Creativity is a key trait a marketer must have to succeed online. We need to come up with content that makes the crowd say “wow” when they read it. While it is not impossible to get done, many people are still unable to achieve it.
I admit its hard to consistently come up with valuable ideas. I always try to find interesting articles online by reading content posted at sites like inbound.org, threadwatch.org, reddit.com/r/bigSEO, and reddit.com/r/SEO.
All published articles on those websites are high-quality with valuable information for the readers. But sometimes the content just doesn’t have that “wow” factor when I read it.
- Is it because the industry has an overload of content for various topics?
- Is it because we lack of creativity when it comes to topic ideation?
- Is it because there is nothing else to show anymore?
I definitely don’t think any of those are true. So to help jump-start your brainstorming on developing awesome blog posts, here’s my list of ideas:
Be Sensitive to What You Watch
Wherever you look there is a potential content idea to take advantage of, but we still often miss the opportunity.
For instance, this Moz article discusses a case study of a travel industry site. More than 100 editorial links from high publication websites were earned through content marketing efforts.
The idea is to find something in your industry that remains unexplored in a contextual format.
So if you are in a travel blog and your audience are fascinated into shows like this, wouldn’t you want to write a post about this certain topic?
Process:
- Find good piece of attraction in your industry
- Write a post about it
Example:
- You are in the pet industry
- List down top 5 meet-up places of dog owners in your area
Be Sensitive to Seasonal Events
There are several blog post opportunities in time sensitive industries. People go crazy about it when the season is approaching. They will do research to make their participation unique and stand out.
The users initial action is to search online. Be sure you have already prepared the information they need beforehand. By doing this, you can promote your content that can earn user engagement.
Process:
- Ask people in your industry of the much awaited event happening yearly.
- Write a post about it.
Example:
- You are in pet industry
- There is a parade or show happening in 2016 in your area.
- 10 participants Interviewed for Dog parade in Seattle 2016.
Pro Tip: Create the content two months before the upcoming event.
Be Sensitive of What You Read
Reading can give you ideas that you can use for your next blog post. In fact, I got this blog post idea from MakeAWebsiteHub. There is no complete list in blog post ideas.
The idea is to educate yourself by reading and come up with unique ideas you can use. Think of this SEO tools article from Search Engine Journal. If you are in the social media industry, graphics industry or writing industry, you can replicate this idea to your own industry.
Process:
- Find list-type articles in a neighborhood industry
- Write content similar to it in your industry
Example:
- You write an article about 10 weird behaviors of cats at night
- You can write about 10 weird behavior of dogs at night
Pro Tip: Look for list-type content that has been viral in their industry. See how you can use it for your benefit.
Be Sensitive of Recent Trends
Industry trends are definitely a good source of topic ideas. People in your industry will be talking about it–and searching for it. This could be a good chance of driving massive traffic to a website because virality is next to it.
If you can, provide your own piece of content that does not look boring. You can make your website become a go-to when it comes to recent trends.
Make your blog post impressive. Provide insightful insightful information such as asking questions to experts in your industry.
You can do this by:
- Sending them a personalized emails asking their personal opinion about certain trends.
- Ask the experts on social networks
- Ask people in your communities
Pro Tip: Outreach is difficult. Especially if you don’t know how to start. Here are a list of “don’ts” when doing email outreach campaigns that might help.
Process:
- Check recent trends in your industry
- Write a post about it in collaboration with industry experts
Example:
- You are in pet industry
- You recently read a unique article in your industry (ie. Robotic Cats for Elderly Women)
- Ask experts in your industry about their thoughts. But don’t forget to add your own thoughts, too!
Create a Potential Trend
Creating your own trending content in your industry can be challenging. You need to get full attention of your audience and have them talk about your content. While this is not easy to do, the results you can get will be one of a kind.
The idea is to come up with a piece of content that no one in your industry has provided. This can skyrocket your visibility when people start talking about the content you developed.
Process:
- Find what’s missing in your industry
- Write a piece of content about it
Example:
- You are in the pet industry
- Create an interactive and embeddable content to offer in your industry.
Final Word
Having new blog post ideas is a must. You can’t live long enough without adding new ideas to the table. Having these five blog topic ideas in mind should be enough kick start your content creation process. Don’t just sit in front of your computer, go out there and observe your industry!
Image Credits
Featured Image: baranq/Shutterstock.com
In-post Photo: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com
