Finding Inspiration for Blogging and Instagram
05/04/2018
Feeling inspired or finding the right inspiration can be very difficult at times when constantly trying to put up content whether that’s on your blog, YouTube or Instagram. There are periods when I’m super inspired to create blog content and shoot a load of photos and write and some days when I can’t even get a few sentences down or set up the ‘perfect’ flat-lay. Currently, I’m at the -super inspired- period where I’m firing out blog ideas here and there and brainstorming content plans, so I thought I’d share some points on how I find the right inspiration for my blog and Instagram.
- Fellow bloggers blog posts: this is such an obvious one but often people skip this when their trying to ‘find inspiration’. There’s nothing more natural than reading other bloggers posts and noting down couple things you like about it whether that’s their blog in general or the post they have put out there. Side note, by finding inspiration I certainly do not mean copying the exact same thing they’ve done as that is just not right nor ethical when it comes to blogging. As simple as it gets, if you like a certain prop they have used in their photographs and they’ve popped a link to it, maybe check out similar props like it, or you like the idea/concept of the blog post, note it down and then adjust it to how you want to write it. Also, crediting the blogger you got inspired from is a kind gesture but also let’s the blogger know that you’ve enjoyed their content.
- Put up content you’d like to read yourself: There’s no point in creating content that you wouldn’t want to read yourself as that would end up you forcing yourself to write and click publish to ‘just to have a blogpost up’. It can be quite obvious at times if things aren’t right with your writing style and if your not enjoying writing either, and your readers can notice this as well so the best thing to do would be step back and have some time off and come back to blogging.
- Pinterest Boards: I mean no brainier as everyone is literally obsessed with Pinterest and I mean everyone. I’m not going to go in to much detail about this as I have a separate blog post about Pinterest later on. But simply, make a Pinterest account, create boards that genuinely interest you whether that’s fashion and outfits, makeup and skincare, nail art, interior designing, exterior designing and literally there’s pins for EVERYTHING on there! It’s a great platform to use for blogging inspiration, room decor, photography ideas and also reading other people’s blog posts as you can link your blog posts to the pins as well.
- Comments on your blog posts: I don’t use this method often but when I do, its really beneficial. Reading the feedback from your readers on your blog posts is very useful as your getting a first hand source of feedback on what your readers like to see and what not. Yes I mentioned in point two that writing what you’d like to read is important, but also giving the readers what they want is too. For example, if you have a recipe up on your post and it seeks to get a good feedback and you enjoyed making that food and writing up that blog post, then obviously putting up more recipe posts would be beneficial for your blog and readers too.
- Set up a flat-lay/photo shoot at random first: This sometimes works for me and may not work for everyone but when am in a blogging block I just randomly set up a flat-lay as I would do if I was going to shoot a planned post, I set out my props and all grab a few fave products that I know will work nice in photos and just take a load of pictures, edit them and keep them. I use them as stock photos and just use them when I’m in need of a picture but the lighting ain’t great to take one or don’t have time to shoot some. Also when looking at a fully edited picture, that can spark an idea as well and I just get to writing.
- Time of the year/season: This is the most easy and obvious one but creating content according to the time of the year and/or season can be quiet appealing to your readers to read as well as it’s current and will grab their attention. During Christmas season putting up gift guides, stocking filler ideas, Christmas recipes and so on can be easy to generate ideas for. Along with Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Easter, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter themed posts can be enjoyable to write as well and will attract your readers attention.
- Browsing Instagram: Honestly I get so much ideas from Instagram when it comes to blog content and just Instagram posts in general. Just scrolling Instagram for 5 or 10 minutes and saving the photos that you see which appeal to you on your collections and using them as inspiration for later on. Following people on Instagram because you like their theme is the way I do it as I want to see photos on my feed which will appeal to me. For example, I live in London and like exploring my city so I follow people who also explore/live in London and post frequent photos of the places they visit as that is what I like seeing, as well as flat-lay photos, beauty/skincare related and interior based as well. Hence why I follow people who frequently share and post content of this topics.
These are some of the things I do to find inspiration when am in a rut and a blogging block. Hope you enjoyed reading this post and comment down below any of the points that work out for you when in a blogging rut.
Ayse Merve! X
I’ve just set up a pinterest for me to get inspiration for my blog! There are so many great ideas over there!!
Yes I agree, I love it! Thank you so much! x
Oh my gosh I’d never even thought about looking at blog comments for inspiration but I LOVE that idea! I really need to get into Pinterest too as I’ve heard so much about it being brill for bloggers. This sounds odd but I usually find taking a walk by myself really gets my thoughts and ideas flowing and I usually get my best ideas through that! Fresh air and exercise is so good for the mind.
Alice Xx
Thank you so much, I will need to try that idea asap or when am feeling the blogging rut!
I normally have random bursts of inspiration and motivation at stupid times in the night, so I have to make notes before I forget what I want to write.. 😂 I love looking at Pinterest boards for inspiration though when I’m feeling a little uninspired!
Thank you so much! x
These are all fab ideas Ayse! 💖I really like your tip of setting up a flatlay photo first and using it for blog inspiration, very clever! I usually listen to Podcasts, read magazines, go for a walk or have a wonder around the shops and see what catches my attention. Fab post, thanks for sharing your suggestions 😘 xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
Thank you so much! Your ideas are all very good aswell! x
Thanks for the advice! I’m definitely going to follow these tips
Thank you so much! x
I often find myself in that mindset where I’m reluctant to write content for the sake of writing content ha. My posts have to centre around something I’m passionate about, otherwise I’d get bored and my readers would too! Great read 🙌:)
Thank you so much!
I can definitely relate to this – finding inspiration for Instagram, Blogging and YouTube can at times be hard. Sometimes the greatest posts are written when something random throughout the day inspires it. Something that inspires me for blogposts is going outside – great for getting my mind clear but ready for inspiration to strike!
Yes to putting out content you want to read! I personally love reading my blogposts over purely because I write on the basis of how will this benefit someone and also I tend to get very sarcastic at times in my posts! I post once a week but there are times where it just not ~there~ for me that week and I end up skipping the week. I’d rather not publish something I’m not 100% on!
I think I actually live on Pinterest! It’s great for inspiration and! when thinking of how to pose for photos I just type in photo poses inspiration and TADA Pinterest has my back!
-Sahara
http://saharas-dreams.blogspot.com
I so agree with you I deffo only post when I’ve enjoyed my content myself! Thank you so much!
These are brilliant points! Also, your photos / flat lays are absolutely lovely. I’d love to take them as good as you! I love the random items in them. That’s something I’ll definitely look into experimenting with. I literally use the same damn notebook in every photo haha! xxx
Thank you so much! It’s so random when I take flatlays on the top of my head I just grab pretty items and shoot them!
Some great ideas here! I personally use the Instagram one a lot, I find that I can find a lot of inspiration there, both for blog content and for Instagram feed content! It’s so good and browsing hashtags is always worth it too! Fab post!
Claire xxx
https://eclairscares.blogspot.co.uk/
Thank you so much!
Those are some great tips! I especially love the first tip because I feel like it really works, and has helped me a lot when I’m stuck with blogpost ideas!
Thank you so much!
Great post my lovely, it’s always good to have a post like this when you are stuck for idea’s! I love Pinterest, and sometimes sit there for a couple of hours pinning away! Xx
Thank you so much!
Sorry didn’t think my first comment posted haha xx
No worries! x
Great post hun, it’s always good to have a post like this is reserve to refer to. I love Pinterest, sometimes I spend the whole afternoon pinning away! Xx
Great post. I used to feel so much pressure with my old blog to just have a post up. It sucked all the fun out of it, became stale and I got so uninspired I ended up completely stopping writing. Now I just write what I want, when I want. Okay, so I don’t have a regular posting schedule and it probably works against me but I rather not have to force anything and end up putting myself off like I did in my old blog. It felt like I ruined years of hard work in the end and it took me a lot to start a new blog and get going again.
Thank you so much! I totally agree with you! x
I love reading through my comments when I’m a little stuck. I always find feedback motivating. I gave up on the flat-lay a long time ago though. I’ve accepted that’s just not my photography style 😂. Great inspiration tips! x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
Thank you so much, I agree as everyone has different styles for photography!! x
Great tips! Sometimes it can be tough to get out of the times when you just aren’t sure what to write about. I looove pinterest – it’s so much fun, problem is that can end up on there for hours without realising, haha. Also – I’ve said this before but your photos are always so pretty!
Amy,
https://creativenails.uk
Thank you so much! X
I really liked this post. I sometimes struggle with finding inspiration and this is really useful! Thank you so much!
Glad you enjoyed my post! Thank you so much!
Yes. Browsing instagram and pinterest are my go-tos for inspiration. I also think that the random flatlays usually turn out the best. For some reason, planning a picture never works out for me. There is always something that need to be tweaked…
Thank you so much!! X
So many good tips! I’m struggling with inspiration for my next post so I’ll definitely be trying some of these! 💖
http://lkrobertson.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you so much!
I totally agree with how finding inspiration can be difficult sometimes! I love looking at other bloggers’ posts! The aesthetics can do some good magic! Pinterest is a great source as well!
Comments help as well! Especially when they compliment you on something – it gives you a good insight on what has good feedback. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
exquisitely.me
Thank you so much!
Some great little tips! and certainly some things I never even thought of and also reminded me I NEED to set myself up a pinterest (can’t believe I’m so behind on this haha!)
Thank you so much! Pinterest is amazinggg for anything and everything!!!
These are great tips! I hate posting something just for the sake of posting like you say… I’d rather not post anything. I also like to write down ideas as I think about them in a not book, this way I have a list of ideas for when I can’t think of anything 🙂
Perrine
http://www.ola-banana.com
Thank you so much, you got some great ideas there aswell! X
Love this – I always feel a pressure to post however will never post something I’m not 100% proud or inspired by as it feels artificial? Pinterest is my holy grail for finding inspiration I love it! xx
Em // http://emilybecca.com/
Yes definitely agree! Thank you so much! X
Very helpful information!! Thanks for sharing!! 😉
http://personalgrowthsuccessblog.com/2018/04/08/sunday-reminder
Thank you! X
You’re welcome!!
I really love the idea of looking through blog comments to see what readers are receptive to, I would never have thought of that! Or just setting up a random flatlay. Flatlays are what I struggle with the most so I’ll definitely have to give that a try. I totally agree about point two also, one thing I learnt from doing a subject with a lot of writing is that if you’re bored writing something, then your readers will definitely be bored reading it, so it’s important to put your all into something, and if your heart isn’t in it – don’t hit publish! Really loved this post!
Rachel // kyvbey.blogspot.com
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed reading it! X
Interesting and helpful post! I love your photo shoot idea. I’m going to try it for backgrounds for my graphics. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you so much!
I definitely go through periods of not having any inspiration. I find that looking at all kinds of other content helps, blog posts, Pinterest and even YouTube videos can inspire me to want to create content. I loved reading this! X
Yes definitely agree with you! Thank you so much!
How have I not been following you by now?! Well I am now, and this blog post just makes me remember how we all get stuck sometimes, and that’s okay. The warm weather has helped me take more outfit pictures and I’m super excited for the content I’ve been putting out. These are great tips that I often forget about so thank you ayse ❤️
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed reading my post! X
Great post! Pinterest is definitely one of my favorite ways to get inspired. I like it so much as I’m a visual person. Other bloggers definitely inspire and motivate me to work harder. x
Antonia || Sweet Passions
Yes definitely agree! Thank you so much! X
These ideas are spot on. I’ve read a lot of posts recently about how blogs are slowly going out of fashion, but I beg to differ! I’m trying to dedicate a little time each to reading blog posts to keep up with my faves & get some inspiration and motivation – it’s working wonders! Fab post 🙂
Becca
http://www.rawrrbecca.co.uk
Thank you so much! X
I’m in a massive instagram rut right now, so will definitely be trying out some of these tips! 🙂
Thank you!
Loved this post!! I forget where to look sometimes so thanks for putting up some little reminders of how to get that mojo back. And totally relate with the whole sometimes it’s all systems go, then other times you have no idea x
Thank you so much!
This is such a great post, I love your photography! I get stuck for ideas quite a lot when it comes to finding blog post ideas so I always result to Pinterest for finding some inspiration from my favourite bloggers. I’ll need to bookmark this post for future reference, thank you for sharing lovely,
Zara x
Thank you so lovely! X
Such a great post! I love using Pinterest for inspo with absolutely anything in life haha, honestly it works wonders. I think the random photo lay (photo shoot & flatlay) is a great tip, random genius. Thanks for sharing! 💕
xx Lena | https://lenadeexo.com
Thank you so much! Xx
Loving everything about this post! Not only do you have awesome tips, but those pictures are too pretty!! Keep up all your hard work, Ayse 🙂
Thank you so much!
This came at just the right time! I’ve got loads of blog posts planned, but I’ve been so uninspired to actually write these last few days 🙁 Reading a few blogs over my lunch is really helping though, and how lucky that I find your one about inspiration!
Glad it helped you! Thank you so much! x
These are some great ways to feel inspired again with blogging and instagram. It’s only natural to have days/weeks where you don’t find that inspiration for writing or taking photos and I think the points you made are the best things to do. I’ve recently been using Pinterest a lot more and that is definitely my go to for inspiration and of course other bloggers/influencers, because that is what we do, inspire/recommend and influence. It was refreshing to read a post like this so thank you for sharing. xo
Pinar | http://www.beautybakingbella.com
Glad you enjoyed reading my post Pinar! Thank you so much! X
This was such an interesting post! I’ve just gone 4 months without posting because I lacked inspiration so this was so beneficial. I absolutely adore your blog layout and pictures – your flatlays are incredible! xx
Thank you so much! X
Good day
Thanks.
This is a great post lots of really good points. We will be trying some of these for sure.
GR | https://www.thegreat.uk
Thank you so much!
What a great post!
Thank you so much!
These are great ideas to look for new inspirations!! I also use Pinterest a lot and sometimes I walk down the streets to just find ideas ✨
Thank ya! That is also a great idea! x
This is really helpful! I’ve just started my blog and my biggest struggle so far is coming up with topics to write about. It seems that before I started I had great ideas but sitting down to actually write is tough!
Thank you so much!
What a great post 🙂 I agree with everything on this ^^ I love pinterest. I never used it until i started with my blog 1 month ago xD Have a wonderful day 😀
Thank you so much!
great inspirational post… 🙂
Thank you!
Hello there, Ayse! Amazing post – let me just say: I LOVE THE STARS on the flat lay! Super good idea 🙂
In regards to Pinterest – have you written that already? I’m just getting into Pinterest now!!
Let’s be friends: http://www.missandrada.com
Andrada
Thank you so much! No I haven’t written it yet but it will be up in a couple of weeks!
Looking forward to it! I’m Miss Andrada on Pinterest – what’s your account handle?
‘aysemerved’!
Followed ✨
This is a great, great post! I couldn’t agree more with the tips you’ve listed here. Sometimes taking a step back and seeing what everyone else is doing, working on can be the greatest inspiration out there.
Keep up the great work!
By the way, have you read Rupi Kaur’s book (I guess you have)? Would you recommend it?
Giulia x
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed reading my post! X
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Feeling inspired just reading this post! Ready & motivated!
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it!
I’m currently in a bit of a rut when it comes to… well… everything… 😉 So these type of blogposts are really helpful and you’re absolutely right that looking at other bloggers is quite overlooked when searching for inspiration! It’s good to look around and see what you admire in others to make yourself better!
Love,
Dominique
Thank you so much! X
Great post! I have used many of your suggestions in finding inspiration for my own blog posts. Pinterest has not only helped me find things to write about in my blog, but I have also found links to new recipes I wanted to cook!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed reading my post! X
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Thank you so much!!