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