Whether you’re a content marketer, freelance writer, or business owner, the reality is this age of marketing requires us to constantly find content ideas. We need content for clients, our own websites, social media posts and more. There’s really no getting away from it.
The problem arises when we start drawing a blank. After all, hasn’t everything been said already? How are we supposed to find new content idea when there technically is no such thing as a new idea?
Here are some of the ways I find new content ideas when I start drawing a blank. This comes in handy when I have quite a bit of work to do or I’m feeling a little tired.
Check out social media.
One of the best ways to find content ideas when you’re drawing a blank is to head on over to Twitter and see what people are tweeting about in your industry. Twitter is a constant stream of content, so it’s easy to find new ideas there.
Pinterest is another good place to check out, particularly if you follow a lot of people or are a part of group boards. There’s no shortage of stuff on Pinterest so you’re sure to find content ideas.
Look at old notes.
I have about 15 notebooks filled to the brim with notes, scribbles and doodles. I started walking around with notebooks when I first started freelancing and building a business.
Whether I was at a networking event, taking notes for a class, or just trying to get some ideas out on paper, these notebooks always came in handy for jotting stuff down. If I were to look back at those notebooks, I’m sure I can find a ton of content ideas.
Go into Evernote.
I use Evernote as my web clipper and it’s saved me more than once when I need to find content ideas.
How many times are you surfing the web and you come across something where you think, “Oh man, this is a great piece/idea/Tweet/article! This may come in handy later.” If you’re anything like me then it happens all the time.
Whenever this happens, I make sure to clip it and save it into an Evernote folder called “Potential Ideas.” Whenever I feel like I’m drawing a blank, I log into Evernote and see what I’ve collected since the last time I looked at it.
Step away from it.
Sometimes the best way to find content ideas is to simply step away from the computer. We can’t always logically think our way into ideas. Often times we need to move our bodies, change up our scene or take a mental break.
For example, I often find that on some days I feel like my writing is terrible because I’m tired and starting to draw a blank. When this happens, I leave it alone for a couple of days so I can come back to it with a fresh pair of eyes and new content ideas. This usually does the trick and it’s also why I try to get work done early.
How do you find content ideas when you’re drawing a blank? Let us know in the comments.
