Content Planning 101: How to Generate Blog Topics in 10 Minutes or Less
Have you ever sat down to plan your content but had no idea what to talk about? Same, same. A few weeks ago, I was in the same place, and as a content strategist, that made me panic. Have all my ideas dried up? 😨 Nah, I just needed to get back to the basics. I want to share one simple strategy that will lighten the load when you’re content planning. You’ll be creating a quick reference sheet you can use to pull blog topics, so you never have to think twice about what to write.
Generate Blog Topics in 10 Minutes or Less
Step One: Create a Chart
At the top of the chart, write out your content pillars, services, or offers. This will be the idea you focus on as your brainstorm. Right below that, you will right any offers or lead magnets that are connected.
For example, if my focal topic is website design, then a lead magnet on branding and an offer on a website design intensive would be connected to that topic
Step Two: Set a Timer
Find a quiet place to sit down. You’ll want to completely focus on generating this blog topic list. Then, set a timer. I would choose anywhere from 5-10 minutes. After the 10-minute mark, I start to lose focus but to each their own.
Step Three: Brainstorm
At this point, I want you to simply word vomit ideas onto your chart. Focus on the topic at the top of your chart. Then, write down every single little tiny item related to that topic. This could be questions, problems, skills, and more related to the umbrella topic.
For website design, you could write down brand colors, logos, Canva copyright issues, font pairings, and more. Write down as many possible topics that come to mind. Once you’ve exhausted your ideas, move to the next column and topic.
Content Planning Template
After your timer is up, hopefully, you have a long list of ideas you could elaborate on. These will become your blog topics. When you sit down to focus on content planning, come back to these blog topic ideas and identify which align with your marketing goals.
I suggest plugging these ideas and planning in my Content Planning Template. This free Airtable template will help you organize your blog topics, emails, social media posts, and more! It’s all in one convenient place, so you can easily plan month after month.
Hey, I’m Branda! I’m a copywriter and content strategist for female entrepreneurs who want personality-packed, nurture focused copy. Let’s make your copy something people want to read.
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