To keep up with your blog, you need a steady stream of content ideas. But, what do you do when your idea well runs dry?
You can search industry sites for inspiration, brainstorm with coworkers, or even ask your customers on social media what kind of content they want to see. In addition, there are a few idea-generating tools you can use to get ideas fast. Here are a few tools:
- Answer the Public
By entering a keyword, you’ll get dozens of content ideas in seconds by using Answer the Public. Just enter a keyword or phrase and you’ll get a spiral wheel of questions that the public might ask.
When “content marketing” was entered, it generated this visual list of common questions.
A lot of the questions are entry-level questions like, “What is content marketing?” or “Why is content marketing important?” However, a lot of writers sometimes overlook these simple topics when they’re generating ideas, so it’s a good tool for beginners.
- Hash At It
Head to the hashtag search engine Hash At It to search for particular keywords or phrases on a general topic. The search engine will troll Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest in real time to show you what people are talking about in relation to the topic. Let the hashtags inspire your next blog post.
Rather than scour the web for inspirational ideas, let Flipboard do the work for you. Enter a topic that you’re interested in and Flipboard will suggest articles to read. You can also run searches and add content to your Flipboard to check out later.
The presentation of the app really makes it shine. Everything you “flip” onto your board is displayed in a magazine-like layout, making it even more appealing to use.
- Quora
Head to sites like Quora to determine some of the more timely inquiries or frequently asked questions in your industry. Just enter a word or phrase and you’ll get a list of results.
- Hubspot’s blog generator
Hubspot’s blog generator is a handy inspiration tool. Just fill in terms you’d like to write and you’ll get a week’s worth of relevant blog topics.
You can enter up to five phrases in a simple search bar, like this:
The idea generator gives you five different ideas, offered as simple slides that you flip through.
Consider outsourcing blog content
Creating blog content is a time-consuming process. Between research, writing, distributing and promoting – it can be a full-time job.
Many small brands don’t have the time or the assets to keep a blog running, which is why many outsource it.
A qualified content marketing team can provide the blog content you need on a timely basis. And, here’s the best part, there are plenty of affordable content packages that can fit any budget.
If you’re looking for help, reach out to McEwen’s Media where you can: Get. Content. Now.