Five tips for blog and social media ideas

​As written for Cake Business School.
​Check it out at:
http://angelfoods.net/cake-business-school/

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Feeding the social media machine can be exhausting. From Facebook, to Twitter, to Instagram and of course the blog. Starting a blog is exciting and you see ideas everywhere at first but sometimes the well runs dry – or worse – you lose motivation to continue because it simply becomes hard work. The exhaustion can come from having to pull an idea from thin air and turning it into something passable. Here are my five tips to keep your blog fresh and inspiration for new topics flowing.

1. Take inspiration from everyday life
   What’s happening in your life and what have you cooked this week? This gives your blogs seasonality, authenticity and an ever changing menu of ideas. Life constantly delivers, make the most of it.
2. Disasters are interesting too
   Don’t just write about your successes. As a baker, I’ve learnt far more from my failures than my successes. Your readers will too. This honesty also endears you to readers – it’s far easier to relate to someone who has some wins and some fails, than someone who always gets it right.
3. Keep an eye on the competition
   This has nothing to do with plagiarism and everything to do with taking notice of what you enjoy about other blogs. Are you drawn to recipes or how tos? How do photos impact on which blogs you like to read? Take it all in and use your experiences of these other blogs to shape your own and make it the best you can.
4. Take notes
   Get an idea while you’re shopping, write it down, text it or email it to yourself. Just don’t delay. Same goes for if you think of something in the middle of the night. It’s worth the 30 seconds to get out of bed and write it down. By having a bank of ideas takes the pressure off and allows you time to flesh it out in your mind – not scratching around at the last minute.
5. Ask
   Ask your kids what they’d like to read about on your blog. Ask your clients. Ask friends. Ask your readers. Only one idea out of 20 may take your fancy, but it’s one idea you didn’t have before. This is also a great way to get feedback about what people like and don’t like about your blog – another chance to improve your offering.

PRO TIP: Write ahead where you can. It really takes the pressure off and makes the whole process far more enjoyable.
 
I hope these tips keep your bloggers’ block at bay. How do you come up with new topic ideas for your blog?
 
Natasha Lobban is a freelance journalist and editor and the director of Kilmuir Creative. She is also in the process of starting her own baking and preserving business from her farm in North East Victoria. Email natasha@kilmuir.com.au to collaborate on the best marketing recipe for your cake business.