Last year around December time, I had a mini-frighten-out moment when I realised I hadn’t travelled overseas for two years. I’m a travel blogger who isn’t going to exotic destinations. This made me fall into the deep end of the comparison pool. I was drowning myself by comparing myself to wildly successful travel bloggers and sites such as the Culture Trip.  In order to reassure myself that I wouldn’t run out of post ideas, I wrote a list of blog post ideas. In one sitting, I came up with over 400 post ideas. Calmer and less paranoid that my blog would shrivel up and die, I wondered if other bloggers ever struggle with coming up with post ideas. A few minutes later, I found buckets and loads of Pinterest articles on how to come up with content ideas. I read a few, but still there was something missing, and that was the doing aspect of creativity, which if you bear with me you will read about at the end of this post. This post is geared at bloggers and anyone who writes basically and is feeling stuck. I hope this helps you out.

 

Take care of yourself

The first step to take is to eat well, exercise, and sleep well. I don’t always nail all of these; no one’s perfect, but if you run yourself down, you won’t have the mental ability to be creative. If you hate the gym like me, then do something else you love doing. For me, it’s dance and skipping. I skipped every morning before I injured my knee last December. Now I’m waiting on it to heal properly before starting again. I’m planning on doing Zumba and hip-hop abs because, for me, a gym is filled with torture devices. Taking care of yourself means doing things you would want to do.

Do what you love

Do things that are fun. Having fun makes me come up with ideas. You might not have a million ideas flow out of your head after doing your favourite activity. It will, however, put you in a good mood. Feeling good helps reduce stress and the loop of constantly thinking about how you can’t seem to come up with blog post ideas. Having fun also makes space for you to have a flash of inspiration.

Seek inspiration

Inspiration can be found in different places. If you love reading, I’m not only reading travel blogs and travel-themed novels. I finished reading 24 Hours in Ancient Egypt by Michael O’Mara. Then I read On Writing by Stephen King. And I also finished reading 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People by Susan M. Weinschenk this month. I’m currently reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by Mark Manson. Evidently, I’m a megabook fan. I read on my way to work on the bus every day and on my trip back home.

At the moment, my work is monotonous, which bores me to tears. I’ve accepted this as I only started last November. I’m hoping that I will get to do more challenging tasks as time goes on. I listen to music, YouTube videos, and podcasts to stop myself from falling asleep at my desk. The daily show by Trevor Noah, the SABC news channel, and Vice and Vox videos are the soundtrack to my work week. I also only discovered Maggie Roger’s music this week and the Guilty Feminist podcast, which is hilarious. Spontaneous chuckles at work aside, it does make me deal with work in a much more positive way. Most of what I’m reading and listening to is not blog-related. This gives me time to unplug my brain from overthinking about blogging. And once again, it opens the doorway to that flash of inspiration.

Research and find your voice

Doing research about travel blogging during my lunch break has become a habit of mine. I have read up on newsletters, MailChimp, and creating e-books. If you haven’t guessed it, I’m planning on eventually creating a newsletter. I downloaded a video on Youtube on how to create Instagram highlight covers using Canva. I’m looking at how to create travel infographics. I’m going to use BIRME to resize my images for Pinterest, as I haven’t been pinning regularly and my photo sizes need to fit Pinterest specs. I might eventually write about Pinterest sizes and using BIRME if I find that my new Pinterest strategy works for me. My need to pin better led me to seek out information, and what I found has the potential to be a helpful article for other bloggers.

Read other blogs. You don’t have to stick to your niche. For me, supporting other bloggers is a feel-good experience. The added bonus is that it builds up my blog without me even trying that hard. As a travel blogger, there are lots of blog posts out there on travelling. Reading what’s out there can help you generate ideas. But for me personally, the key takeaway is to try and give the post my own spin. I use my own photos most of the time in posts. I tell stories and try to provide helpful tips based on my own travels. When I write about my city, Cape Town, I realise that many topics have already been covered. Still, my take on topics is different given that I am me. It sounds mushy. I’m certainly not implying that I’m a special magical unicorn whose writing is the best ever. Still, my voice isn’t the same. Most travel writing in my city tends to cater to rich tourists and locals. Being a female solo, budget traveler who is an activist with a political studies background allows me to link social issues and travelling together. Once you’ve found your voice, it will be easier to come up with blog post topics. If you love coffee and aren’t a tea drinker, post about the top 5 coffee spots in your area. Or challenge yourself to drink tea for a month, no coffee allowed, then write about how your tea experiment went.

Organise Your Blog Ideas

Once you compile a list of ideas, categorize them to streamline your content creation. For instance, if you’re focusing on Cape Town, consider posts like “What to Wear in Cape Town,” “The Best Beaches in Cape Town,” “Where to Get Tea,” and “A Chocolate Lover’s Guide to Cape Town.” Breaking down broad topics into specific posts can lead to a wealth of content.

Engage with Your Readers

Ask your readers for blog post ideas by adding a suggestion section on your blog and running polls on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Use Instagram Stories to gather feedback directly. Although I haven’t utilised this method yet, it’s a great way to tailor content to your audience’s interests. With 402 blog articles on my list, I’m currently set, but I might consider running a poll in the future.

Read and Respond to Comments

Engaging with your blog’s comments section is essential. Not only does it show appreciation for your readers, but it can also provide inspiration for new posts. For example, if readers are curious about how you created a stunning slideshow, you could write a tutorial to fill that information gap.

Revise and Update Old Posts

Regularly updating old posts is vital for maintaining relevance and improving SEO. Refresh your content with new photos, relevant links, and updated information. Reviving older posts can also reveal topics you may have missed initially. For instance, after writing about Vienna, I realised I hadn’t covered the city’s coffee culture, which I plan to address in a future post.

Align Your Activities with Your Blog

If you’re a travel blogger, explore your city and engage in relevant activities. This approach helped me create a post about free things to do in Cape Town. Immersing yourself in your blog’s niche, whether it is attending art events or watching films, enhances the authenticity of your content.

Write Consistently

Consistency is key in blogging. As Stephen King advises, successful writers write regularly. Although blogging isn’t my full-time job, I aim to publish a post each week. Setting a realistic schedule and sticking to it ensures steady progress. As Mark Manson puts it, “Action leads to inspiration, which leads to motivation.” Even if you face writer’s block, committing to a writing routine will help overcome it.

 

 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post—I truly appreciate it! If you enjoyed this content, please give it a like and leave a comment. I’d love to hear how you come up with your own blog post ideas. Do you have any questions or suggestions? Feel free to share them with me. Wishing you a wonderful weekend and happy travels!