How to Organize Your Blog Post Ideas
As a small business owner, you're a creative thinker with countless ideas waiting to be realized. However, without a system to organize your thoughts, these ideas can easily slip through the cracks, leading to a creativity drought.
Fear not! I've got you covered with ways to plan and organize your blog post ideas. Because, let's be honest, a well-organized blogger is a successful blogger.
1. Make Time for Brainstorming
Prioritize brainstorming sessions. I understand that your schedule is packed, but taking a break to let your creative ideas flow will save you time in the long run. Need some inspiration? Here are a few prompts to get you started:
Market Buzz: Dive into what's happening in your local market. Notice a trend that's got everyone talking? Break it down in a blog post and showcase your expertise.
Client Q&A: You know those questions you get asked frequently? Those are blog post ideas waiting to happen. Turn your FAQs into content that will resonate with your clients… because they’re literally asking for it!
Personal Experiences: Share your wins, losses, and everything in between. Authentic stories about your business journey will captivate your audience and make you relatable… and as I always say, RELATABLE IS MEMORABLE.
Colleague Collaboration: Partner with fellow small business owners to create collaborative content. Teamwork can lead to even better ideas and broader reach.
2. Capture Ideas On-the-Go
Inspiration can strike anywhere, from the line at the grocery store to your morning jog. Be prepared to capture those lightbulb moments with these tricks:
Pocket-Sized Notebook: Keep a small notebook handy to jot down ideas on the fly. There's something satisfying about writing with pen and paper.
Digital Note-Taking: Use note-taking apps on your phone to capture ideas instantly. Apple’s Notes app or Google Keep are perfect for this.
Voice Memos: Record your ideas using voice memos when you're on the move. It's a quick and efficient way to save your thoughts. My recorder app is on my phone’s home screen for quick access.
Digital Tools: Explore digital tools like Trello or Notion to organize your thoughts. These platforms make it easy to collect, categorize, and prioritize your ideas. If you’re a Notion nerd (like me), Thomas Frank has a workflow that sends voice memos to ChatGPT to transcribe and deliver them to Notion 🤯 I haven’t tried it yet, but if this is your jam, check it out here.
3. Build an Idea Hub
Create a central hub for all your blog post ideas to live. This will keep everything organized and easily accessible:
Digital Folder: Store your ideas in a designated folder on your computer or cloud storage. This ensures you never lose those valuable ideas.
Notion: My go-to for all ideas and inspiration.
Spreadsheet: Use a spreadsheet to categorize and prioritize your ideas. It's a great way to keep everything in one place.
Retro: If you prefer a hands-on approach, you can store your ideas in a recipe box or on index cards. Sometimes, the analog methods work best. I have a client who keeps all her ideas in a recipe box. Every quarter, she spreads the notes on the floor to organize them and add them to a content calendar for the coming months. It’s old-school, tactile, and effective.
4. Organize Your Ideas
Categorize: Once you've accumulated a bunch of blog post ideas, the next step is to sort them into categories or content buckets. This organization method will help you manage your content more efficiently and make it easier to find what you need without sifting through a jumbled list.
Tags & Labels: Use tags and labels to further categorize your ideas within each content bucket. This level of organization makes it easier to find specific types of content and manage your editorial calendar more effectively.
Tags for different topics, such as "marketing," "events," or "DIY tips"
Labels indicating the content format, like "video," "infographic," or "listicle"
Prioritization: Not all ideas are created equal. Prioritize your ideas based on factors like relevance, timeliness, and potential impact. Focus on the topics that will resonate most with your audience and align with your business goals.
Rank your ideas by their expected engagement or interest level
Consider the seasonality or timing of each topic
Align your content priorities with your marketing and business objectives
By following these steps and embracing your inner idea-hoarder, you'll be well on your way to organizing your blog post ideas with intention. Remember, stay curious, creative, and connected to your audience.
Need Help Getting Your Local Blog Started?
Writing great local blog content is step one. You'll also need a high-performing website to house those posts and get found by nearby customers.
If you need assistance setting up a blog, optimizing for on-page SEO, or have any other website questions, I can help as an experienced Squarespace designer.
