And the second step ...

2. Generating content ideas

I just said that knowing your audience will help you to generate better content ides. Well, that's the next step ...

First of all, you'll have to determine what types of posts do you want to use. Reviews? Comparisons? How to's? News? Etc ...

And once you've defined your general approach, you can start generating actual content ideas. Which can be a real pain for many of us ... But, the truth is that you have many options and sources that can help you to consistently come up with new content ideas. Here are a few ...

• using Google Trends is a simple yet efficient method to find hot topics
• a good keyword research tool can be an endless source for valuable content ideas; obviously, a high number of monthly searches indicates a higher interest
• following the favorite social media platforms of your readers will also help you to pick up valuable topic ideas
• similarly, following other well-established blogs or resources will also help you to discover the trending and most engaging topics of your niche; more than that, be a good listener! check out their comments and you'll find out what they want to read ...
• there are many niche-specific forums and Q&A sites out there; if you are a good listener, they can provide you with a truckload of new content ideas
• put yourself in their shoes; think about what content you would want to read yourself
• finally, you can always run a well-crafted survey to ask your readers about their preferences