If you’re churning out new and valuable content regularly, it can seem like it’s only a matter of time before you run out of ideas. After all, even the best marketers and creators only have so much creativity. And there can only be so much to write about on one subject, right?
If you’ve found yourself fresh out of inspiration for content, it can feel like you’ve hit a dead end. Thankfully, that’s unlikely to be the case. Instead, you probably just need to take a new approach. So, here are seven strategies you can use to find new ideas for content.
1. Use Online Tools
If you have a general topic area in mind, try typing it into Google and seeing what auto-recommendations it suggests. Or you can take this one step further and use a keyword research tool like Jaaxy and Keysearch or a topic generator tool to see what people are asking online.
Try Keysearch here. Get a 20% discount code to use on your subscription: KSDISC
2. Monitor Forums and Groups
Forums and online groups are great places for discovering what people are asking about your industry or niche online. And you can often use your replies to discussions as the basis of blog posts or other types of content.
3. Keep a Swipe File
A swipe file is a tool some marketers use to store interesting concepts, copy, graphics, headlines, and other content that intrigues them. Of course, creating and maintaining a swipe file can take some time. But once you’ve got one up and running, it can be a great source of inspiration.
4. See What Your Competitors are Doing
To be clear, you should never steal ideas or plagiarize content. However, there’s nothing wrong with seeing what’s working for your competitors. After all, you’re both trying to appeal to the same audience. So, see if you can’t find a new angle or information on a topic that’s creating engagement elsewhere.
5. Update or Repurpose Your Current Content
If you’re struggling to find new ideas, it might be a good time to reflect on your old content. For example, you might consider updating some of your older articles or trying to find a new perspective on something you’ve previously discussed.
You could also try repurposing your old content. For example, you could use a blog post as the basis of a script for a new video. Or you could repack a series of articles into an eBook.
6. Ask Your Audience Directly
Desperate to know what your audience wants to see next? Why not ask them? Social media and email newsletters are both great for this purpose. Or you might even try reaching out to particular individuals.
Of course, you might not want to ask explicitly for topic ideas. So, instead, try framing the questions you ask differently. For example, you might ask:
– What kind of content would you like to see more of?
– Are there any topics you feel haven’t been given enough attention?
– Is there anything you’ve been struggling to understand recently?
– What has been your favourite post from the last year?
7. Review Feedback and Comments
Have you noticed a particular theme in the questions your audience members ask? Whether you’ve been getting the same kind of comments on your blog, social media, or via email, feedback can often serve as the basis for new content.
Final Thoughts
Constantly coming up with new ideas for content can be challenging. But rest assured that there will always be further questions and new angles to explore. And now that you know about the variety of approaches you can take, finding your next big idea should only be a matter of time, perseverance, and patience.
Useful Blogging & Business Resources
Canva – A graphic design platform to easily create social media graphics, presentations, posters, documents and other visual content. Find beautiful pin templates that you can easily edit and use in your blog posts.
Mailerlite – An email marketing tool. Use for free with up to 1000 subscribers.
Tailwind – Schedule and automatically publish your social media content.
Content Conga – Content for bloggers and businesses.
Creative Fabrica – Font, graphics and craft files for business and personal use.
AIOSEO – AIOSEO, short for ‘All in One SEO’, is a popular WordPress plugin designed to help website owners optimise their content for search engines. It is a tool used to improve a website’s search engine optimisation (SEO) to increase its visibility and rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs), such as Google.
Shop for business supplies by creating a Free Amazon Business Account. Customise your business account to suit your business needs. (Must be a registered business). Create an Amazon Business Account Here (US). If you’re in the UK, set up your Amazon Business Account Here.
