Copywriting ideas are sometimes hard to come by. If you’ve spent hours procrastinating because you can’t decide which writing topics to tackle on your website, blog, or social media channel, you’re not alone. Even literary giants like Stephen King and George R. R. Martin have confessed to writer’s block. We know that a steady dose of quality content can help you establish expertise, connect with your audience, and improve your SEO, so it’s time to get inspired.
If you’re stuck for content ideas, try these five sources and your fingers will be flying in no time.
Social Media as a Source of Content Inspiration
This one’s a no-brainer. People love to discuss their ideas, opinions, thoughts, interests, and concerns on social media. Use hashtags to follow along with relevant topics, or read the comments on YouTube videos related to your field.
Sites like Quora or Reddit can be a particularly valuable source of information. Whatever your specialty, there’s likely a subreddit on the topic. There you’ll find an ecosystem of interested parties asking and answering questions, complaining about their pet peeves, and upvoting comments they find appealing. It all adds up to an excellent idea generator for your next blog or content project.
Get Content Ideas from Your Competitors
What are your competitors blogging, posting, or making videos about? Search your industry on Google and pay close attention to those who rank near the top. Do they have blogs? YouTube channels? Which of their posts are getting engagement? Which subjects are popular? If you feel that you have something to add, then it’s time to get to work.
Ask Your Customers for Copywriting Ideas
In all likelihood, you interact with your customers on a regular basis. Fill your content calendar by asking them for ideas. As a matter of fact, you might not even have to ask, as simply listening to them will often suffice. What do they ask you about? What are some common concerns? If you sat down for coffee, what topics would they likely bring up? Unless you plan to have brunch with each and every one of them, your blog is your soapbox. Share your insights and let your voice be heard!
Pay Attention to Other Forms of Media
Magazines, specialty websites, and even the evening news can tell you what’s on people’s minds. Google search topics relevant to your industry and click the “news” tab at the top of the page. What’s current? What do people seem to be interested in?
It’s often possible to leverage current events. Do you run a dog walking or grooming service? Maybe you make a blog post about the Calgary Stampede Dog Bowl when it happens each year. Do you teach self-defense courses? Perhaps you could write about ways that a comedian might defend himself if he found himself getting smacked in the face while making an Oscar presentation. An executive recruiter who services the manufacturing industry made a creative post during the World Series comparing a successful production operation to a winning baseball team.
Just be sure to keep it tasteful. You don’t want to be seen as capitalizing on the serious or tragic news.
Utilize Online Tools to Gauge Trending Content Topics
There are various tools that are specifically designed to help you keep track of what’s trending online. Google Trends allows you to drive into trending topics, and discover which aspects of a given topic are being searched with frequency. Provide a term or topic to Answer The Public and they’ll give you a list of related questions that people frequently seek answers for. Begin typing a question into Google and they’ll provide you with a list of questions that begin that way. Finding content inspiration is simply a matter of utilizing these and other tools at your disposal.
Tracking Content is Not an Activity, but a Frame of Mind
Chances are that your industry is already a topic that’s of interest to you. Don’t sit down once a month and attempt to conjure up a perfect idea, do it every day. Whenever you’re discussing your business, reading about your industry, or laying awake at night thinking about a topic, take note.
Remember that not all content has to directly relate to sales. Establishing expertise, or simply remaining at the top of your customers’ minds are also very worthy goals. Opinions, instructional blogs, beginner’s overviews, or even humorous takes on a trending topic are all great ideas.
Next Steps
At Peak Ed Designs, we build websites that allow you to not only showcase your organization and spread your message, but to share your knowledge on an ongoing basis as well. Our user-friendly WordPress format allows you to contribute blog posts whenever you’re inspired, even if you’re not particularly technically inclined. If writing’s not your thing, we also offer content writing services, freeing up your time to focus on the day-to-day operation of your company.
I want a website that engages my clients and remains current and vital.