Are You Stuck For Content Creation Ideas?
Any blogger who actively publishes content to his site has most likely experienced the dreaded “stuck for ideas” moment. I know I have. I prefer to be told what to write about because I can focus on the request at hand rather than having to come up with an idea. Trying to think of something to write about always throws up the next question: “What if it isn’t what the readers want?”
The information age is a curse in disguise
The first problem we all face is the fact that the information we publish is rarely unique in the sense of having never been published before. Unless of course you invent something new. Just about anything you publish online has in some form been published elsewhere – of course you are trying to spin it with your own unique voice, therefore avoiding any duplicate content issues.
But the core information we write about and record on video has mostly been featured elsewhere. This throws up the next question “why bother at all?” It’s a good question. Here is the thing as I see it; if we stopped publishing, this thing called Internet would fizzle out into nothingness. Since the Net is a pulsating, living medium, it needs new content on a consistent basis.
Imagine what would happen to the search engines if we’d stop writing about the “same” stuff. They’d die because they rely on fresh content being added. In fact, I would go as far as saying that we wouldn’t need them any more. We could simply build online databases of websites that fit a specific topic and leave it at that… or could we?
Never be stuck gain
Picking a topic to blog about isn’t hard when you take the following suggestions into account:
- Write a news post about your niche; what is hot, what is not
- Write a tutorial style post; showing readers how to do something is a great way to gain a steady following
- Write a show off post; have you done something worth mentioning? If so, show off but be careful as this can quickly be seen as self-centered chest bashing which isn’t appreciated by most readers
- Get controversial; controversy sells! The more controversial you are, the more traffic your post will attract. Having said this, you should avoid getting too personal
- Hold a competition; this is one of the best ways to attract a ton of traffic, especially if your prizes rock
- Write a humorous piece; funny (always) wins readers
- Be opinionated; this can actually lead into controversy
- Write a hack style post; hack a system, software or program and then show the world how it’s done
Still stuck? Reduce distractions!
Distractions are a surefire way to kill your creativity. If you are exposed to noise, other people or kids it is very hard to concentrate. In that case you might want to go somewhere quiet to write your post in draft. If that doesn’t help, walk away from your computer. A short break can work wonders for a creative mind.
The above ideas are really just the start to get you thinking about blog posts. You might even find that any of them will lead to something bigger and better. Anything goes. Personal stories also work well on most blogs because they show the reader the real person behind the message. It’s a great way to attract a following and build trust.
I’m not sure what you do when you are stuck for ideas to write about; I tend to get frustrated and usually walk away from the task at hand until I find some inspiration to continue. I also found that by picking up a book or collection of poems inspiration can strike unexpectedly. Other ideas are; scanning newspaper headlines (great copywriting trick); watching a movie (get inspired by a single quote); listening to music (you’d be surprised what an old song can tell you).
Feel free to share your “recipes” for content creation. What do you do when you get stuck for ideas?
Monika
Related blog content creation articles
- How to Overcome Your Three Greatest Blogging Challenges (copyblogger.com)
- Should I re-publish content on my blog? (mikemoran.com)
- Content Writing Made Easy (ferreemoney.com)
- 3 Content Creation Tips – Let Analytics Be Your Guide (hubspot.com)
More Options Print This Page! Subscribe With RSS Reader Subscribe by EmailFiled under Copywriting |
Related posts: |
About The Blog Author
Alex Sysoef is an IT Consultant, Internet Marketer and ProBlogger who shares his passion and knowledge of WordPress, SEO, Social Media and traffic strategies on his blog WordPress Howto Spotter. Connect on Twitter or Facebook
20 Responses to “Are You Stuck For Content Creation Ideas?”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
-
Do you get stuck with content creation? Check the suggestions on this post @TheSpotter http://dld.bz/eWTq *AG
I like your suggestion. I personally write news article when I’m out of any idea. Thanks for this good piece of suggestion.
.-= Arafat Hossain Piyada´s last blog ..iPhone 3GS now $97 at Walmart, I need one =-.
If you’re in a defined niche, I’s think you’d rarefy if ever experience, “What if it isn’t what the readers want?”
Am I missing something?
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..I asked – You Answered – 4 more Social Icons Added =-.
Hi Dennis: No, I think I am. LOL. I totally agree that with a defined niche there should be less reasons to run out of content ideas unless of course your keyword selection runs out, or the niche is really only a micro-niche. I suppose I worry too much. The prerogative of a woman.
Hi Monika,
I think that this would definitely be controversial:
“Write a hack style post; hack a system, software or program and then show the world how it’s done”
And it may even get your blog site banned,(because “most” hacking involves illegal activities) or at the very least demoted or penalized by the big 3 search engines. Not good for SEO.
The system, software or program owners may even take legal action against you. I would avoid content with this topic if you value your blog website.
Just my opinion – Cheers
Bryce
.-= Bryce Bell´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at =-.
@ Bryce: You are correct and totally misunderstood my “hack” reference which is my fault entirely. Blog post hacks are usually referring to things like hacking the code in WordPress to install a certain feature, or hacking a HTML theme to make it look prettier. I would NEVER support any illegal activity. Hope this helps and thanks for your input.
Twitter: MurrayLunn
says:
Information overload is a serious problem with the web. I know it’s odd to complain about too much information but what happens is you become overloaded and stunned to do anything at all with it.
I appreciate the clear cut examples on what you can write about – all of them are timeless types of content for your blog.
.-= Murlu´s last blog ..Insights And Interviews: Jonathan Beebe Of MMO Work =-.
@ Murlu: Thank you. I’m glad I’m not alone with my thoughts. What I found helped me to get rid of information overload is to stop reading blogs. Seriously.
At the very least, try and unsubscribe from most blogs you tend to read on a daily basis – it’s kind of like weeding out the noise. You will be better able to focus AND digest the info you read. Good luck.
Yeah, become Controversial. It will give you more popularity and visitors to your website. And writing news is a good task if no content is remained in our mind.
Anyway… Nice post friend.
.-= aman´s last blog ..Effects of Smoking =-.
I’m in the process of creating a blog section of a site of mine. The main problem I feel that I will face is content and whilst some of what you’ve mentioned in you post, not everything is possible.
It’s a blog for business so it’s not a good idea to be controversial.
I don’t want to show potential customers how to do what I do so that’s out the window.
It has to maintain a business stance so it can’t really be overly humerous or opinionated.
We could shout about our acheivements but in some cases that isn’t a very clever idea and can come back to haunt you.
So you see in my case, i’m left with a competition and general news posts which is fine but I think a corporate blog is possibly the worst type of blog to generate content for without risking loosing business.
I agree with you as you say as let the content should repeat. Being unique and versatile is surely a good idea but we should not be a slave to that idea so i believe that both the ideas are vital and we cannot say one is wrong and one is right.
I would like to add my blog Search Engine History along with this post and its not a blog which is very detailed but it will be worth a reference.
http://bobbydotseo.wordpress.com/
Thanks Bobby for sharing the Search Engine History. Quite interesting
This happens all the time to me!
Distractions are a big contributor, but I think that with the help of your tips, especially “Write a humorous piece” and “Hold a competition”.
I have needed a logo to be designed for some time now, and with your idea of a competition, that may just get done!
Thanks again
.-= Christopher Roberts´s last blog ..Nuclear Fusion, the Ultimate Power? =-.
Thanks, there’s some great tips here. I’ve just started to invest some serious time in blogging. I’ve created a blogging schedule and list of topics to keep me on the straight and narrow. You’ve just helped me create a few more.
You are welcome Gareth, looking forward to seeing you around and wish you the best of success with your blog.
Some really good ideas there, i am new to blogging so everything helps Thank you
Carol recently posted..Smudge Sticks
Thanks Carol, glad you were able to take some tips from this post.
It can be kinda hard to come up with unique and fresh ideas for adding new content to a site. Maybe this is one of the reasons syndicated content with like minded blog and webmasters is becoming a more acceptable method of content creation and sharing.
James Neil recently posted..Benefits of Content Syndication
I frequently have to remind my clients that Google will reward you for providing quality content that is consistent. Your short list of Content Creation ideas was timely and useful. I'll have to send a few small business clients here so they can read the post, get it and use it. strong work!
My recent post Social Media Influencer 5 W’s
I find and grab great RSS Feeds add them to my Google reader and then scan the headlines to come up with trends that other SEO guys are blogging about. I figure if Yoast is blogging about a traffic technique or the guy who blogs about video SEO is hot on a trend or topic, then my readers would like to gt the latest on these tips too!
My recent post Keyword Winner Targeted WordPress Keywords At Your Fingertips