1. Target “pain points” – To find good writing ideas, if people don’t already ask you questions, poll your audience to see what they want to read. Check which social media and blog posts you’ve written have been popular. Hang out in forums, like Facebook Groups, where your target market meets regularly.
2. Time it – Slant your topic to the time of year you expect to publish. For example, for April, growth, rainy days, or other appropriately seasonal subjects can seed some good concepts.
3. Talk it out – Sometimes the best ideas come from a conversation. For instance, at an industry networking event, you can ask people about the problems they face in their work. It also helps take the focus off of you. This has helped me generate article ideas.
4. Do some digital digging – Search engines can be your best idea spinners. Whether you type a topic into Google and use some of the suggestions or find something interesting in the “answer box” at the top, you can strike gold quickly. And because they’re among the most often searched for subjects, they can improve your own search engine rankings. AnswerthePublic groups similar questions together to help you see what people search for.
5. “Borrow,” but don’t steal – Looking at what others have written can inspire you, such as borrowing a title from an article and writing your own.
How do you generate writing ideas?
For more suggestions, check out 8 Ways to Generate Great Content Ideas.
Quotes
“Hobbes: Do you have an idea for your story yet?
Calvin: No, I’m waiting for inspiration. You can’t just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
Hobbes: What mood is that?
Calvin: Last-minute panic.” ~ Bill Watterson
Comments? Suggestions? Need help with your communications? Contact me.
Michelle Troutman
classywriting.com
