USE ALMOST ANYTHING TO INSPIRE YOUR NEXT BLOG POST

BY RYAN SULLIVAN

@NOMOREBACON

WWW.NOMOREBACON.COM

CREATE STELLAR POST IDEAS

“An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of

being called an idea at all.”

-Oscar Wilde

SOLVE A PROBLEM

INVOKE AN EMOTION

MAKE A POINT

Source: XKCD.com

SELL SOMETHING

RESEARCH IT

YOU KNOW THAT PART OF HOMEWORK THAT NOBODY REALLY LIKES…

WARNINGGetting lost in research is a real possibility. The

tools and information that follows is meant to help

you generate great post ideas that you can then

write about.

Once you have gathered a good group of ideas step

away and get writing!

Please don’t make us plan an intervention.

GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND

Wonder WheelUse it to start with a very generic idea that can stem into very specific highly searched topics.

GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND (CONT)

Google Keyword Research ToolUsing the Google keyword tool won’t only help you find out how your post will do on search engines, it can help you come up with even MORE ideas and will let you get inside the heads of what people are searching and want to know about.

GOOGLE IS STILL YOUR FRIEND

Use Social Search to See If Your Friends Are Talking About Your Blog Post Idea•You can quote your friends and give them credit.

•Share their link as a resource in your post (great for community)

•Check and see if your idea has been beaten to death recently

MORE PLACES TO GET POST IDEAS• Stumbleupon Buzz – most viewed content

http://stumbleupon.com/discover/toprated

• Delicious Popular Page - top bookmarked contenthttp://www.delicious.com/popular

• Yahoo Answers – A community of people asking ?shttp://answers.yahoo.com/

• Google Hot Trends – What’s popular right now?http://www.google.com/trends/hottrends

• Print Magazines – Great examples of headlines

RANDOM FACT: The headline in the top leftcorner of the last 12 issues of Cosmopolitanare all sex related.

CROWDSOURCE IT

BECAUSE ASKING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT USUALLY GIVES YOU A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THEY WANT…

WARNINGSimply asking people “What Should I Write About?”

can make you come across as unsure of yourself or

wishy washy. Ask in confidence and phrase the

question carefully. “What would you like to see me

write about more?” might be a better way to phrase

the question.

• Ask followers what they’d like you to write about.

• Bounce a potential blog idea off of people to see if there’s any level of interest.

• Ask a specific question and use people’s replies to the question as content for your blog post.

• Do a twitter search on your topic to see what everyone else is talking about and then put your own spin on it.

• The Yahoo Answers for professionals

• Experts in many fields willing to share their time and expertise

• Ask specific questions to get specific answers.“What are some highly recommended programs for people looking to lose over 100 pounds?”

• Community can upvote/downvote replies (weeds out trolls).

• Many times you’ll get replies from actual founders of programs. Great additions to any blog post.

GOOGLE FORMS

Using Google Docs you can set up a free form that you can post on your blog to ask users what they want to learn more about from you.

•Keep it anonymous (don’t require name or email)

• You may get a few trolls, just ignore them• Increases probability that people will engage

•Use the feedback you get!

MASH IT

IF GLEE HAS TAUGHT US ANYTHING, IT’S THAT PUTTING TWO UNEXPECTED THINGS TOGETHER CAN HAVE AN AWESOME RESULT

COMBINE TWO RANDOM THINGS

+

=

EVERYTHING IS A POTENTIAL BLOG POST

Insanity Isn’t Just The Name Of An At-Home Workout

Look at the intensity and the fire in his eyes. This bomber is clearly not a man who messes around. His middle name is testosterone and his first name is “Made of.” Following his lead we’ll be assured to take our next workout to another level. “Go hard or go home” is the resounding message from this master craftsman.

COMBINE OLD POSTS INTO A RESOURCE POST

Combining some of your old posts on a topic into one great resource is a great way to build links to your site and become a true resource and awesome information source to your readers.

“The Ultimate Resource For…”

“A Beginner’s Guide to…”

“27 Ways to…”

LIVE IT

NO SUBSTITUTIONS, NO SHORTCUTS, NO EXCEPTIONS

IT’S ALL BEENWRITTEN

COMMON HANGUPS• Don’t get stuck researching (I did)

• Just because you’ve read a post on a topic doesn’t mean your readers have

• You have a unique voice and a unique way of communicating ideas that your readers like

• Look at topics or stories from multiple angles.

• Thinking that an accomplishment or something you did is insignificant.

BE YOURSELF AND TELL IT THE WAY IT IS

One of my more successful posts ever was a post about Whole Foods. I didn’t go out of my way to praise them but I made some observations that pretty much everyone who read it said “Yeah, that’s totally how it is!”

BE YOU AND HAVE FUN!

FIND ME ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB!

Email: ryan@nomorebacon.com

Twitter: @nomorebacon

Facebook: facebook.com/nomorebacon