Blog Inspiration: Where to Look for New Content Ideas

Magazines

Although I love reading blogs I do still enjoy picking up magazines. The ones I buy most often are Elle, Glamour and InStyle, and I also check out the online beauty sections of most magazines at least once a month. I find that this offers me a useful contrast to what's going on in the "bloggersphere" and also keeps me updated with the format and writing style used in magazines. I don't copy anything I find in magazines, but I do often see tag-lines that I think would make really interesting posts - only, in magazines there are often a whole lot of pictures and very little copy (especially in the beauty section). For instance, this month I wrote a blog post about a makeup look called "The Soft Underline". It was mentioned in Elle as an upcoming makeup trend but no other information was really offered. It's a makeup look I already wear quite often so I decided to share the products I use when I wear my makeup in this way - and thus a blog post idea was born. Click here to read my blog post on The Soft Underline. 

Blogs

I read many different blogs every day, on Bloglovin' I'm currently subscribed to 368 blogs and I probably read at least 50 blog posts a day. This gives me a great insight into trends - writing trends, photography trends, topic trends etc. Most importantly, it gives me a great insight into what isn't being written, and when there's something missing then there's a gap in the market. It's impossible to keep up with what every blogger is doing but if I see a gap in the market in the 300+ blogs I follow then I seek to fill that gap. For instance, I noticed that a lot of the blogs I follow give great advice and recommendations but they're very much aimed towards other bloggers or people who already know a lot about makeup or skincare. Some of my blog posts this month were inspired by a decision I made to spend more time coming up with posts that people just starting off with makeup would find interesting and helpful. Click here to read my blog post on How to Apply Mascara. The more you read, the more you'll notice specific gaps and will then be able to fill them with your own content. 

At home

I find a lot of inspiration around my own home and I often revisit what I already have and may well have already written about before. Blogging does not necessarily mean trying all the latest products - for instance, I don't own any of Urban Decay's Naked Palettes, and although I'd love to try them I don't consider myself a bad beauty blogger because I can't afford to purchase lots of new or expensive products. The same goes if you're a fashion blogger or a lifestyle blogger, you can revisit things you already own or places you've already been and come up with fresh content. It's about being creative and also re-featuring products from posts that have been particularly successful. I've found that lots of people have expressed interest whenever I feature the Balm's Nude'tude palette, which I received for Christmas last year. I've included it in some of my makeup look posts to give people new ideas in how to put an investment piece (like any mid to high end makeup palette) to good use. Examples are my Moody Makeup post, as well as my upcoming post on a makeup look called The Reverse Cat-Eye.

Out and about

When I go anywhere I'm always keeping an eye open for things that I might like to write about. Sometimes on the tube I see nearly every woman sporting a similar lip colour and I think, hey this is a real life trend in action. Other days, I see everyone putting on their makeup on their commute to work and this is another potential post idea - 5 minute makeup - which you could even do on the tube! It's all about spinning whatever you see around you into something relevant and interesting to read. It's just the same if you're a fashion or lifestyle blogger - keep your eyes peeled and make a note of anything interesting that you might see. I'm also pretty shameless about asking people where they got what they're wearing - whether it's a lipstick, a handbag or a pretty blouse. Most of the time people are just flattered and are happy to share, and then I know where to hunt down the products I was lusting after. This could even form the basis of a wish list post - the things other people wear that I want for myself.

Questions people ask me

Sometimes people are nice enough to leave me questions in comments or on twitter. I love when readers ask me things, because it gives me ideas for new content that they're going to really want to read. Never feel too shy to ask questions that you want answered. Do you want to know which lipstick I wore the most this year? What perfume I wear? How long it takes me to write a blog post? When I post? Honestly, as long as you're not being straight up rude (which no ever has been so far, which makes me a very lucky internet user!) then I really don't mind you asking. I can always politely decline to comment but it's more likely that I'll let you know. I usually tweet responses to quick questions that are left in comments, and longer ones may well form the basis of longer posts. (This post was inspired by some questions left me by Dannie who writes the blog Famous in Japan - and I've got a couple more to write based on requests that she left, thanks Dannie!) I also wrote a post about how to apply cream blushes after my friend Candy confided in me that she didn't know how to use them. If the post I wrote helps her then I'm sure a handful of others will also find it useful - and that makes me happy to oblige. 

What I'd love for you to take away from this post is that I'd really love for you to ask me more questions or make post suggestions. And with your own blogs, look for  the gaps and be inspired by what you can find in your own life. I hope this was an interesting read and if you liked it then I'm happy to write some more "blogging" posts soon.

GUEST POST: Here’s how to... overcome that dastardly blogger’s block

I'm Laura, a travel communications executive, a freelance copywriter, and I also write words at six out of ten magazine. I'm known to be a bit impatient, and am a cat lady in the making. There's no better film than Jurassic Park. Fact.

Picture the scene: It’s the tenth day in a row you haven’t posted something on your blog. You feel like you’re abandoning your readers and, more worryingly, your stats will suffer. You half-heartedly write a quick post about something you’ve had lingering in the back of your mind and publish it FOR STATS. You have a mountain of emails building up and no drive to do anything about it, so all you do is sit in your pants eating German spiced cookies and watch toothless folk scream at each other on Jeremy Kyle.

Look, everyone’s been there. That big blogger you fawn over? She’s done the same. That HuffPo journalist? Same. Everyone from the great writers of yore to your favourite author (bad times if you say it’s Katie Price) has struggled with actually writing when they needed to. I bet Chaucer was a total stress head sometimes.

So how are you meant to deal with writer’s block? In seven ways.

1. Get outside

If you’re a stay-at-home-something or a freelancer, your home can suck all the creative juices out of you like a leech. Experts say you shouldn’t watch the telly in your bedroom as it can mess with your sleep patterns, so it shouldn’t be a surprise the place we eat, drink, sleep and write can cause a creativity issue.

Whether it’s taking your laptop to the park and writing al fresco or sitting in a fairly quiet coffee shop to refocus, try a change of scenery.

2. Avoid monotony

It’s great to have a set posting schedule, but this can stifle creativity. You know it’s coming, but you have nothing to say for this week’s Toenail Tuesday so what do you do? Write something for the sake of schedule about how grateful you are to have feet? Your readers won’t appreciate shoddy content for the sake of it. Google won’t either.

Try to mix up your posts a bit. Leave the schedule behind and write about what you want to. It’ your blog, after all!

3. Try something new

If you’re a beauty blogger it doesn’t mean only ever forever and evs writing about beauty. Say you’re a science geek too. Write about the science behind your favourite products. Just what the heck is naphthalene and why is it in my lipstick? What’s the difference between a sun block and sun screen? How does iridescent nail polish work dammit?

Combine your passions to write about something you’re excited in. Merge two ideas, even if they’re opposites, into one.

4. Lose the distractions

You’re on the sofa sat in front of your laptop. Your cat is being all cute and fluffy so you’re taking pictures to post on Instagram, your phone’s just alerted you to a twitter conversation, the telly’s showing a preview of that advert everyone’s talking about, and before you know it you’ve written nothing. Attention spans are getting shorter (eight seconds online). Yours needs to be sharp and focused.

Turn off the tv, get out a real notebook and unplug your router. If you’re going to write, you need to resist the urge to mentally meander.

5. Just write

Get yourself a mug of coffee and empty your brain onto the paper in front of you. Sure, it’ll be a garbled mess, but it’ll help clear your head having everything written down. Forget about punctuation or sticking to one topic, just write. If you’re fond of drawing, get your crayons out and start doodling your ideas. Before you know it you’ll find a thread to follow, and with that you can start something you enjoy.

Write what’s in your head that second. Even if nothing useful comes of it, you’ll have a book of ideas to refer back to when you’re feeling a bit more creative.

6. Go for a run

For me, this works best. I don’t know why but when I feel I’m getting blogger’s block I also feel the need to go for a really long walk – and I feel most creative when I’m on a beach. Not a field. Not a cafe. Walking on warm sand. If I actually do go (if I am able to at the time) my head feels so much clearer.

We all know exercise is just as good for the mind as it is the body, so take an hour to work up a mild sweat.

7. Just stop

You’re not being paid to write. You blog because you enjoy it. Like any hobby, sometimes you need a break. Take a step back for a few days, or a few weeks. Hell, if you’ve lost all joy forget the blog and channel your creativity into something new. No one will care (that’s a lie, there are still bloggers who I wish would make a comeback but telling yourself this means you won’t feel guilty).

No one likes forced content. It’s easy to spot and totally unnecessary. Take time away from your computer and just enjoy your creativity in other ways.

So there are my tips. What are your thoughts on overcoming blogger’s block and writing again?

You can find Laura on twitter @sixoutoftenmag and you should definitely check out her online magazine six out of ten

Most Popular Posts: November 2014

I've posted quite a lot during the month of November, and some of this month's posts have been very popular. Today, I've gathered together ten of my most popular posts written in the last month. I thought that if you happened to have missed any of them then this gives you a great opportunity to catch up

A Much Anticipated RMS Beauty Haul

Upcoming Lush Releases

LookFantastic's November Beauty Box

Antipodes Jubilation Ultra Nourishing Hand and Body Cream

Love Lula's November Beauty Box

Best Lipsticks: Top Picks from my Collection

Health Designs Beauty Haul (and a beauty discount)

Makeup Look: The Soft Underline

Use it or Lose it: Some Thoughts on Beauty Hoarding

How I Organise and Run My Blog

I hope you've been enjoying my blog this month. I've got lots of really exciting things planned for the next couple of weeks (including a new giveaway that will be going live early next week) so do keep your eyes peeled!

How I Organise and Run My Blog

Earlier this week I asked on twitter if anyone would be interested in getting an insight into how I organise and run my blog etc. The resounding answer was that these sorts of posts can offer interesting insights into one way of doing things. This is by no means how you should necessarily run your blog, and this isn't a how-to guide on being a blogger, I'm just sharing some of my routines and ways of doing things. 

Blog Posts

Brainstorming and list writing

This is an important part of my blogging experience and it's something I used to do even before I set up my blog. I used to write lists of things I'd want to write about for myself, and now I write similar lists but for writing projects that I share online. A lot of these lists I write by hand but I also make lots of lists on my phone when I'm on-the-go (and, if you were wondering, my phone case - which I love - is from Coggles*). If you want to learn more about this part of my process let me know in the comments, I'm thinking of doing a whole post on how I come up with new ideas.

Taking photographs (in bulk)

I didn't start my blog with photography in mind - it's always been somewhat secondary to my creative process. That being said, successful blogs seem to rely on good photographs and I'm always trying my best to produce photos that suit my content. I try and take between 4-10 blog posts worth of photos at once (depending on how many post idea's I've brainstormed and what setups I need). I usually brainstorm what I want in each photo, how I want it to look etc. before I reach for my camera, I find this saves me time and wasted photos.

Writing up my blog posts

First of all, I upload my photos into Blogger and then I just leave it for a bit. I don't write my posts all in one go. I might write up some bullet points from my brainstorming sessions, or half of a blog post. I'll then come back and slowly flesh out each blog post until I'm happy with them all. This way I'm always working on more than one thing, I always have lots of new content to choose between and if my camera breaks or I'm ill and stuck in bed then there is still work that I'm able to do. I think I write like this because of my university experience with essays and always more than one thing on-the-go. I've come to enjoy multi-tasking, it keeps me from getting bored.

Scheduling - blog posts and tweets

Often I'll finish multiple blog posts at once - this is just how I work. What I usually do is schedule them to go live, one per day, over  a couple of days (I try and post at least once a day at 8am). When I go to schedule my posts this is when I add in all my tags and I label my photos on blogger etc. I also do a last proof read at this stage. Everyday in the evening, I look at what is going to be posted the next day and use Buffer to schedule tweets promoting my new blog post. I also re-promote the blog posts that have been particularly popular that week. Try and include photos in your tweets and tag brands or bloggers you've mentioned in your posts, this all really helps with getting more engagement on twitter which can help with views but also really helps to build working relationships.

Emails and Social Media

Making the most of my time

First thing in the morning I check my twitter and my blog email account and I reply to any messages I've received since I last checked these accounts. I also scan Instagram, and I'm working to introduce Pinterest into my daily social media checklist. It doesn't take long but I try and engage and reply promptly to any and all communication because this is a courtesy I appreciate myself. It's the same with blog comments, although I don't reply to all of them I tweet responses to questions as soon as I can. I find that commenters more likely to actually read their tweets and I like interacting with my readers on social media. If I have limited time, I read all my emails and tweets at once towards the end of the day. Or if I get five minute bursts of spare time, I'll read and respond to them as and when I can throughout the day. 

Participating in Twitter Chats

Twitter chats have always helped my blog to grow. Ever since I discovered them - a couple of months after I first started blogging (which was over two years ago now) - they have been a fantastic way to connect with new people, find new blogs and share my blog with a wider audience. I try and participate in a couple of chats a week, whenever I find time and I don't beat myself up if I miss one. I like to give them my all, talk to as many people as possible, reply to as many tweets as possible - I don't like participating unless I can be fully engaged. I particularly enjoy the #bbloggers chats, which are on Wednesdays and Sundays at 8pm (there is always a noticeable increase in my Google Analytics stats whenever I participate in either of these chats). 

Embracing new working relationships 

My blog allows me to talk to people I will never meet. Blogging is a platform into other peoples' lives, and although much of this is just social some of it can be "work" related as well. There are opportunities galore on the internet, including writing opportunities, reviewing opportunities, and networking opportunities. Since I finished my MA I've really been making me most of anything that comes my way. I don't say yes to everything but I always reply, and when I feel that I have to politely decline an opportunity I try to stress that I'd still love to hear from the person who contacted me again in the future. Don't close off working relationships by ignoring emails or direct messages - and remember that saying no isn't necessarily rude or ungrateful.

My "blog correspondence diary"

I keep word documents that act as diaries for any and all communication I have with PRs and brands. I write a summary of what we speak about, when we spoke about it, products in question, what I have to do as a result of the communication and my deadline for doing it. I keep ones of these documents for every PR or Brand that I work with. For important projects, I also include copies of email correspondence in these correspondence diaries. Since I started accepting more review samples I have had to up the organisation-stakes. It helps me keep my samples, writing projects and emails in order, and saves me time and stress because I know when I'm up to date on everything.

Extras

What I do if I really don't get on with a review sample

This is something that you might be interested in - what do I do when I really don't like something that I've accepted for review purposes. Well, first of all, I usually say when I'm accepting something for review that if I really don't like something, or if I have a skin reaction to something meaning that I can't use it, then I will always email the person who sent it to me before posting anything about it. I think it's a courtesy to let the person who's sent me the product know that I really don't like it and to discuss what the the problem might be and whether or not they'd prefer me not to post a review. So far, this hasn't happened to me. I've been lucky - and discerning - and haven't accepted anything that I found to have no redeeming value whatsoever. However, as regular readers will know, I do post negative reviews, even of review samples, but I would feel uncomfortable completely dedicating a whole post to slating something I really didn't like. 

Going to events and meet-ups by myself

I've become used to attending events and meet-ups by myself. It used to make me really nervous but I've grown to enjoy it. Going solo makes me more approachable and means that I can more easily network and find an opportunity to chat to everyone. The more people you get to know - even "superficially" with a shake of the hand and exchange of names - the more people you'll start to recognise at future events and over time you get to know lots of people you might never otherwise meet. Don't be put off by going somewhere alone, if you're really nervous share a tweet that you're worried and see who else might be there to meet you, I've met some really lovely people that way.

Who I talk to and what I talk about

At events and meet-ups I don't just talk to other bloggers, I really like to chat with PRs and brand representatives. I like to ask questions about what they do, what they're looking for when they work with bloggers, why they invited me. It helps me get an idea of what I'm doing "right" from their perspective and can help give me ideas on which are the areas of my blog that I need to work on. I'm also just personally interested in using the amazing opportunities that blogging gives me to learn new things - I want to get the most out of everything and I am very interested in knowing about the other side of the blogging world and the people behind all the emails. Ask questions that you want answers to, and ask questions to get to know the people you're working with. It will only help you and it may well also help the people with whom you talk.

Being "myself"

Recently, my (met-at-an-event, blogger) friend Candy wrote a fantastic blog post about the idea of being three-dimensional and it struck a chord with me. Something I'm always working at with my blog is being "professional" but still trying to get across a sense of "me" and who I am and what my interests are. I don't know if I do it well enough sometimes. I love beauty and I love blogging but my interests are so wide and so varied and I don't share them all on my blog. I don't even know if I'd enjoy sharing them all. I think I would, actually, but it would be tough to write so widely and keep you all interested! I'd love to know your thoughts about this - do you know "me" well enough? I'm all up for getting a little bit more personal and sharing more, it's just hard to know which bits to share. 

This has been a bit of a long one… Did I say anything that struck a chord with you? Do I do things differently to you? Please feel free to ask me more questions for future posts like this, I'm really up for sharing any and all of what I've learnt over the last two years since I started blogging.