A blog about blogging and 75 ideas for your next post

Caroline O'Doherty and I have been thinking a lot about blogging lately. She recently launched a new blog called Northern Ideas about the north east of England.

I've been helping her out along the way. There are two issues commonly cited as barriers to blogging.

First, I haven’t got the time, and second, I don’t know what to blog about.

I write every day. It’s a habit formed as a journalist. It helps me think.

You need to make time. But you also shouldn’t think of writing as something formal.

Jot down notes, use an app on your iPhone or sit down in front of a computer. It matters not how you do it.

The first draft of anything will be rubbish. It’s part of the process. The best writers are the ones that edit, sharpen and refine their copy. They strip it back until there is nothing left to remove.

Often my blogs are unfinished. That's also part of the process.

The magic begins when I hit publish and people in my network leap in and share their ideas. My work is always improved.

The second issue of inspiration is much easier to address. Seek out inspiration from around you.

If you’re curious about something, you can be sure that others will find benefit or entertainment in your blogging.

If you're still stuck here are 75 ideas from my own blog to kick you off.

  1. Share content from a speech

  2. Write an open letter to a person or community

  3. Learn openly and publically

  4. Set yourself goals and report on them regularly

  5. Take a contrary opinion on a topic or an issue

  6. Seek out the opinions of someone that you respect in your network

  7. Interview someone disruptive in your network

  8. Talk to someone with a big job

  9. Ask someone for their reflections on an industry event

  10. Start a new project and share the highs and lows. Here’s another example

  11. Share your views on an industry issue

  12. Share best practice in your area of expertise. More here

  13. Report on a breaking industry issue

  14. Share highlights from an industry report. Here’s another. And another

  15. Curate conversation around an issue or topic

  16. Add context to a mainstream breaking news story

  17. Ask a journalist for their point of view

  18. Experiment with a new piece of technology

  19. Back a Kickstarter project and review the results. Here’s another example

  20. Interview someone that's written a book

  21. Share your experience of using a new tool. Worked examples work really well

  22. Respond to an article in the mainstream media. Here’s another example

  23. Curate a conversation with your network

  24. Reflect on an industry report or review an industry event

  25. Celebrate anniversaries with your network

  26. Seek out the views of a smart person

  27. Ask someone that you respect to write about their passion

  28. Reflect on a survey

  29. Write an ebook. Better still crowdsource one

  30. Talk to someone in a usual role

  31. Share something disruptive

  32. Review a new book. Here’s another

  33. Help someone out by sharing their story. Here’s another example

  34. Invite an author to write a guest post about their new book

  35. Review a new piece of legislation

  36. If in doubt write a top 10 list

  37. Lists of people to follow on Twitter are also good

  38. Invite your community to reflect on your business

  39. Summarise your favourite bits of a book that you’ve just read

  40. Share an observation

  41. Address a tricky issue

  42. Tackle a big industry issue

  43. Share a rant

  44. Review a film

  45. Share tips on how to get on and get ahead in your business

  46. Summarise and reflect on an academic paper

  47. Go for a walk with a writer

  48. Share a reading list

  49. Crowdsource, curate and share comment

  50. Practical hints and tips are always appreciated. Some more here

  51. Add context and opinion to a breaking news story

  52. Help businesses learn by providing considered feedback

  53. Challenge your community to do something. This was the result

  54. Not everyone will appreciate your blog posts. Deal with it

  55. Share examples of learning and development

  56. Campaign on a topic or issue

  57. Reflect on a moment from history

  58. Share experiences and have some fun. More fun here

  59. We can always learn from history

  60. Hack your workflow and share the results

  61. Ask your community for help

  62. Embrace criticism

  63. Reflect on learning and development, and passing a qualification

  64. Experiment with a new form of social media or network

  65. Write an essay about the future

  66. Share advice on getting ahead

  67. Commit to a project, and invite comment along the way. Brand Vandalism became #BrandVandals as a result

  68. Write for your toughest sceptic

  69. Share an example of your thinking and working. Here’s another

  70. Call out bad stuff

  71. And praise good stuff

  72. Remember someone special

  73. Announce a new job

  74. Share a nugget of information or insight

  75. Be brave. Incredible things will happen

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