Triggered Ideas

So a lot of my posts come as spin-offs from my other posts and others are triggered ideas from something I read.

So how do I get these triggered ideas?

It's really this simple:

1. Whenever you can visit blogs that have similar content to your blog.

2. Scan through their blog postings archive.

3. When a headline catches your eye as appealing click on it.

4. Now you're going to scan the text quickly for key words that trigger a thought of your own. It's important that you don't actually read the blog post because then you'll just start to assimilate that person's ideas and that can lead you down a treacherous road.... so instead just briefly scan the text for the words that trigger a thought of your own.

5. Okay so now you have a word that triggered your own thought and you're going to get a whole slew of ideas related to that triggered thought. So now you go directly to your blog and begin writing your post. Wait no rough draft? Nope! Blogging is supposed to be spontaneous! Get it all out! Then you can go back and "pretty it up" - proofreading and editing your post so it's clearer - as your thought may not always look as well on paper as it sounded in your mind - just rewrite it until it conveys the message you want it to.

That's it! Wait, what about blog etiquette? Don't I have to link back to the URL of the post that "triggered" my idea?

Here's my guideline for this situation - as long as you didn't read the post and use the ideas that person had in their post in your post then there's no need to link back (unless of course you just want to share it with your readers).

However, if you didn't listen to me and read their entire post and found yourself referring to some of the points they brought up then yes definitely hyperlink to them in your blog posting and you can even thank them for their contribution if you want!

So there you have it! A new way to generate many new ideas for your very own blog postings!

Not as cheeky as you thought,
CB Webmaster

P.S. You can also pay attention to cues in your environment. I was just looking at a hole in my sock and it gave me an idea for a whole blog post - read it here.

P.P.S. Don't forget to bookmark the blogs that give you triggered ideas - so you can always go back for more!

How to Get Great Ideas for Your Blog Posts Every Day!

Since most people focus on just one blog - make it great! How does a blog become great? Content - or in other words many many posts! Be a blog posting machine! lol

But I don't know what to write about? No problem. It's easy all you have to do is brainstorm a little.

Open up a document on your computer or if you like doing things the old school way grab a pen and paper (actually you may want to try this method because there is something powerful about the physical act of writing down your ideas - I don't know how to describe it - I only know from DOING - that it can bring out a new level of creativity in you).

Now that you're armed with your writing media stare off into space! What??!? lol Seriously - you want to just sit there and IMAGINE. That's what you're going to do. Don't worry if you feel silly at first, trust me once it works once you'll never doubt this method again!

So what should I imagine? lol That is a funny question but an apt one no less!

Imagine yourself asking questions - to begin with all you need is one little idea or question.

Let's say your question is: How can I make money selling dog toys online?

Instead of going - I have no idea how to go about answering this question and just giving up - give yourself a chance first.

Let's try your question out for a stroll down a busy city street.

So here you are walking down store fronts and there's one that's selling dog toys! Wow! What a coincidence! lol

Now peer in the window - what do you see? A store owner behind the register smiling and counting big wads of cash...okay...let's keep looking around....a variety of dog collars on a rack some with different features and some even on sale.

BAM! This is what I call your first jump off point....are you ready to fly? Here we go!

Right away these questions pop into your mind:

How many collars should I sell?

What collars should I sell?

What collars are popular?

What color collars are popular?

Does my dog like his collar?

What features do I like in my dog's collar?

Can I make my own collars to sell?

How much do collars cost?

How much could I sell collars for and still be reasonable for my clients?

How many collars should I buy and keep in stock?

Can I purchase some dog collars wholesale and then be able to sell them for cheaper than my competitors?

What about people who have several dogs - what are the best collars for them to walk their dogs at the same time?

What about decorations? What are the current trends in dog bling?

Should I cater to girl's dogs because a lot of girls like to dress up their toy dogs?

Should I only sell toy dog collars?

Is their a better market out there right now for toy dog collars instead of just all collars in general?

If I specialize in toy dog collars what would be the benefits? The repercussions? etc.

How can I become the specialist everyone turns to to buy their toy dog collars?

Well....you get my point....zooom zooooom zooooooooooooom! It flies by really fast - if you're not a fast typist or writer I suggest you get a tape recorder and tape your ideas as they fly out of your mouth!

So now what? I've got all these great questions which can help me but what do I do with them????

It's so simple it's staring you right in the face - pick the question that is the highest priority to you in the moment and do a straightforward internet search on it - such as in google or yahoo.

Don't be surprised if you immediately come across some helpful tips, answers, or information which can aid you in your decision to specialize in toy dog collars or not.

Have fun! Just make sure you do this when you won't be interrupted - trust me - when you're on a roll and someone says "Hey it's time for dinner" You're going to dread that meal! lol

What if I don't have any free time? Nice try! We all have to go to the bathroom sometime during the day and most of us (I hope) take a shower or bath daily - just put your tape recorder and a towel nearby and you'll have at least 10-30 minutes a day of uninterrupted time to brainstorm!

Get going I want to read your great blog postings!

Your friendly,

CB Webmaster

P.S. Hey if you've got any left over free time you might wanna try this technique too!