By now you’ve probably heard how important a blog is in reaching your audience and what it can mean for SEO. It becomes a valuable resource for customers, and potential customers, as well. But finding content for it can be exhausting.
I get it.
But it can also be fun too. Well, maybe a little. Okay, not fun but easier. Here’s where I get content ideas.
6 Places for Great Content Ideas
Before I get into where to find content ideas, it’s important to create what copywriters call a “swipe” file. You never know when you’re going to stumble across content goodness so you need somewhere to keep it. In the good ole days, we used a paper file folder. Today, you want something portable. You can use DropBox, Evernote, or even Excel. You could also use the notepad feature on your phone, whatever works for you. The benefit of using Evernote is that you can tag information and keep notes on your notes. This is important when your swipe file gets large because it will be easier to find things.
Now that you have somewhere to store ideas, let’s get down to where you can find them:
Twitter Stream. I scroll down my Twitter stream all the time looking for ideas. This does not involve stealing ideas, mind you. It can be reading a headline and changing it for your industry, give your impressions of an article you read, or get inspired by a quote you see. Just be open to what’s out there and never copy another blogger’s work directly.
HubSpot Title Generator. The Title Generator is a good way to get the creative juices flowing. It can be a bit formulaic to rely on it all the time but it’s great in a pinch.
Popular Media. A post tying your favorite TV show (or one you hate), episode, movie, etc. into your industry is always fun, like What the Promotional Marketing Industry Can Learn From Dance Moms.
Feedly. This content aggregation site can give you tons of ideas.
BuzzFeed. This site gets huge traffic because of its fun headlines, quizzes, and other engaging content. Peruse the site and then substitute one of your industry or business words for one they use. For instance, 13 Unusual (but Super Relaxing) Lodgings in Arkansas (Buzzfeed title) becomes 13 Unusual (but Highly Effective) Marketing Practices for Your Small Business.
Real Life. Your life is filled with experiences and stories. You should be using them. Often these ideas come when you’re least prepared to write them (i.e., not when you’re sitting down ready to blog) so make sure you can capture them in a swipe file. You can write something like, “Bus story about child” and then tag it with the point behind it like “loyalty” or “engagement.” That way the next time you’re looking to write about loyalty or engagement, you have a story.
Where do you get your best ideas? If it’s in the shower, consider this.
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