Food for toddlers
• Food for picky eaters
• Toddler clothes
• Yoga for toddlers
• Raising low-screen/screen-free kids
• Potty training
• Temper tantrums
• Transitioning from crib to toddler bed
• Toy rotation/toy libraries
• Indoor activities
• Outdoor activities

Teen Post Ideas

• Dealing with defiant behavior
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Peer pressure
• Teen clothes
• Best books for teenagers
• Prepping teens for high school
• Prepping teens for junior high
• Prepping teens for college
• College application process
• Choosing a college
• Yoga for kids
• Exercise for teens
• Self-esteem/self-confidence in teens
• Dealing with bullying
• Digital age

Money + Finance

• Starting a blog
• Working from home
• Side hustles for moms
• Budgeting
• Budget-friendly family activities
• Paying down/paying off debt
• Teaching kids about money
• Allowances for kids
• Working mom
• Frugal living
• Couponing
• Organic on a budget

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