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There are a few misconceptions about blogging. I’ve read comments by people who say something like, “Bloggers, no one cares about your life or what you have to say about it.” For many people, usually the less web savvy, “blog” is synonymous with “diary”…or narcissism even. I think as with most stark opposing opinions, those people really deep down wish they had something to “blog” about. They don’t realize that a blog can be so much more than a running chronicle of life. Aren’t many of us a tad bit narcissistic? I think the millions of Facebook and Twitter users posting their life to public streams speaks to our narcissism, but more so to our innate need to be social beings.

Blogs have evolved to be so much more than a “diary”. Nowadays, blogs give us information, news, humor and comics. They tell us how to do things, give us advice, and provide us with ideas. Blogs take on the guise of websites, forums, and online magazines. Blogs can be personal, professional and business-oriented. Blogs are new, old, seasoned and intermediate.

Usually when an individual creates a blog, they have a plan, a theme, and a niche…a target audience, if you will. You might start out your blog with ideas for dozens of posts and that will sustain you for the beginning. Creating fresh content is an ongoing task if you want an ongoing blog. This will be one of your biggest challenges. It might take a week, a month, or a year…maybe even years, but you will hit a stumbling block. With the onset of so many social networks, you should never want for blog ideas. No matter who your target audience is, you can pull from everyone and everything around you. These are things I’ve learned over the years from others and some of my own resources.

Where to Find Ideas

• Forums – Join forums pertaining to your niche. What kind of questions are people asking? Answer them in a blog post. Choose common problems and write a post about the solutions.
• Social Networks – Twitter, Facebook, MySpace. These are all your friends…and where you friends post some of everything. Review their website. Write a post about trending topics.
• Brainstorms and lists – If you’re awake, you’re thinking. Ideas may even come to you in your sleep. Keep a pen and notepad close and jot down your ideas.
• Work – Your job funds your life. Your job means that you have a trade…an expertise in something whether it’s being a cashier or a doctor. Write about what you know. Never write derogatory or negative content about your job. Your boss may be reading.
• Hobbies – Your hobbies are things you enjoy in your free time and things that you are probably more passionate about than your job. Write tips and tricks pertaining to your hobbies.
• Television – TV is a huge resource. You can blog about your favorite show. You can blog about things you learned on the History Channel.
• Radio – Do you listen to a morning show? Morning show DJ’s are genius at covering topics that keep people listening day after day. Take lessons and keep people reading day after day.
• Your city – If you live in a large city or a well-known locale, write content pertaining to your region. Even if you live in a rural area, it can still make for interesting blogging. People have a natural curiosity about the lives of others.
• Social bookmarking – Social bookmarking sites like Delicious.com usually have a list of popular tags. Pick one, do a little research and write an informative post about what you learned.
• Music – Blog about writing music, popular songs, genres, and artists.
• Opinion – Blog about your opinions…on everything. Be cautious when you write about religion and politics. Opposition is inevitable.
• Reviews – Write reviews about everything: products you use, shows you watch, websites you frequent, movies you watch…anything and everything.
• Current events – Writing about current events is self-explanatory. I think everyone at some point in school, had to bring in a newspaper article and write about it.

I hope this list inspires you to look at your life, the things you care about, and be able to pull ideas from the resources all around you. Go back and look over your previous posts. There’s no rule that says you can’t write about the same thing twice. In fact, there aren’t really ANY rules in blogging. Throw in some twists and turns or new information and link to your old post. Search engines LOVE that. If all else fails, take a break and come back with fresh ideas and a new outlook.