Content ideas are all around you. But you might not know where to look for them. This means even if you feel you have run out of content ideas, you can likely do something to change it or find more inspiration.
I am a fan of James Patterson’s Alex Cross series. If you look at the first few books in the series, the names were from nursery rhymes. “Four Blind Mice”, “Mary, Mary”, “Kiss the Girls”, “Along Came a Spider” are just a few. And if you are not familiar with Alex Cross, these are NOT children’s books, lol.
Here are seven ways to help you never stress out about running out of content ideas again:
Keep a Journal
Keeping a content journal is one of the best ways to ensure you always have fresh content ideas. This might be something like a notebook you carry with you everywhere or an app on your phone or tablet.
Whenever you have an idea for an article, blog post, video or social media update, jot it down in your journal. Then, when it’s time to sit down and write, you’ll have a wealth of ideas to choose from. Have a page in the notebook where you just write down your random thoughts sometimes, often called a brain dump. In those ramblings we have gems.
Set Up Google Alerts
Google Alerts is a free service that you can set up to receive email notifications when new content is published containing your chosen keywords. For example, you could set up an alert for your industry news, or competitor activity. That way, you’ll always be aware of the latest developments in your field, and you can use this information to generate fresh content ideas.
To use log in to Google Alerts. You will use your email address to get alerts. Then in the bar, just type in whatever subject you want alerts for. I put in color trends and PLR.
Check Out Social Media
Social media is an excellent source of inspiration for content ideas. Actively look at what people are talking about in your industry and look for any hot topics or trending hashtags.
You can also use social media to get real-time feedback from your audience on what information they’d like to see from you. And if you do not have a big following, then follow other people and companies that have an audience similar to yours. For example, follow ETSY. There are pictures of handmade products but these can inspire some ideas for graphics and products.
Ask an Audience
One of the most effective and tried and true methods to ensure you’re consistently creating content your audience wants to read is simply asking them. You can accomplish this via social media, email, or even in person. Use surveys, polls, and questionnaires to collect data on what topics your audience is most interested in.
Then use this information to generate ideas for new blog posts, articles, or even products and services. Use Facebook groups to ask questions, see what others are talking about. Look at comments on various sales platforms to see what customers are raving about and what they wish they had.
Be Inspired by Others
Never copy, but it’s not plagiarism if you just use the opportunity to do research. Instead, if you’re struggling to develop ideas, take inspiration from other brands in your industry. Look at what they’re doing and see if you can put your own spin on it.
You can create a secret board in Pinterest to store ideas for color palettes, covers, content ideas and more. In ETSY you can create collections of ideas that you find attractive. These ideas could be content, or color inspiration. And don’tforget Amazon. Amazon has a wealth of information on information products, short ebooks and design ideas.
Keyword Searches
Use keyword tools like Erank for searches about ETSY or Keysearch for general searches for popular ideas. What others are searching for can give you lots of ideas for products to create. While I do pay for Keysearch, I have used the free version of Erank.
If you use Chrome, you can add keyword tools as an extension. Every time you search, you will see popular searches. This can help you find other terms and words to develop ideas.
Trends
There are all sorts of trends you can be inspired by. Every year several companies come out with a color of the year. Colors can inspire a new, fresh palette to create with.. If you have been using the same color palette (your favorite colors), it can help you get out of your comfort zone.
Check out ETSY trends to see what is popular for the year. Google “Trends” and you will see a variety of trends in fashion, health, and shopping. Especially at the new year, you can find a lot of ideas just by looking at predictions for the new year.
Remember, content ideas are all around you. Use these 7 tips to see how many new ideas you can generate. If you need more tips on being productive, check out this blog post: 9 Tips For Increased Productivity and 8 Reasons Why You Need to Keep Learning.