Keeping a blog’s editorial calendar padded out with content that’s relevant, fresh, interesting, helpful, and engaging is a continual work in progress. The last thing we want is for ideas to run dry or to be scraping the barrel just to ensure we’re posting something new, regularly. Here are 5 really simple tried and tested ways to come up with enough ideas to fill an editorial calendar with content we can be proud of.

1. Ask your audience/community

If you have built a community around your blog on social media or through a regular newsletter, then one of the most effective and easiest ways to generate blog content ideas is to ask them what topics or nuances of topics they’d like you to cover, or, what issues are they facing that are relevant to your blog’s vibe. By creating a Google Form (it’s free to do so) and sharing the link, you can easily capture the responses from your community.

Here's some text you can copy and paste to accompany the link to your form on social media, within a blog post, or in an email: 

We're planning our editorial calendar for the coming months and would love to know if there's anything you'd like us to cover that'd be helpful and interesting to you. Please pop any ideas and feedback you have, here: [insert link to form]. Top tip: triple-check your form's link-sharing settings to make sure anyone with the link can respond and use the form.

When we start to think of our followers and subscribers as a community rather than an audience, it changes how we interact with them and they can feel it. You’re then creating content that is exactly what your community want and need, but also, you’re connecting with and listening to rather then simply broadcasting at them.

2. Make a Note of Questions You’re Asked Often

If you’ve been blogging for a while, there’s a high chance that you’ve received questions or comments from the people who connect with your content. Jot down the frequently asked questions and use them as inspiration to create informative and engaging content that addresses your community’s needs and wants.

3. Utilise Google (or other search engine) Autofill

When you type a keyword or phrase into Google, it usually auto-fills and tries to predict your query. This makes Google Autofill a really simple yet effective way to find blog content ideas. Start by typing a keyword or a phrase related to your niche into the Google search bar.

If your blog is about depression, for example, you might try these:
– is depression…
– does depression…
– why is depression…

As you type, Google will suggest popular searches based on your input. These suggestions are an excellent source of inspiration, as they reflect the topics and questions that are currently trending or of interest to others. Make a list of the suggestions that catch your attention and use them as a starting point for your next blog post.

4. Dive into AnswerThePublic.com

AnswerThePublic.com is a really cool resource for discovering blog content ideas based on user-generated queries. This search listening tool compiles the questions and search terms people are already using on search engines. To use it, simply enter a keyword or topic and let AnswerThePublic.com generate an incredible list of content ideas for you that’ll keep your blog content fed for a really long time!

5. Harness the Power of AI

This is a relatively new discovery for me which I think could be a game-changer for content creators. ChatGPT is a tool that’s been causing a bit of a buzz in recent times – both negatively and positively, depending on how you look at it. By inputting a query such as “Could you please make a list of 25 blog posts I could write about [insert your keywords here]”, ChatGPT can provide you with a list of blog post ideas. Not only can it help you brainstorm and refine content ideas, but it can also assist you in outlining and structuring your blog posts.

Creating consistent blog content might seem daunting at times – especially if you’re trying to keep a lot of plates in the air – but it’s totally achievable with the right strategies in place. This planning process is something that can be batched so that instead of trying to consider what you might write about week on week, you could plan a month or a quarter at a time. These tools definitely make batching more manageable, freeing up more time and energy for the other spinning plates that come with running your own thing.