How to Get Blog post ideas for artists & Creatives -10 Easy & Effective Ways
Are you looking outside of your window with a cuppa, looking at a lovely sunny day, and want to see you out instead of stuck in your work?
The cursor blinks on a blank page and asks for words while you have nothing. A blank page reminds me of the saying ” Blank page like god saying Look it’s hard to be a God”
We were there as well. It is difficult to create content. And come up with ideas about Killer content? It could be a Nightmare!
Honestly, if there were a kind of magic or a Unicorn that would make new ideas, I would use it!
But there isn’t, sadly. There are therefore a few tricks I use to dry up ideas.
Starting with a niche in my opinion is the best way to find unique content is the best Idea. One of my strategies to find topics are by monitoring social media Groups and Q&A sites like Reddit, Quora, Answerthepublic, and so on…
Every time someone is asking a question on one of these sites is an opportunity for you to write a post about it.
For example, you can setup a ‘listening post’ at the followings:
- Twitter search for a particular keyword or hashtag. e.g. ‘Home decor’.or “Gardening’
- Stackoverflow. You must be familiar with this site.
- Quora Or Reddit topics. I find Quora a good source for post topics.
- FB & LinkedIn Groups: Check Your niche Related FB & LN Groups on regular basis and look at the Q&As out there.
For Instance , For our pet related blog site I often visit a Group called “Cavoodles Owners”and check all the Qs asked there by dog parents. One of my ebooks “What to feed your cavoodle” is based on a major question asked in the Group ” How to feed a Fussy cavoodle” and this is people are majorly concerned about – Fussy eater cavoodles.
Additionally, If you find on Google that a specific topic has been written, don’t get discouraged.
You can still write the same topic but in your own style! Maybe in more detail, maybe with more examples and Images or Infographics
I have written posts that have the same topic/keyword as other blogs, but mine comes at the top of Google search for the keyword … Cool huh!
Alternatively, you do a curation post, which includes links to those written posts about a particular topic.
1. Write Down any and every Question a Customer or Client Has Ever Asked You
Go do that right now.
Go do it now.
Done that? that’s Good. Awesome …
Answer all the Questions.
How you respond to them doesn’t matter. Blogging, Vlogging, Infographic. Reply. Reply to their Queries
And you’ve got it, many nice new ideas for marketing content.
Those who search for and are helpful will find it informative.
Well done! Well done! Well done! Applause* Applause
“Your blog is a reflection of your company,”
2. Get On to Quora
Quora is mainly a highly addictive question-and-answer site, which gives you an idea of what people are interested in and want answers.
So type your offered product or service and go away! In a short space of time, you will be able to see which subjects your business is interested in.
Quora: Quora is an amazing way to find what kind of problems the audience is facing. You can use quora to find questions relevant to your niche and try to curate blog content around the same.
One amazing trick to finding relevant content ideas from Quora is by using Google search operators. You can use the following query for reference.
site:quora.com in the title:” keyword” ( any Keyword that you want to write a blog on)
Here you can replace the keyword with your targeted word. This query will scan the results from Quora with the pages containing your keyword in the title.
A Month of Blog content planning in 30 Minutes
How to use Quora to find Blog Topics.
Quora is a goldmine for finding awesome content ideas. Just you should know how to find it.
There are tons of questions published every day, your job is to find the most popular questions. There is where your content idea is hidden.
How to find them?
Choose any question on Quora from the feed.
This is what it looks like:
This is what a smart blogger sees on this page. His/her mission is to find the best content idea from every question he sees.
Here is what to deduct from each of the elements on this page:
Question stats:
Here you need to see the % of people following the question as compared to the people who are viewing it
For example Question, every 10 readers out of 1000 views follow the Q1 question whereas 20 people out of 1000 views follow the Q2 question.
ABC has a 1% conversion whereas PQR has 2% conversion.
Now it doesn’t need a high IQ mind to deduct that question PQR is in high demand because more people want to read the perfect answer for this question.
When was the Question Last asked?
This shows the freshness of the question. Some questions may have a high conversion rate of the following but it may possible that people were crazy about that question 1 year ago and now the trend changed, and people are seeking answers to fresh trendy questions.
However, some question never loses their trend like:
- How to start blogging?
- How to start saving money?
- How to *any verb*?
People like to read “how to do niche things” and it will never trend.
Answers and the followers:
How many answers has the question already got and how many people are still following the question?
It also plays a great role.
People will unfollow the question if they get the best answer for the question and if not, they will still keep following it for more best answers.
And if still people are following it then chances are, people are still looking for awesome content for the question.
Grab the opportunity.
Question Topic.
This is for the people who are looking to answer the question. Make sure that the question topics are up to the mark and related to the question.
It will be helpful to get your answer in front of the eyeballs of the people who follow the topics.
Related Questions.
If you don’t find the current question up to the mark then switch to the other question from the “related question” section.
These questions are the curated list of Quora for which people looks generally.
In simple words, these are the demanded questions that which Quora algorithm segregates on the basis of most wanted questions.
Now what?
Once you find the best question, convert it into the topic.
This question itself is a blog topic – Where do I get blog topics and content ideas?
And the answer I’m writing itself is a blog post.
That’s all you want to get the best content idea.
And this is why many people struggle to get more views and upvotes on their answers despite of awesome content.
Numbers speak everything. Learn to read and understand numbers.
3. Check on Udemy
It sounds weird & Strange, But Udemy is the place where people pay to Learn. Type in your Niche related Category in Udemy Search Option and Find the List of Topics you can Create Content on.
To make sure your content is as engaging as it gets, it needs to be valuable, and most often, that means you need to write long-form content so that you have room to include everything you want to talk about,”
4. Go to Amazon.com- Not to shop this time! ( products, Books and so on)
Yes! you heard it right Amazon.com
Go to Amazon and get on to your niche-specific Books Or Ebooks. Check on the Content of the book. And Voila! Here is the list of Topics You can Create Content on.( In the 2nd Pic list).
Content creation is a very resource–intensive process,”
5. Get on to Medium.com
I love Medium.com. I don’t know how I survived without it! Not only does it help you with your Blogs but also You can get Inspired by Millions Of Other Bloggers that write on Medium. Medium-where good Ideas find you!
Consistent, high-quality posts are critical for a good SEO strategy,”
6. Join Forums and Groups( On FB & LinkedIn) related to Your Niche
Hang out with like-minded people, join discussions, ask questions, and talk to other humans and you’re bound to come away with some awesome content ideas.
7. Use Google Search -Related Searches
When you Google your Niche related Keyword, then scroll down the search results till the end, you will find Related Searches. This is the Bundle of Content Options and Content Ideas You can find.
Use Google’s suggested searches.
There may be a lot of the same type of generic blog posts happening in your industry.
To get more specific answers to questions you know people are asking, use Google’s autocomplete for predicted search terms.
To find search predictions, start typing a phrase that might tackle a broad topic in your field (e.g. “Content Marketing Strategies for”). Underneath the search field, a drop-down menu will appear with
Google’s suggestions for more specific ways to complete the phrase. (e.g. “Content Marketing strategies for small businesses”) Using some of these query suggestions will help you tap into a niche and create more unique, specialized content.
8. Jump on the Trend Hole!
Springing into the latest ‘trend’ or news is a great way to build content people love to read. So if you are a specialist in a field that’s a hot topic, make sure that you talk about it now!
Just do it!
9. Hubspot Generator
Just in three keywords from your choices and ta-dah subjects! Post title fancy blog. Thank you, Hubspot!
10. Checkout Answerthepublic.com
Get instant, raw search insights, direct from the minds of your customers.
There are 3 billion Google searches every day, and 20% of those have never been seen before.
They’re like a direct line to your customers’ thoughts…Sometimes that’s ‘How do I Fly a drone’. Other times it’s the wrenching fears and secret hankerings they’d only ever dare share with Google.
11 Read the news.
One of my favorite sources of new and unique blog topics is the news. The news changes every day, so it can give you an unlimited supply of new blog ideas. Keep on top of the news, and you’ll release articles that are in sync with people’s search queries.
Ask yourself questions while you’re reading. What is the connection between what I am working on and this development? Look for points of synthesis and contrast.
To create content that is truly innovative, try tying in a current event with an unrelated topic in your field.
Experts believe that drawing connections between two seemingly unrelated ideas – sometimes called the “Medici Effect ” is one of the best ways to come up with breakthrough ideas and innovative content.
Make connections that will enlighten others by tying together the news and your business and you will also draw in a wider audience including those interested in the news and those in your field.
12. Examine problems and challenges.
I don’t know what you are writing about or if you are writing for yourself or your company. But either way, you might think you should shy away from any problems that you or your business are facing or challenges related to your industry.
However, tackling a problem head-on may actually help you or your company seem more bold and more trustworthy – and it can also help you and the people who rely on your content find ways to solve problems.
For example, if you focus on digital marketing, you might think you shouldn’t emphasize the fact that ad blockers are on the rise today.
However, instead of shying away from the challenge, try to address it head-on and offer solutions to how to get around ad-blockers.
Instead of seeming like a Debbie Downer, there’s a good chance you’ll end up as a thought-full leader.
Keep on top of challenges and roadblocks that seem to arise in your industry – they are great topics for fresh blogs.
13. Read comments.
One good way to come up with content ideas that people are looking for is by reading the comments on blogs in your industry.
Often, when people finish a blog about a topic they’re interested in, they’ll write further questions or concerns they have about what they read.
Browse through the comments on popular blogs, and you’ll likely stumble across a repeated or urgent-sounding concern.
Then, you can create content on that topic – which means your content will be meeting existing demand. Win-Win.
14. Find content that has already proven to be popular and put your own spin on it.
Buzzsumo is a great tool for finding heavily shared content. You can also type your search term into google and check out the first page results.
Google uses engagement statistics in their alogithm, so it’s a safe bet that those results are resonating with people.
15.Find questions your target audience is asking.
These types of posts do well because they need a real need. Plus, many people turn to search engines to find answers, so there is a good chance you can rank for search terms if you handle your SEO properly.
Some good sites to find questions include Quora (obviously), and Yahoo answers online forums and communities.
You can also look in the comments of popular blogs in your niche. Try searching for the question mark symbol to save time.
Where else do you get blog post ideas?
I think you should start by defining your objectives first. Then, apply the Marketing principles for building your personal brand. These are:
1. Identity – What do you want to be known for? What are your niche areas?
2. Positioning. This has the following 3 elements to it.
2a. Target Audience – Who are you writing for?
2b. Frame of Reference – Who else is writing on the topics that are of interest to you? Have you identified such people already on Twitter, blogosphere, and Slideshare? Are you following those people?
2c. Point of Difference – How are you different? Why should people come and read your blog?
3. Proposition – What topics will you write about? How will you make your content interesting and appealing?
4. Campaign – How will you let others know that you have written a blog post? How will you spread the word out?
Once you have satisfactorily answered the aforementioned questions, you should prepare an exhaustive list of topics on which you want to write about.
To do that, I recommend visiting www.alltop.com and looking at different categories under the following headings: Work, Health, Culture, Interests, Tech, People, Good, News, Geos, and Sports.
I am sure you will be able to come up with hundreds of topics.
I am suggesting the following blog posts ideas to start with:
- People you admire
- Issues/Problems/Trends in your profession
- Your views on the future of your industry or profession
- Your views of the most popular blog posts in your areas of interest
- Places you travel
- Your opinion on the popular news/events
- Your Life philosophies
- Your views on Movies you watched
- Your views on Articles you have read in different magazines/journals
- Your reviews on Books you have read
- Your views on different technologies
When you make a strategy, it is advisable to consider content thoughts for your blog.
This will give you a look into what sort of content you could post on your blog.
Since you will likewise be considering your objective gathering, it will enable you to characterize content that is custom-fitted dependent on their interest and expectations.
Start by thinking about content formats first. Here are a few ideas:
- Guides
- Interviews
- Lists
- Podcasts
- Videos
- How-to-articles
- Case Studies
- Ebooks
- Company News
- Guest Post
Bonus Tip: You Don’t Have to be Extra Unique & Different but Just Try to be Better
Try not to spend time with brand-new content that is completely original.
This is the web. Probably your idea was previously conceived.
However, you can improve, inform, enjoy, express your opinions, etc. And you can distinguish yourself like that.