Blog Post Ideas You Can Reuse on Any Blog

When you've been blogging for a while, it can sometimes feel as though you've written about everything already. That can make it tough to come up with more blog post ideas for your readers.

To help you out, I've put together a list of blog post ideas you can reuse over and over again, without your content feeling stale. Even better, these ideas will work for just about any niche your, or your clients', blogs might cover.

Blog Post Ideas From Your Existing Blog

When you're looking for ways to update your blog, your existing content is a great place to start. Here are some blog post ideas you can pull from your existing archives.

Update Your Old Posts

If you've been blogging for any significant length of time, chances are good some of your posts are outdated. But they can still offer value to readers... if you update them.

For example, I've recently been updating some posts from the All Freelance Writing archives. One example is a post on conducting a mid-year freelance finance check-up. The post was originally published a whopping 15 years ago.

Most of the information was still valid. But it referenced a tool that had recently been sold, and it mentioned a site to download credit reports without noting the frequency you can do so had changed. So I updated that information.

Relatively simple updates and optimizations can give old posts new life.

In some cases, a topic is still relevant, but the post needs more work. Rather than writing a new post where you risk cannibalizing your own blog's search rankings (having multiple pages or posts covering topics that are too similar), consider updating or rewriting the existing post.

When you keep the post at the same URL, you retain any backlinks you've built previously. You can update the publication date if the changes are significant enough. My preference when I do this is to note the original publication date at the end of the post. Make sure you submit any updated posts to Google for re-crawling using your Search Console account.

Note: This very post is an example of an update. It combined two overly-similar posts, with a near-complete rewrite preserving the best URL between them. If you combine posts in your updates, remember to set up a 301 redirect for any URLs being removed, pointing them to the new or preserved post.

Answer Questions

Don't just turn to your existing content for new blog post ideas. Also consider your existing readers.

Invite readers to ask questions for you to answer on the blog. You can also look through comments on older posts and turn short answers you gave at the time into their own posts.

No questions coming in from readers? Look at other blogs, social networks, and online communities like Reddit or forums to see what kinds of questions your target readers have.

Then answer those questions in new posts. Remember you can pull inspiration from questions without having to write responses in Q&A style posts, though those are fine as well.

Blog Post Ideas From Others

If your own blog isn't inspiring new ideas, turn your attention to what others in your blog's niche are doing. It might lead to blog post ideas along these lines:

In the News

There's always something going on in any given niche or industry. Stay on top of the news (new tech, important events, regulations or legislation that might impact your readers, etc.).

Create new posts sharing that news and your (hopefully expert) commentary around the topic. This is "thought leadership publishing 101."

If you enjoy this type of writing, it can also be a lucrative freelance writing specialty where you take on ghostwriting thought leadership posts for business leaders. Chat with them to get their thoughts. Learn how to write in "their voice." And you can help them keep their name out there in relation to important industry topics.

Join the Conversation

Read and follow other blogs in your niche. If someone writes a particularly compelling piece, and you feel you have something to add to the conversation, write a post about it.

Link back to the original blogger's post, share your own insight, and let them know about your post in case they're willing to share it with their readers as well.

Curated Lists and Roundups

If you're looking for blog post ideas that can be quicker to put together when time it tight, consider publishing a curated list or round-up.

For example, you might pick a topic relevant to your readers. Then find others' articles on that topic that you think are worth sharing. Write an introduction to the topic, and link your readers to each article you've curated.

While straight-up link lists are quick to create, I highly encourage you to go beyond them. Add a short description of each article or resource you link to so your readers have a better idea of where you're sending them.

The one downside with this type of post is that those links can break if another site shuts down or moves things. Use a broken link checker on your blog periodically and remove curated links that are no longer available. This is a good case for updating older blog content. If it makes sense for the post, you might even consider a yearly update.

Embeds

If you're short on time, as well as blog post ideas, consider sharing an embed from someone else. For example, there might be a great YouTube video related to your niche. Or you might find an awesome infographic that your readers would be interested in.

If the creator allows the material to be embedded in other websites, share your favorites. Add some of your own content to introduce what you're sharing.

Just don't rip off other creators who haven't licensed their work to be shared in this way.

Guest Posts / Sponsored Posts

If all else fails and you really can't come up with a blog post idea or the time to blog, consider inviting people to write guest posts.

These are authors who submit relevant posts for your blog in exchange for a bio to promote themselves.

Note: Be careful not to fall for spammy black hat SEO guest post pitches where someone tries to use your blog to manipulate search engines by having you post dofollow links to their, or their client's, websites. Sometimes these can even seem relevant, but they're more often promoting irrelevant sites in high-spam niches.

It's good marketing for them, because it gives them an opportunity to be read by a new group of readers. And it's fresh content for you.

More Reusable Blog Post Ideas That Work in Any Niche

Still need more blog post ideas? These kinds of posts never go out of style. They'll work in any niche or industry, and they can be re-used for new posts as often as you'd like.

How-Tos / Tutorials

Readers love to learn new things. So consider publishing a tutorial or how-to post.

These are more obvious in some niches than others. For example, a tech blog might walk people through how to use a piece of software. Or a gardening blog might publish tutorials related to building raised garden beds or how to get started with companion planting.

Think about things you've recommended to your readers in the past. Then create new posts to walk them through the process of using whatever tool or idea you previously suggested.

Get Personal

Blogs with no personality can be boring. Your blog is, in some ways, an extension of you. And sharing more personal stories can help readers relate to you.

Share your successes, like the story about how you landed a dream byline.

Also consider sharing struggles from time to time. It shows readers they aren't alone if things don't always work out how they hope. And it shows them it's possible to overcome challenges.

In other words, be human. You have stories. Use your blog to share ones that might help your readers.

Chat up an Expert

Do you have to be an expert in the niche you're writing about? It certainly helps, but no, you don't.

For example, you might run a blog related to a particular medical condition you suffer from... not to offer advice, but to share your story and build a supportive community.

While you might not be qualified to offer medical advice, there's no reason you can't interview or quote guests who do have those credentials. They might be able to supplement your stories by helping you address common questions in your community.

Review Something

There's always something to review. If you're short on blog post ideas, review a book in your niche, a service you use, or tools and resources your readers might find useful.

I have a long history with review-focused sites. I prefer not to publish negative reviews in some cases (think album or book reviews). But I do publish them here and elsewhere if I feel it's in my readers' interest to warn them away from potentially problematic products, services, or companies.

When you find something you love, share it with your readers in a review. If you find something you worry might harm them, consider writing a review about that as well.

These basic blog post ideas can be used over and over again on any blogs you write for. They can even be turned into series ideas. Now tell us... what are some of your favorite blog post types or ideas that you like to revisit?

Note: This post was originally published on March 24, 2008 and was almost entirely re-written, merged with similar posts, and re-published on the currently-listed publication date.