That first blog post idea is always the most illusive –in this post we’ll discuss 28 blog ideas for writers who need a little help getting started.
Have you read these related posts in our Learn Blogging Series?
- How to Choose a Topic or Niche for Your Blog
- How to Start a Blog with WordPress
- How to Choose a Theme for Your Blog
- How to Write Your First Article
- How to Write a Good Article
Blog Ideas for Writers Who Need a Little Help Getting Started
Coming up with your first blog post idea before you start writing is difficult because you’ve got no experience with your audience to build on –no data from Google Analytics telling you what people like to read about the most, no post comments for inspiration, absolutely zero feedback, and no followers emailing you with questions that you could probably write an entire post series answering.
It’s a tough slog.
To simplify your life, make your obstacles “bite sized”.
Plan and write just 5 short posts, throw them out onto social media, let them percolate, and see what resonates with audiences the most. Then pick a winner with the most traffic, on-page time, and return visits –and then write more posts that are related to it.
Your first blog post ideas are pivotal. If some of them do well, you’ll wind up doing more like them. If they fail, you can start moving in another direction.
Experiment with different writing styles, blog post formats, and see what your audience likes best.
These blog ideas for writers should get you through the first few weeks or months of blogging.
Initially, you just want to build a little bit of traffic data to know what’s working before you go deep into one subject or another.
28 First Blog Post Ideas
Take a look around and visualize a few of these blog ideas for writers in your head. Once you find a great first blog post idea, read Tips for Writing Your First Blog Post to make it shine.
1. Listicles
People love to read listicles because they’re sheer dopamine enjoyment –readers don’t have to think.
Listicles make for easy, digestible first blog post ideas that are perfect for users who like to read and scan content quickly. Find an interesting topic in your niche that you can break into smaller points and turn it into a listicle.
Listicles also make for great blog ideas for writers who are looking to create content quickly –they’re easy to research, and don’t take long to write.
2. How-to Guides
This blog idea is similar to the ‘For Dummies’ series; create simple manuals that are useful to people in your niche.
At the end of every section be sure to include actionable steps, and/or a checklist. The sooner you help your readers do something that brings them some form of positive result, the sooner they’ll be hooked on you.
You don’t necessarily need to be an advanced, tenured authority in your niche to be helpful. As long as you’re able to blow their minds a little, they’ll love you for it.
Your voice is important for this one; anyone can make a how-to guide. Your personal voice matters almost as much as how useful the information is.
3. Tips
Aim for anything that helps make day-to-day activities easier or makes your reader feel smarter.
If you have a first blog post idea that relates to performing a challenging task which you think might be helpful to your reader, deliver it simply, clearly, and concisely. Use images or descriptive language.
4. Why
“Why” content answers a question users could possibly have about your industry, lifestyle, fashion choices –you name it. Think of an aspect in your niche that could warrant the question “Why” and create content around it.
For example, why should I start a blog?
People usually ask “why” questions at the beginning of their Buyer’s Journey when they’re curious about a specific purchase or action they’re considering. It’s a great time to build trust with your audience early on.
5. Q and A or a FAQ
Create a Q and A based on common questions people ask you or your peers in person. This first blog post idea helps readers become more knowledgeable while putting you on top of Google over time for niche-related search terms.
If you’re not getting enough questions to make this a substantial first blog post idea, or need to do a little research to dig up questions for your niche –try going to your favorite online community of choice and type “who”, “what”, “where, “when” or “why” into its search box.
That’s how we came up with the article you’re looking at right now.
6. Comparison and Contrast
If your blog discusses products, places, or services that cater to different kinds of needs, you can create a comparison and contrast article.
For example, your first blog post idea could compare two products side by side for a particular function –like which backpack is best for backpackers in cold climate?
Executed properly, this blog idea should help your audience learn more about each option and help them make a better choice depending on their need.
7. Book Reviews
If you just finished reading a book that holds significance to the audience you’re trying to attract, create a book review and share it to your audience.
And of course, this blog idea for writers is also a great opportunity to plant an affiliate link.
8. Personal Stories
Think of a good anecdote in your life that you can relate to one of your topics. Information sticks better in the reader’s mind when it comes with a story that tugs at the heartstrings or makes them laugh.
Ann Handley says that “Storytellers have empathy for their audiences. They understand that the more they know about the audience, the better their chances for clear communication.”
How can you apply a personal story to a lesson you can teach?
Storytellers have empathy for their audiences. They understand that the more they know about the audience, the better their chances for clear communication. – @annhandley
9. What Not to Do
Find an idea that is generally accepted as true and challenge it.
Audiences love reading controversial topics to see what a person has to say about the other side, even if it’s purely sarcastic.
Do your research and make sure to back up your article with lots of facts, photos, or data.
10. Press Release or Mission Statement
Keep your readers in the loop with what’s happening in your online business through a press release or mission statement.
It can be about the latest changes to your website, where you’re headed, a project-related case study, or about services you might offer.
It shows what’s coming down the pipe and that you are dedicated to providing transparency.
11. Weekly Roundup
Subscribe to your favorite authority blogs in your niche and compile the best of them together as your first blog post idea or newsletter.
Audiences love having a ready-made list of content waiting for them to be consumed.
12. In-Depth Blog Posts
Users appreciate content that had a lot of time and effort put behind it, and Google gives in-depth articles preferential treatment with a new search result feature that highlights them. Go for 2,000+ words instead of the standard 500-600 words.
You could write about the rich history and culture of a place you’ve visited, how to overcome a series of obstacles, or your thoughts on third wave feminism –whatever floats your boat.
13. Online Courses
Sites like Skillshare are a great place to qualify a blog idea –there’s a lot of inspiration to be found in the trending courses section.
If you choose to make your own online course and sell it, kudos to you. Online courses create a great passive income.
14. Free eBook
An eBook can be an extensive discussion of a topic that’s relevant in your industry.
Look for trending topics on Amazon or in Google Trends. Once it’s published, include it as a freebie in one of your marketing campaigns or you can give it in exchange for an email subscription.
15. Guest Posts
Collaborate with other experts in your industry through guest posting. Your first blog post idea could be as easy as inviting someone else to come and write on your blog.
Talk about something that both your user bases will like. Not only are you establishing yourself as an expert but you also widen your audience reach.
16. Compilation of Facts
This is similar to a weekly roundup where you compile a list together for your audience except it is more in-depth since it contains information from existing studies. We did this with our Millennial Marketing Statistics infographic.
It requires a lot of research and cross-referencing different studies to make a balanced conclusion based on the information you have just gathered. Great material for an infographic, video, or slideshow, too.
17. Trending Topics
Just about every social network and website with a built-in search engine has a listing of trending topics.
View trending hashtags on Twitter, explore recommended videos on YouTube, or look for posts on Reddit with a lot of upvotes and then write an article that revolves around the same subject.
18. Best-Case Study
Find a brand or fellow blogger that’s doing really well in the niche that you’re in. Do a best-case study on them and talk about what they’re doing right, why people like them, and what your readers can learn from their example.
If you’re lucky, they’ll share and link to your content. And because of them, it just might go viral.
We often cite Mike’s former Chiang Mai neighbors because they’re amazing at creating viral content, provide great value for their readers on a regular basis, and they are leaders in travel blogging.
Some examples of fellow travel bloggers we reference on a regular basis include;
- Keep Calm and Travel (a regular on sites like Business Insider, too)
- Just One Way Ticket (a pragmatic, resourceful, thoughtful blogger who knows what her readers want –she’s been at it the longest out of all of Mike’s travel blogging friends –when she shares our content, our analytics go off the charts)
- Getting Stamped (they grew astronomically in the short time Mike’s known them –with good reason, their content is amazing, especially their videos)
19. Comments
Since this is your first blog post idea, you won’t have any comments to pull from for this suggestion. Instead, explore comments on blog posts written by other bloggers in your niche; there’s a lot of great blog ideas for writers in the comments section of other people’s posts.
Our “how to become a digital nomad” post was very much inspired by a single comment we saw on a similar post by Chris the Freelancer.
20. Quotes
Whether they’re your own, or from an influencer in your industry –quotes can provide a basis for an entire article or series of articles. In the least, you could simply compile a bunch of them as your first blog post idea and discuss why they have meaning to you.
People often search for niche-related quotes posts, and creating one could be a great gateway to your website for people who have never heard of you before.
Quotes also make great “tweet this” buttons embedded within articles.
21. Product Review
One day, sponsors will approach you without any action on your part. But if you’d like to start attracting them early, consider writing a product review for something you already own or have used yourself.
Your first blog sponsor will likely be a business that’s related to a review you’ve already written. When that day comes, read our sponsored post blogger rate card.
22. Testimonials
Testimonials are handy for blog post ideas for writers, or for content on your about page (which is another beast to be tamed).
Tell a story around testimonials you may already have from friends or collegues on Linked In, etc.
And having it the other way around, giving your peers a thoughtful testimonial they publish can also be a great way to get a backlink from another website.
23. Rant
Rants are another great first blog post idea for writers because they’re often easy to write and they tend to be controversial –a great way to keep users engaged in the comment section while gaining insight that can be used to write more posts in the future.
A solid, respectful rant could prompt a discussion with your readers and inspire an entire series of posts.
24. Forum Postings
Online discussions often generate a lot of material for blog posts.
Go to your favorite online discussion site and create a thread discussing a relevant topic in your industry or asking a question. Encourage users to engage and reply to posts to keep the discussion going.
When the discussion slows down, sum up the best information and insights from readers into your first blog post.
For additional benefits, use forums that allow you to include links in your signature. This is crawlable by search engines which is good for your search rank.
25. Broken Link Building
This one’s a little more technical; perform a backlink analysis of influential websites in your niche. When you find that they have a broken outbound link, create an appropriate piece of content for their broken link and contact the website owner to inquire if they would like to link to your content instead.
You’re solving more than one problem; the website owner is grateful you helped them identify an issue, you get your first blog post idea, a valuable backlink, and their website visitors won’t be sent to a 404 page –everyone wins.
26. Infographics
Infographics are a fun way to present information that users may typically find boring. This format is ideal for audiences who love visual content. If you have capable graphic design skills you can create one yourself, or have us do it for you.
Infographics, slideshows, audio clips and explainer videos are all a great way to repurpose everything. We did this with our YouTube SEO infographic.
27. Videos
Speaking of videos, take advantage of platforms like YouTube, Facebook Live, Google Hangouts, or Periscope to talk about topics that are important in your industry.
Your first blog post idea could be little more than a paragraph and a video to accompany it. And your video could be a pre-recorded live stream, or some other form of video that was made with minimal effort.
Videos can also come in other forms, such as:
Walkthrough – take your viewers on a tour giving them a preview of a first-person experience.
Tutorial – do a tutorial that helps readers better understand how to complete a task.
Webinar – host Q & A sessions with your peers or have a roundtable with leading authorities in your industry.
Product review – if you find a product that you know might be useful to your customers, you can do a product review. This is an exceptional way to do affiliate marketing.
Animation – got a complex idea you want to simplify? Animated explainer videos are the best modality for ideas that are difficult to explain.
28. Transcribe a Podcast or Video
Do a podcast interview with an influencer in your industry. Talk about the latest topics and you can even ask for some insights that you can use for your online business.
Convert your podcast interview into a transcript and boil it down so that it only has the most important points. Post it together with the podcast so listeners can have notes of their own once done listening to the interview.
Heck, you could even find a popular podcast or video, transcribe it, and then dramatically edit it until it’s a new, original creative work.
In Summary
No matter what type of first blog post ideas you decide to run with, usefulness and quality are everything. If you’re ready to start writing your first blog post, we’ve got a post to help you with that, too.
Do you have any of your own blog post ideas for writers you’d like to share? Let everyone know in the comments.
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