I haven’t been blogging here lately, but I want to dust off this blog and breathe some life back into it! I’m planning a new design and some other cool things, but this blog isn’t supposed to be about what I want to do – it’s real purpose is to help new-to-intermediate bloggers get where they want to be in the blogosphere.

So, I’ve jotted down a few questions, I’d like to hear what YOU want to learn about when it comes to blogging.

Please take a few minutes and fill out the survey – you can be anonymous if you want – I just want to know what your needs are before I proceed with the re-do.

The last question is simply a text box where you can “let it all out” and tell me what you’d like to see here. Use that space to answer those burning questions you may have, such as:

What are your struggles? Questions? Biggest roadblocks? What about blogging SCARES the heebie-jeebies out of you?

What are your goals? Your dreams? Do you know how to use your blog to achieve them?

Go ahead, spill!

Click here to take survey

If you’re staring at the blinking cursor in your blog’s new post screen, wondering, “What, oh what, should I blog about?” then cheer up! Here are 20 resources to help get those blog brainstorming juices flowing. Grab a notebook and pen and jot down ideas as you research these resources.

1. Visit the Neighbors. Read blogs with topics similar to yours and jot down idea-starters. If you’re not sure where to find such blogs, do a search on Google Blog Search or hop over to Technorati.com and see what’s out there.
2. Snoop through Article Directories. Type a keyword into sites such as EzineArticles, eHow, ArticlesBase, and others will give you a plethora of ideas to choose from.
3. Pick through some PLR Content. Private Label Rights (PLR) content is created for content creators (a.k.a. bloggers) to use as a springboard when developing posts, podcasts, etc. Some of it is bad, some is pretty good. You should never post PLR content as is, but it’s great for generating ideas. Plus, it’s cheap!
4. Traditional Media. The mainstream media has its faults, but when you’re searching for blog content ideas, relating your topic to a breaking news story can be fun and effective.
5. Social Media. Along that same line, browse through some social media sites and see what’s popular or trending. Check out sites like Digg, Twitter, and Technorati to name a few.
6. Ask Your Readers. Invite your readers to submit questions and create a Q&A series for your blog.
7. Use Other People’s Readers. Asking your own readers and waiting for their replies can take a bit of time. If you’re in a rush to get your post published, see what readers from other sites are asking. Yahoo Answers is a goldmine for generating Q&A ideas.
8. Keyword Research Tools. Go over to Google’s keyword research tool and type in a topic. Within seconds you’ll get a list of terms people are actually looking for information about. You can use the filters there to refine your search and really drill down into the topic you want to write about.
9. Check Your Inbox. Chances are you already subscribe to a few email newsletters. While some can be annoying, most provide useful information. There’s likely something in there that will spur your muse into action.
10. Mull over a Magazine. If you subscribe to any magazines relating to your blog’s topic, flip through them and read some headlines. Read what others are writing and either answer questions they may have left unanswered or blog about the topic from a different angle.
11. Find a Facebook Group. Join a group or two of like-minded people on Facebook and scroll through the group’s wall posts.
12. Mingle on a Message Board. To find a forum about your blog’s topic, do a search for “[my blog topic] message board” or “[my blog topic] forum.” See what questions the forum members are asking and blog about the answers. For quick traffic, join the forum and post links to the topics you’ve written about.
13. Look at Your Own Blog. Use a WordPress plugin, such as RankTracker, and you’ll get an email with search terms your blog is ranking for. That means this is the type of content people who come to your blog enjoy reading. You can also see which posts are getting the most comments, Tweets, and Facebook Likes, etc., to determine what topics to write more about. Once you’ve identified popular posts, ask yourself what you could have added or what else have you learned about the topic since you first wrote the posts people liked. Then blog on that.
14. Go Virtual Window Shopping. What is selling on information product sites, such as Clickbank? Go to the marketplace area and type your blog’s topic into the search form. Check for products with the highest “gravity” and visit their sales pages. What solutions are they promising to provide? Create some content about that. (Monetization Tip: You may even want to get a free Clickbank account and include affiliate links to those products you found.) What information products have your purchased that are related to your topic? Review them and jot down blog post ideas as you go through the product.
15. Think. Think. Think. Yep, just like Winnie the Pooh. Using your own brain when brainstorming is always a great idea!
16. Recycle Old Notes. If you’ve ever taken notes from books you’ve read on your topic or conferences you’ve attended, dust off your notebooks and browse through them. You may have a great untapped brainstorming resource right under your nose!
17. Outsource It. Even after going through all the above brainstorming tips, if you’re still struggling to come up with blog content, you can always hire a writer. Check out sites such as Fiverr, Warrior Forum, Odesk, or others.

I want to wish all my readers a happy and prosperous new year!

What are your blogging goals for this year? My main goal is to blog consistently at On Blogging Well and to finish the free video course I started. I only made the first two modules of this four-part course, and for that I apologize. I hope to complete the other modules soon.