There are very few things that top a writers concern list apart from the regular writer’s block. One such thing is running out of content ideas. The other week I realized I spent 20 good minutes wondering how to describe a man eating a toast.
And a couple of days ago, I stared at my desktop while the cursor kept mocking me with its blinking. In times like these stitching the right words into a coherent sentence become a big task. See the irony, that’s the love that got us into this profession in the first place. Isn’t it?
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A content writers job isn’t a bed full of roses, unlike what people usually assume. Keeping a steady flow of content in different formats is an art in itself. Meanwhile, we also frame our content keeping in mind its SEO richness and story-line too. In this hosh-posh of writing content that is rich in quality and can be found easily on the web, the creative inspiration takes a backseat.
The need for fresher content ideas is on the rise each day. Here are 6 unique ways to come up with excellent content ideas that will work.
Ways to come up with excellent content ideas
1. Negate your old topics
Most writers are used to writing neutral or positive blogs. Somehow, that is the general norm that we follow. It could be reasoned to the fear of controversy or the skepticism attached to try something absolutely new. Opting for lesser risk neutral topics is a good idea. But seeing the same topic in a negating way won’t make it necessarily controversial. As a writer, you will have to see the different aspect of the same topic you are familiar with. For example, “5 ways to write a great love letter” is something very common. Whereas, “5 ways not to write a love letter” as a topic, makes it unique. Someone who is interested in writing a love letter, would have read the former in multiple sites. By now, he has a clear idea of the topic too. Don’t you think he would be pleased to read about mistakes to be avoided?
2. Put out your unique opinion
It makes absolute sense why most websites do not get opinionated in their blogs. They don’t want to hurt or alienate their readers. Its highly probable that all your readers may not have similar opinions as you. I am not asking you to take your stance on something very controversial. You might end up having more haters and less readers then. But, what you can do is put your stance on something very specific about a niche. Talk about existing trends, how people are following them, what you think will happen next. Let your audience know what you are thinking about the topic and why you are thinking on that line. This way might be a little risky but can garner awesome reader engagement when designed well.
3. Look what your competitor’s up to
No, that’s not cheating its smart work. (Or maybe, it is!) That’s how the markets working. We all started as writers with high morale’s, to write unique content all by ourselves. But believe me, your opinion about the topic is what makes your content unique and not the topic itself.
It’s wise to have an idea about what topics are trending on your competitor’s website. See the trend they are following, understand why a certain campaign was done. This will give you a good idea about topics that get the most traffic on your blogs. This will reduce your effort and ensure you have the same level of engagement.
4. Ask for help from your readers and co-workers
One of the best aspects of our jobs is, our readers are our motivators as well as our critics. You write for them. Who better would know what they want from you than they themselves? Try out interesting ways to have their attention and ask what would they want you to write about. Chances are, your readers want you to cover a topic that is quite basic, yet unique. Not only will this be one-of-a-kind topic on the web, but will also create better relationships with your readers.
Asking your teammates can be a big help at times. They see the larger picture of what you are doing. Chances are you are missing out on the bigger things in the frame. Teammates who interact with clients have a thorough idea of what they are interested in. It is possible that you aren’t updated about the social media trends presently. Take help from co-workers who are in tune with the recent trends online.
5. Play around with your Keywords
This might seem like a very obvious way to brainstorm content ideas. My personal experience says this is the smartest and the most efficient way to go about it. Your team has given a few target keywords that are highly optimized. And then you select a few good keywords to go with. The smart way to do about next is, incorporate the search engine with these keywords while brainstorming. For example, when you type a topic with your keyword on google, it suggests everything that is to with the topic. If it’s a wedding, Google will suggest you wedding decorations, packages, honeymoons etc.
You can choose to combine two of such topics or just work on a topic that suits you.
6. Change your location, your surrounding or distract yourself with a book
We all do our research for our content, on the Internet. Even though it’s a best-practice, you might notice that the content gets stale. Every other writer is coming to the same location in search of content. Reading a book gives you a new perspective on topics. Not only will this introduce you to a new topic but also teach you about writing techniques.
At times monotony and routine are what creates that loss of inspiration. Go out for a trip, talk to new people, see things clearly. Usually, topics that are trending in the outside world is what interests people in the virtual world.
