Last Updated on Feb 25, 2013 by Jenna Scaglione
Content is King, right? Yes and no.
Content is only valuable if it is well-researched, shareable, and consistent. With these three attributes, you can create a content marketing campaign that gets results. After all, what good is your content if it doesn’t translate into more traffic and sales?
Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done. Creating hordes of content can become cumbersome and uninteresting and it’s easy to run out of ideas.
To spark your creativity here are 7 ways to search and discover content ideas your customers will love.
Consider some of these websites to help get your creative juices flowing. Just remember to tailor the content to your target audience. Even if the topic is obscure, you can relate it in a way that makes sense and offers value.
1. Google Trends – Google Trends lists the hottest topics currently on the web. If you cannot find anything related to your store, consider “spinning” an idea. For example, the Oscars was just televised and this subject could be applicable to many industries including fashion, weddings, beauty, entertainment, food, luxury items and more.
2. Alltop – Alltop is my personal favorite. I use it consistently to source varying topics and get inspired. Alltop collects the top blogs from a large number of categories. Search through a category that corresponds to your industry and look for ideas that spark your interest and would interest your readers. Do not copy any posts; simply use them for inspiration.
3. Google Alerts – Feeling a little lazy? Let Google send you creative inspiration directly to your email inbox. Simply input industry terms and Google will send you blogs on a daily or weekly basis.
4. Twitter – Twitter isn’t just for talking to your customers. Use it to find industry conversations. What is your audience talking about? Are there any news stories they are discussing? Any problems? Use #hashtags to find industry conversations or ask your customers/followers about their most pressing needs.
5. Facebook polls – This tip is in line with sourcing Twitter for ideas. If you have a customer fan base, send out a Facebook question and ask your fans what they want to hear from you. Give them options but leave comments open for more input.
6. Blog Comments – Browse through your blog comments from the last six months to identify any topic trends or customer problems. You can even browse your competitor’s blog comments to source ideas for your content.
7. Quora.com – Quora is a popular question and answer site that attracts people who both want to share and request information. Quora is filled with thousands of questions and answers perfect for content topics. Search for industry-related keywords and browse through the comments. There is plenty of information from which to craft a valuable blog post or article.
There, you have it! Seven places to discover new topics for your content. Lastly, don’t forget about good, old-fashioned inspiration. Keep a notebook handy while you are running around your house, doing errands and engaging in your life activities. You never know when your next great blog post idea will come to you.