What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Write About

by Morgan Alverson | Aug 30, 2018

As I sat down to write this blog post, I stared at a blank screen for far too long – what do I write about?? I found myself wondering what our audience (that’s you!) would want to know. But again, writer’s block. But then I realized the very answer was right in front of me.

There are so many different tools I use when I get writer’s block to help find topic ideas. So here are a few simple things you can do to find a great blog topic or idea when you’re stuck to ensure that you’re staying ahead of the game with your blog.

Ask Your Team.

Keeping it simple here. Your team can provide a lot of value for you when looking for a topic to write about. Maybe they have insight from customers or potential customers that you don’t. Or maybe they have noticed something you are really knowledgeable about that you didn’t even think to write about.

Honestly, this should have been my first step (and they’re the ones that sparked this idea). Your team isn’t staring at the blank screen and can usually give you an outsider’s perspective.

Use Google.

Start by simply searching different keywords that have to do with your business – what you do, your products/services, etc. See what things pop up (there are probably thousands). These usually give you some great ideas.

Then scroll to the very bottom for that related searches area.  If you search for “email automation” the related area will give you more specific ideas like “email automation tools.” These are things people are actually searching for around that topic.

Finally, you can look into Google Keyword Planner. Google has a number of tools that are helpful, but Keyword Planner might be my favorite. Use it to find the keywords your audience is already searching. It allows you to enter a keyword or website and will then give you a number of related keywords, how often each one is used, and what the competition around that keyword is. Use it to go from a broad topic (like marketing) to something specific people are searching. This is a free tool as long as you have a Google account.

Just keep it simple.

The biggest lesson I learned in this venture – keep it simple. Don’t overthink things (guilty!). If all else fails, go for a quick walk and step away from technology if possible. Clear your mind from the task at hand.

We have a lot of clients that have either never had a blog before or their blog had not been updated in months before working with Syrup, simply because they didn’t know what to write about or didn’t have the bandwidth to sit down and write. If you know you need to write more, but aren’t sure what to write about – start here. These tools should give you a ton of insight. And if all else fails, I would be happy to talk more.