10 Tips For Finding Topics When Creating Content

On Episode #18 of Blog Your Way to a Business Profit, I gave you 10 tips for finding topics when creating content for your blog when you have a brain fart.

As an online content creator, blog topics are always floating around in my head which is why I have to carry Post It Notes and lined pads with me wherever I go.  In my purse, tote bag, car, nightstand, bathroom countertop, everywhere.

I’ll actually wake up mad because I wasn’t able to write a blog post in my sleep, as a matter of fact, some mornings after giving thanks for seeing another day, I’ll grab a pen and a pad of paper to write down the thoughts that I dreamt about.

However, even though there are many thoughts floating around in my head, I must admit that there are times that nothing exciting pops into it nor can I think of anything to write about.

I will literally be staring at a blank screen with empty thoughts, thinking, “what am I going to write about next week?”  So when this happens, I remember the various places where I can always find a topic to write about and will keep the subjects in a notebook for when I need them.

10 Tips for finding topics when creating content 

1. Magazine Rack at the checkout lines:  as you stand there waiting for the customer in front of you with a fistful of coupons to pay for their groceries, grab a magazine or one of those “rag mags” and thumb through it.  Find an interesting article – snap a pic of the title or use an App on your phone to record it.   Think of how you can put your own spin on the article or what CTA you can ask your readers about it.
2. Turn on Talk Radio/Podcast:  Because of my daily 3-hour commute, I am always switching between music radio stations and talk or local news stations.   Every day DJ’s and talk show anchors are reporting hot topics, so use one of them for a blog topic and write about it.
3. Newsletters or Newspaper:  Get content ideas delivered directly to your inbox.  Sign up for industry newsletters. They’ll keep you up to date with trending topics, news, and events.  You can even sign up for competitor newsletters. See what they are discussing with their customers.  Use the topics covered in these emails to generate new content ideas.  We used to only subscribe to the newspaper for the Sunday edition, however, there are several sections that are great for blog posts topics; Comics, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Business/Finance or even the Sports section.  Find something that works for you and your audience then write about it.  Include a backlink to the newspaper article and/or to the author for more exposure to your own blog. 
4. Family Life:  There is always something happening in your family that can be used as an interesting post.  Perhaps you have a DIY Hack or a recipe to share.  If you think about it, there are many things that you take for granted that may actually be something new and useful to your readers.  Interview a member of your family, after all, you are leaving a legacy with your blog, so why not include the memories of an elder which can actually be turned into a series.
5. Interview locals: Everyone is famous in their own right, so if you are attending a local event, why not interview the organizer, get some behind the scenes info.  Heading to a new restaurant, Art Show or museum, take pics and write a post about your outing. 

6. Product reviews: Think about recent products you’ve used related to your brand or industry.  You can review these topics in a blog post or video demonstration.  Sign up for Influenster or BzzAgent to receive FREE products to review.  For example, let’s say you run a website related to camping and other outdoor adventures. If you go on a fishing trip and use a new pole, you could write about your experience with the new gear.  If your company is releasing a new product, use this method to build hype for a new product launch.  You could even write reviews for products you don’t own and never used. Just look up products online, and base your discussion around online customer reviews.
7. Recent Events in your area – new restaurant opening, store, concert or even recent event, however, depending on your brand, you may not want to be reporting breaking news.  When watching the news or reading updates from an online source, try to figure out how you can make these topics relevant to your brand.  Look up local events or  national trade shows related to your industry. Post COVID19  gives your audience information about the event. Tell them what they need to know if they want to attend or register.
8. YouTube Videos: All businesses should have a YouTube profile. Use it to upload videos, and then share those videos on all your marketing channels. Use your own YouTube videos as well which I do for “Top Ten Podcasting Questions for the Weekend”  But even if you don’t have your own YouTube channel, it can be a resource for coming up with new ideas. Treat it the same way as a Google search. Start typing in a subject and you’ll see suggestions, watch the video and any other related videos on the sidebar and you can write about the video and link it as well – make sure to tag the creator for more exposure.
9. Repurpose Content:  Your old content shouldn’t be dead and forgotten. Use those topics for ideas too.  Just re-work the titles, and write a newer post from a different angle.  An old topic might have been about how to save for retirement. But you can take some of the content from that piece and write a new article about the best retirement accounts to invest in.  If an old post has outdated research, you can write a new one that includes the updated information.
10. Live Life go out or share a story of your personal life: When in doubt, tell a story about something that happened to you.  It could be a success story. Or maybe tell your audience a story about a mistake you made.  How did you learn from it? How did you get to be where you are today?  It could be a recent story or one from the past.   Personal stories are great because they make your content unique. While people may have similar stories, the details of yours won’t be the same as anyone else’s.

Let’s Chat:  Where do you find inspiration for your blog posts?

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