I write every day not because I need to (well that is part of it), but because I have a love of learning and like to share the ideas that are working for me. Finding topics for blog articles is not difficult, it is easy but finding blog topics that fit within my niche market is much more difficult.

The ideas are always all around us. People ask us questions about our work, our opinions, and how to get things done. All we really have to do is open our ears and listen. Questions are usually asked to find out new information or to add to the askers knowledge base. If enough people as a similar question, then you have a blog article.

This article came about because I had 3 people on the same day ask where I got my blog ideas. I am going to share these ideas and hopefully you can use a few of them to increase your writing schedule.

Before we begin, be ready to copy down what you need to do. Reading this article without putting it into action will not increase your readership.

1. I love surveys and trends. For my niche, I will search for the hot topics in my industry. It gives me an insight into the buzz for the week. I usually take the top 5 ideas and put them in a list. You can use Google trends to locate much of the information you need here. My note book of choice these days is OneNote but there are others on the market such as EverNote. Use something that is easily accessible so you can write anywhere you happen to be. The trends could spark a great idea for an article.
2. Top search terms in your niche. I like to know what people are searching for and then see what is available on the article side of the search. This is another bit of research. The advantage of doing this is the fact that I can learn a great deal from others and find the gaps where I can add my two cents. Continuous learning and checking out ideas is the great off shoot of this method.
3. Subscribe to newsletters, blogs, and forums in your industry. I get at least 50 newsletters each day and always do a quick scan for topics of interest and/or emerging topics that are trending. If it is of interest, I dive deeper, take a few notes and move on.
4. Social Media postings and their popularity. Look for what is being shared, how many people are being engaged by a post, and any comments. Topics that endure are harder to spot here, but the trends certainly show up. I add most of these topics to my trend list. These trends normally last 3 to 6 months so it may give you the time you need to further the research for the article.
5. Learning something new each day. When I learn something new, I immediately write about it. Not only does it solidify my knowledge by writing, it pushes me to put that knowledge into action. This way I can give my opinion on what worked and what did not.

This list has only 5 important ways to get ideas for blog articles. It should spark ideas on other places to put some writing topics together. Even reading the local newspaper or watching a Periscope can give you points to add to your list.

So you don’t have to carry this article around with you, I am providing you with a checklist of places for getting those blog ideas. Refer back to the checklist when you get stuck, you never really know which idea will be fruitful for you.