In the information-rich environment of the present day, content is king. But what do you do when you run out of ideas?
Rather than let your blog or content plan sit idle, here’s what you can do when you’re all out of ideas.
1. Use a content idea generator
Yes, there is such a thing! Content idea generators are the perfect tools for those who think the creative well has completely dried up.
For blog post ideas, try Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generator. This tool works by using certain algorithms based on marketing keyword topics. Simply complete the required fields with terms that you’d like to write about, and it will come up with a week’s worth of relevant blog post topics instantly.
You’ve written your blog post but you can’t quite come up with an engaging headline. Never fear, CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer is here. The free tool gives your possible headline a ‘score’ and analysis of its key words to measure its impact in the format you’re proposing (e.g. Blog post, tweet). The tool can be nifty for fresh ideas on certain words in your content, and also doubles as a learning tool for tips on words that connect with your particular audience.
Portent’s Content Idea Generator can give you a quick topic for a blog post or tweet if you just type in a word – perfect if you have a single key word and all you need is a fresh topic to match. The tool generates ideas for types of content based on the keyword you provide, such as ‘give readers a straight up resource’ or ‘write a post in second person’. It can suggest some pretty random ideas but it is likely to offer a fun take on a serious topic. Give it a go!
2. Explore trending topics
Another go-to for content inspiration is to perform a quick check of Google Trends to see what is trending in your area.
You can drill down by topic (eg. health, tech, business) or search for your own terms to see what is trending on something specific.
Looking for trends in specific location? You can do that, too. Google Trends allows you to search for trends by region and sub-region, meaning you can get ideas for content Australia-wide or specifically for the suburb you’re creating content for.
This is a great way to get topic ideas for content that is on trend, timely and relevant.
3. Analyse the competition
We’d never suggest you rip off another’s work but you need to keep an eye on your competition to monitor what works and what doesn’t.
Is there an idea in a key topic they’ve missed? Perhaps there’s a gap or an opportunity your content could fill?
If you don’t know who your competitors are you can do a quick search on Buzzsumo by topic. It’ll rank content ideas based on the current volume of social media engagement.
Sometimes, all it takes is a little look at what the competition is doing to generate some fresh content ideas based on your own point of difference.
4. Get ideas from your audience
Do you know where your audience eats, shops and spends their time online?
Find user forums and networks and don’t be afraid to sleuth online Q+A communities like Reddit and Quora for customer concerns.
What’s a question your readers really want answered? Write a blog post addressing that exact problem.
Mine your customer’s forums for marketing topics they’re exploring – you could just find a nugget that leads to your best content ideas ever.