Use Google Reader’s Shared Items for post ideas

Veteran blog readers have probably already discovered that Google Reader is a great way to keep up with the blogs you are subscribed to.  But one of the features I get a ton of value from is the Shared Items from my friends.  Think of it this way: Everyone else is subscribed to dozens of blogs and as they are going through their feeds, they are picking out the most interesting and valuable posts, and sharing them with their followers.  Which means I am exposed to a lot of great blogs and sites that I might otherwise never find.

And of course, this gives me a great idea for post ideas, because in viewing my friend’s shared items, I can see which topics and ideas are important to them.  Which gives me an idea of what I should be writing about.

And here’s another great tip: You can set up Google Reader to let you send interesting posts you find in Google Reader (Either your subscribed feeds or Shared Items from friends) directly to Facebook and Twitter.

First, click on Settings in the top right corner of the screen, then Reader Settings.

Next, click on Send To, the last option on the right.  You’ll be given a list of several services that you can send your posts to, including Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, Digg, Friendfeed, etc.  Click the services you want to share posts with, and that’s it!

Then when you see a post in Google Reader that you want to share, click the Send To option, and a small dropdown menu will let you click the service you want to send the post to!

So if you are using Google Reader, check out the Shared Items section, it’s a great source of inspiration and a wonderful way to discover interesting new sites and blogs!

BTW, if you want to see all the posts and articles I have shared in Google Reader (over 300), then click my Google Profile.