Sooner or later, everybody faces writer’s block. You try to think of another content topic, and your mind goes blank. What should you do? What can you write about when you feel like you’ve written everything already? When you find yourself stumped for new content ideas, is there anywhere to turn? The good news is yes. Take a look at the following inspiration sources, and have them ready for the next time you’re facing an empty page.
Look at What You Already Have
“People overthink it,” says Joe Chernov, VP of Marketing at Kinvey, in this previously posted video on content marketing. Instead of hitting your head against the wall to generate brand new ideas, he suggests: “Take what’s already working in your organization, and maybe you want to [generalize] it a bit, and then make that content public.” In other words, if your business is like most, you probably have all kinds of marketing resources on hand—You just don’t realize it. Think about the internal pamphlets, guidebooks, and materials you use on a regular basis. Could there be a public audience for that subject matter? If so, creating a new piece of content is as simple as repurposing what’s already working for you.
Answer Your Audience’s Questions
Here’s another surprising idea source you find right under your nose: Ask yourself what your audience wants to know. What questions are your customers always asking? What problems do you routinely have to solve? Provide content that responds to these concerns and you’ll be creating content that’s not only easy to write, but also legitimately useful to your readers.
Consider the Controversial
Over at Copyblogger, Peter Shallard suggests writing about the opinions that make you different. “Question the unquestionable, and everyone pays attention,” he says. So to come up with another content idea, ask yourself what sets you and your business apart. What do you believe that no one else does? What makes you controversial? Sure, writing about touchy topics carries risk—but, if nothing else, you’ll grab attention.
Check Your Website Analytics
If you haven’t looked at your website analytics yet, you should—The stats and numbers show more than your website traffic. They reveal what keywords are bringing visitors to your content. Take a look at which search keywords are sending people to your site, and you know what readers want to know. If a large chunk of visitors is coming because of a specific question or topic, for example, you know what to write about next.
Has reading through the above list got your wheels turning? What new topic ideas are coming to you now that you haven’t already considered? Jot them down as they come to you, and keep this running list accessible. Next time you need to come up with a new topic, you’ll be ready.
Shanna Mallon is a writer for Straight North, a Chicago Web design firm providing specialized SEO, Web development, and other online marketing services. Follow Straight North on Twitter and Facebook.