Blogger’s Question Of The Week: Has It All Been Said Before?
Many bloggers face this dilemma everyday; what’s left to blog about? Everything has already been said, right? Wrong. And even if you blog about things that have been written a thousand times before, keep in mind there are new readers everyday and they may find your views invaluable. Even for those that have read other blogs and articles on a particular topic, who’s to say your post doesn’t hit home for them? Your perspective, your way of sharing the information just might make the difference. Some people need to see things multiple times before it sinks in.
Blogging Is A Two Way Street
One great way to understand what’s being talked about, what everyone is interested in, is to visit other sites in your niche. For example, from the blogs I have visited in the last week, I’ve read several posts on Facebook, search engines and, of course, Google. Does that mean I should blog on those same topics? Not necessarily; there are many different takes on a subject and many different directions.
Reading those posts, comments and interacting on those blogs you visit is a great way to think of new topics, related or not. Often you can gauge what’s on the reader’s mind, both on your own blog and those that you visit.
Know Your Target Market?
The best way to understand what your readers want is to ask. Allow your commenters the freedom to expand on your posts and pay attention to their responses.
Put those social networks to work. Facebook and Google Plus are great places to gain information simply by asking the right questions. Another place is LinkedIn groups; join groups of interest and become active in the conversation. Not only will you learn what’s on other people’s mind, you will gain some great connections.
Keep Up With Trends And News?
Subscribe to newsletters in your niche. Subscribe to the feeds of blogs in your niche and don’t worry about them being your competition. Pay close attention to news feeds and authority sites in your field. Setup Google Alerts for topics of interest.
Forget about the naysayers and blog on!
Your Turn, I’m Asking 
Has it all been said before? As bloggers, are we just wasting our time? What methods do you use to think of new and fresh topics? Feel free to expand on this post. 
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well i dont think a blogger can run out of idea’s on his blog , i mean use google analytics to get my next post , i see what the person was looking for when he came from google and was gone on a irrelevant post. So I decide to write a post on that.
p.s . Brain you cache plugin is blocking the commentluv plugin to fetch the url
Google Analytics sounds like a pretty good way to see what’s working Saad. CommentLuv seems to be working right now, I don’t know why it didn’t pull up your
last posts.
Thanks Brian for the reply , yea commenluv is working fine now for me.
saad naeem recently posted..10 Ways To Speed Up Your WordPress Blog
Interesting Brian!
I don’t think I can ever run out of topics to write about, because there is always so much to share and our own personal experiences itself make up half the amount of posts that we can create.
And yes, though there may be many more versions of what you write about, your readers and visitors are different and when you incorporate your own outlook, feelings, and emotions into a post you write – it makes all the difference.
Thanks for sharing.
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Harleena Singh recently posted..How To Make Quality Family Time?
Well said Harleena, we all blog a little differently.
Blogging to a degree will be infinite. As long as man is progressing, than blogs are progressing as well.
You can never run out of ideas, but you can certainly get into a rut. I haven’t got myself in one, and I hope I never will.
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Samuel recently posted..Contest #1: Win Free Prizes!
I’ve fallen into that rut many times Samuel, it’ just a matter of finding what our individual inspiration.
Hi Brian,
I don’t think that it’s all been said before, even though it can feel like it when I visit various blogs in my niche. On one day I can visit 20 blogs and it feels like they are all writing about the same stuff (over and over again). But the point is that it doesn’t matter if the topic is similar or identical, we all have a unique voice and we all have different answers and a different argument and different opinions. And the reason why I am reading a specific blog isn’t just about the topic, but it’s personal. I really like to know what the author is doing and saying about the topics
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Jens P. Berget recently posted..How To Grow Your Business With Facebook
It’s true Jens, reading about the various perspectives help us form our own opinions and many times it will inspire our own posts.
Great blog post, and there is so much more to be said in blogging. I mostly find new topics simply using search engines and by following other companies and bloggers that are providing amazing tools.
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This way I find out about their new tactics and tools to blog about.
thanks for sharing
JamesW recently posted..Make Money Selling Online Traffic
I’ve used search engines many times to find new ideas and topics, often without looking at the time. Every now and then I’ll be researching one post and that research leads to one or two new topics for future posts.
Yes, it has all been said before…unless you get the info 1st and the only way to do that is if you invent something or are involved in the news as it is happening. <- Really fat chance most people will EVER be the 1st to say something.
I tend to read a LOT so, many things do seem like a repeat.
I also tend to think that if I know it, then so does everyone else. I forget how many people are out there who may not see the same things I do.
In fact I have a partially written article about seeing repeat stuff. I didn't finish it because it isn't all nicie nice.
An article by you that isn’t very nicie nice? Hard to believe. lol I don’t have the stats but I know there are a ton of new bloggers every day that haven’t seen the same things we have and they can pick up a lot from our expertise.
As far as being first, I think it’s just a matter of getting the right contacts and being in the right place at the right time – which is first, of course.
I don’t think that it was necessary always say something new, I think that the interpretation of a topic must be fresh and new instead of the whole content.
You’re right Franziska, many people will relate to one blogger’s interpretation over the other.
Seriously this is always a big question – what next to post about? Every time when I don’t find any topic to write about, I usually tend to browse around the Web & tend to find some nice topics!
There are a ton of tech newsletters and feeds that can help inspire you Zainil, as well as keep you up to date in the niche. Google alerts might help as well.
As a fairly new lifestyle blogger still trying find her niche, most often than not I feel like its all been said before. All the hot house items and new cute notebook lines or latest design mag features have all been talked about by the bigger lifestyle bloggers before I can even catch up on the latest trends. So should I just give up? Nope, not going to doit. I love blogging/writing and well I figure sure there isn’t anything new under the sun but there is only one C.D. Beatrice Clay so I talk about all the same things except put myself into it. Exactly like my newest month long feature called My Imaginary Wedding. Sure its wedding season and lots of bloggers are featuring wedding related content. But how many are actually planning their own imaginary wedding and sharing true life stories of heart break, lost faith and creating a beautiful life in spite of the challenges. Not many. So, yeah I’ll be that girl.
Well there you go Beatrice, putting your own spin on things like that can make all the difference in the world. An imaginary wedding sounds like an interesting and unique feature. Nice job!
From a theoretical point of view, the information posted on the internet is so vast, that there is very little new to add. Nevertheless, I think that it’s important to share expertise and unique experiences in any field. In this manner, we provide useful content and the readers learn from our errors and success stories.
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Jack Sander recently posted..Wooden playhouse plans
Good point Jack, it almost feels like a duty to lay it out ourselves. Thanks
Hi Brian. If it hasn’t all been said before, it certainly feels like it
With so many blogs writing about the same methods and techniques using the same facts, it is pretty hard to find a post with something completely different and new in it. To expect it these days is daft,but as you say, a personal opinion and spin on something is better to read than someone churning out the same old stuff.
Regards
SI
Anonymous (Read Comment Policy) recently posted..Small Home Business Ideas: Membership Sites
Google loves content that goes viral Writing articles.For blogging it is very essential to do your own research and write your own contents. Read a lot and do a lot of brain storming before writing killer contents.
I think the best way to get some fresh content into your blog is to find what is your purpose, what is your niche and in your niche find new trends about it, interesting topics that will make your blog exciting and new.
Interesting article. My opinion: I don’t think that it would be necessary to blog about something new. The most important thing is, to give your audience a new or fresh view from the topic which could have been already discussed by others before.
Yes – I do agree. Especially when considering the Personalized Search Result option offered by Google – and the advanced search option. If a user searches for a specific date range then it might just be more useful having an “old” topic with a new date. Not to mention the difference in writing style, views etc. This provides a person and search engines with a wide variety of articles and topics to choose from.
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Anton Koekemoer recently posted..10 tips on starting with social media marketing
That’s a great point Anton, I know I look for dates on Google and won’t normally click on an old link.
Whereas I don’t think it’s all been said before, it certainly feels that way some days when I’m on my blog visiting jag and see what looks like the same post over and over. I think a little bit of creativity can take a topic into a totally different direction, even if the writer is agreeing with what everyone else has said. Perspective is value if it’s different.
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Mitch Mitchell recently posted..Maybe The Reduction In Web Traffic Isn’t Your Fault After All
Sorry for the delay Mitch, I’ve been sick as a dog this week. I even called in sick for the first time in my life – true story.
Anyway, you get nominated for the best quote of the day, at least from four days ago. lol “Perspective is value if it’s different”. Love that!
The only time I feel this way is when I see the same stuff said the same way over and over again with no real value. If it doesn’t solve my problem then it just appears as information already stated before.
What is unique is that everyone is so different and have a different approach or perspective on certain subjects. That keeps things fresh and fun to read because everyone doesn’t know everything and there is always room to learn something else.
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Sonia recently posted..How to Avoid Sounding Fake, When You Feel Your Writing Sucks
That’s a great thing to keep in mind when we’re writing Sonia; we should try to solve a problem or answer a question. Nice point!
I get topics from reading a lot online, experimenting with things and making mistakes or having successes that I can then share. I try to keep any instructions very simple so anyone can follow. If I run out of ideas I go for a walk to clear my head. That always works!
Proof it’s all been said before Lisa http://hotblogtips.com/blogging-tip-walk-away-quick-blogging-tip-thursday
Oh no, he didn’t! LOL Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
I don’t think it’s all ever been said. Everyone has a different take on something. And we have the ability to pass along knowledge. What one person says works in Marketing another might have just as good if not better of an idea. I think that no matter what’s discussed, it’s never all been said. Too many big thinkers out there with unsaid thoughts to think that way.
As far as what to do when I get stuck…
You know, I have had bloggers block. Not known what to write. A woman I interviewed who writes daily and is the editor in chief of the Frisky, Amelia McDonell-Parry said that inspiration can come from reading comments. Many times she will be able to build off of a comment someone left. I thought that was really wise. I sometimes forget that there can be a blog in a comment.
One thing that I believe as well is you have to write what you are passionate about. But sometimes I feel like I’ve already written about it all. What else can I say? I will check trending topics. Just the other day the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was reported on. Many people were saying it was tsunami trash, but it’s not. They misreported it. And it’s an ongoing issue and one I care about. I did write about it. So sometimes you can find things within trending topics to help guide you. I don’t do it for popularity.
Great post!!!
Thanks Nicole, I’ve actually said that before myself; read the comments for inspiration. I’ve also started posts by leaving a comment that got too long or too off topic so I decided to use it as a blog post instead.
This is the great challenge for a blogger. You have to think out of the box so that you can think clearly. Researching and trying to improvise what you learned is the best strategy.
hi, im new to blogging and have learnt a lot from this post, i dont think i´ll run out of topics to write about, well i hope i wont, to me life is sooo full of experiences every day, so i should never run out of ideas (i hope)
Lot of blogs, but we need an index that can put all of us on the right track.
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Ganesh J. Acharya recently posted..Google Penguin joins Google Panda
Cool idea Ganesh but I’m tired just thinking about that much work. I can’t even remember what I wrote much less anyone else. Maybe I need that index just for my own posts. lol
Seriously, I wrote a post about Google Alerts back in August. A little over a month later I thought, “Hey, I was going to write something about Google Alerts” so I wrote it again. lol Not exactly the same post but close enough that I wanted to scream. I completely forgot I had already written the post.
Blogging really gives out the best of everything. Everyone has their own opinion and strategies to apply on their blog.
Ask is the most powerful tools a blogger can have. I think many bloggers miss this.
On my own experience I just made a post from comments on other blog (blogwalking). Sometimes this is usefull, moreover if our blog have less readers
I completely agree Okto, in fact I started asking readers what I should write about years ago on other blogs. I even recently started a new series called “Blogger’s Question Of The Week.” Great point.
Apart from generating backlinks and traffic, most of the people write for motivating themselves. Blogging allows you to connect with another great bloggers and when it comes to choosing topic for your blog, you can go for internet surfing. With this, you’ll get a great idea for your blog.
With how quickly the SEO landscape can change it seems like there’s always something you can post a topic on. That’s one of the reasons why I enjoy being in this field. Can’t rest on your laurels. The stuff you learned last month can be obsolete the next. Makes for an exciting paradigm!
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Charles Daniels recently posted..How on page SEO can help an old website | A case study
It’s true Charles, if we keep up with the trends and news in our niche we’ll always have something to share.
“It’s all been done before” is definitely an easy trap to fall into when you’re an expert on the subject. You take your own knowledge for granted, and you forget that your visitors may be hearing even the most basic info for the first time!
For generating views in your blog, you must know your targeted market and users. Yes, I agree that the best way is to ask and also do some research work. Quite interesting article. Have came in your site by the first time. And found it quite interesting.
It is very rare that two people think alike so how can, what they write, be alike. You may have certain experiences that are different from what others have gone through so you need to come out and say them. It will be beneficial for everyone. So if you write an article without copying it from someplace else, then it will always be unique.
It really depends what you want out of it, just because it has been said before, does not mean you can’t say it better!
A human mind has no limits and the things it comes up with or think can about is never ending. There are always more topic to write or talk about. People come up with some really simple topic which no one ever gave a thought about and made it into a great article. You just have to think differently and you will never run out of topics.
Even if something has been written about n number of times, you can still put your own spin on it and create a fresh experience for your readers!
When you write from your own experiences, your unique way of looking at things, you will always find something new to give to your readers.
There are so many writers thinking the same thing that there are not many topics left which no one has written about. To come up with something that is unique and original is very difficult. Writing about something that is already written is not a bad option but you have to write in your own words and not copy it from somewhere.
I think my inspiration about writing new posts comes from the need of attention by others. I also want people to find my blog useful for them so I never try to write not important posts.
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Alex recently posted..Recent 3D Animation Techniques
Indeed there are various things that are being blogged over and over again; however, it doesn’t mean that we can’t make a blog for those things anymore. You’re right Brian, it’s a matter of our own perspective towards those things or topics and how we deliver it that would make an impact.
Minerva recently posted..2012 Sundance Institute Summer Series is Coming to Canyons Resort!
That is a good point Brain that our blog gets new visitors daily and there are chances that are reading your content first time. Though I always search google for new updates and data on a usual basis. Thanks for this motivating post.
Vineet Saxena recently posted..5 Best Link Building Strategies For 2012
Well I express my own feelings on my blog so I don’t care if any one has said that before! It’s just what I feel.
There’s always something more to say! A good tip I use is to try to be controversial – think of what the normal view of something is, and then try to write the opposite. For example, I write a lot of posts for our conservatory company as guest blogs. It’s boring to write “Conservatories Add Value To Your Home” all the time! So I mix it up – ‘Why A Conservatory Could Be a Bad Idea’ and so on. They’re usually much more interesting than the original topics anyway.
Hi Brian,
nice post, but I am sure that a real blogger will never run out of ideas! I have a health blog myself and I have so much to say to world and it seems that only the lack of time stops me.
AWesome post!Although, it doesn’t signify that we can’t make a blog for those possessions anymore. You’re right Brian, it’s a matter of our own position of view in the direction of those things or topics and how we consign it that would make an collision.
An article by you that is not very nice nice? Hard to believe. lol I don’t have the stats but I know there are a ton of new bloggers every day that haven’t seen the same things we have and they can pick up a lot from our expertise.
As far as being first, I think it’s just a matter of getting the right contacts and being in the right place at the right time – which is first, of course.
I think Content matters the most, it has to be entertaining, should look fresh and well organized whether it has been said before or not that doesn’t matters because Google almost covered everything. Our personal experiences and our knowledge can provide good content. Good post, thanks for sharing.
There’s nothing new under the sun – but that doesn’t mean your readers have already heard it all! When you’re an expert on a subject, it’s easy to forget that your readers may not be. Share your knowledge and expertise, make it relevant to recent trends, and it’s amazing how reticent they’ll be to your message.
All of us has a different point of view and a varied way to think about a particular issue or topic. Hence, different bloggers writing on the same topic would not create a problem because we might different things from different posts about that one particular niche or topic.
Very informative blog! Thanks for sharing this information. I would agree that there are indeed a lot of people whose purpose is to deceive many just for their personal gain. I hope this blog could reach as many readers to share this worldwide.