Bono and Pickles: How to Generate Stellar Content Ideas

So you've heard a lot about how important content is, lately (especially if you read this blog). Guest blogging, your own blog, infographics, compelling images, content this, content that. You started updating your site and your blog in earnest, but you've slowly run out of ideas. You can only write about so many things within your subject area, right?

Wrong. Chances are, whether you're working on your own content or on a client's, you're not thinking far enough outside of the box. It's very easy to hit walls when coming up with new content ideas. Fortunately, you're not alone. Everyone struggles with new content ideas…even those who seem to always have constant great ideas.

So, what's the content idea secret? You'll be happy to know that you don't have to learn extreme yoga or practice the art of Zen in your living room in order to coax your brain into firing out some ideas. In fact, your first task is to take a step back.

Content Idea Tactics

1. Get curious. Go to a page on your (or your client's) website where you think good content ideas might be hiding. Then, forget everything you know about the subject and read what's on the page. Now, ask questions. What does this phrase mean? How does this work? What's involved in this? Chances are, your questions can be answered with a blog post, an infographic, or even a whitepaper. If you're much too familiar with the topic, have a coworker or family member be the questioner.
2. Check the news. The easiest way to do this is to create a conglomeration of sources. Use paper.li or RSS feeds to create industry-specific news sources. Find sites, blogs, and forums about the industry, and check them regularly. The great thing about the Internet is that, no matter your topic, somebody somewhere is talking about it. You can also look at what's trending in your industry by using sites like Topsy.
3. Create an associated topics list. This idea stems from Ian Lurie's ideas of "Random Affinities". Basically, you start with a topic and let it branch off into (sort of) related topics. Think about your audience, and really delve into what they're thinking. Say you sell musical instruments. What is somebody who's in the market for a musical instrument thinking about? Perhaps they're thinking about music genres, bands, or high school classes. Now, what are people who are interested in music genres, bands, and high school classes interested in? Perhaps technology, getting good grades, sending kids to school, who to ask to prom, or how much Bono gets paid. Does writing about how much Bono gets paid have anything to do with you selling instruments? It doesn't seem that way. But there are people who are interested in both Bono and buying instruments, and they're the ones you want to attract. For more information about random affinities (and I highly recommend it), read Lurie's article.

Save Those Ideas

Content ideas will probably hit you at the strangest times. You'll be doing something like making dinner, and you'll be holding a pickle. Suddenly, you'll think, "Hey, so-and-so could probably attract some visits with a post about pickles!" Write it down. While you'll probably scare your family when you scramble to find a slip of paper to write "pickles" on, you're saving yourself the trouble of forgetting it later.

Image Credit: U22005.com