Neverending Blog Post Inspiration Is Easy as Pi

Pi Day is celebrated on 14^th (that’s 3.14) each year. The mathematical constant, which describes the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, goes on and on forever. Pi never ends and never settles into a permanent repeating pattern. How can you ensure that you never run out of ideas for quality corporate blog posts? Here are seven ways to generate endless content without falling into a rut!

Read the News: Stay up to do date on world news and industry-specific happenings. If possible, find connections between trending news stories and your business niche. However, be wary of posting anything too controversial or politically charged.

Answer Questions: Blogging expert Susan Gunelius recommends looking to your readers’ questions for inspiration. “If your company receives questions via email, blog comments, or even in person, then you already have great blog posts percolating! If one customer or reader has a question,” advises Gunelius, “you can bet there are other people who have the same question.” Keep a list of frequently asked questions for rainy-day blog ideas, and make sure that you keep the dialogue open with your readers.

Dive Deep: While the sweet spot for blog posts is somewhere between 400 and 700 words, long-form pieces can help boost your searchability. Steff Green, writing for the site Men With Pens, encourages bloggers to explore “pillar content.” She explains, “These articles will differ for each business, but they’re typically longer (at least 2000 words to be really attractive to Google) and super-informative. If you can throw in some humor, great images or infographics, even better.” If you have ideas that don’t fit into the standard blog post mold, save them for the occasional long-form article.

Make a List: It’s no secret that list-based blog posts are popular. Lists organize your content in easy-to-read sections, making them more appealing to busy readers. “The reality is that in a time-poor world, lists of tips or things to do, such as “10 tips to create a great video,” are the headlines people click on,” writes Jeff Bullas. “Breaking down content makes it easy to read and tells readers you aren’t wasting their time.”

Re-Purpose Content: Nothing is trendier than being green.  As we’ve mentioned before, the archives of your blog are a treasure trove of content just waiting to be recycled. Update older posts with new information, reexamine a popular post from a new angle, or make a list-style post from ideas that didn’t quite make it as full-length articles.

Discover Combined Relevance: Shane Snow explains “Combined relevance is creating a compound idea out of two different, relatable things. If you’re a blogger, the first part of the combo is your topic. Gadgets. Knitting. Whatever. The second part comes from your life. Television. Current events. Zombies. Etc.” The juxtaposition of two unexpected things makes clicking irresistible. When you’re stumped for ideas, try making a two-column list of keywords in your niche and trending topics, then draw lines randomly between them.

Invite Guest Bloggers: When all else fails, get someone else to write a post. There’s no rule that says you have to come up with all of the original content on your blog; in fact, trying to do it all yourself is the fastest path to burnout. “Different minds think differently,” advises Pamela Vaughn, “and you’ll find they will often come up with ideas that never even crossed your mind. In addition, consider opening up your blog for guest posts and allowing other industry bloggers to contribute, too.”

Where do you find inspiration for your business blog? And more importantly, what kind of pie are you going to eat on Pi Day? Let us know in the comments!