{"id":9755,"date":"2018-07-03T10:52:59","date_gmt":"2018-07-03T16:52:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.virtuance.com\/?p=9755"},"modified":"2018-07-03T13:53:24","modified_gmt":"2018-07-03T19:53:24","slug":"101-ways-source-content-ideas-neil-patel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.virtuance.com\/member\/blog\/101-ways-source-content-ideas-neil-patel\/","title":{"rendered":"101 Ways to Source Content Ideas | Neil Patel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"101_content_creation_ideas_neil_p_2-01\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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By Neil Patel | Source NEIL PATEL<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

As the author of thousands of blog posts, one question I often get is:\u00a0How do you think of new ideas for blog posts?<\/em><\/p>\n

I have had occasional writer\u2019s block; but for the most part, coming up with ideas has never been an issue. If you pay attention to the world around you and listen to people, you\u2019ll get a flurry of potential ideas for posts.<\/p>\n

Also, there are tools and tricks that will help you find even more ideas.<\/p>\n

I decided to compile a list, a complete list, of ways to come up with content ideas. These methods can be used to develop a blog post, an e-book, a podcast, or whatever you want to create.<\/p>\n

Here is that list, with one caveat before we begin.<\/p>\n

Content Ideation Secret: Questions<\/h2>\n

Before you start trying to brainstorm content ideas, it\u2019s best to be in a problem solving frame of mind. You\u2019re attempting to solve the problems and answer the questions your target readers have regarding your industry.<\/p>\n

In other words, you are looking for questions. It could be questions people ask aloud, things they search for, or things they simply ponder in their minds.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a golfer, and a question many golfers have is:\u00a0How do I grip a golf club?<\/em><\/p>\n

If an amateur golfer sees a title like\u00a0How the Best Golf Pros Grip the Club,\u00a0<\/em>they have to click. It doesn\u2019t matter if it\u2019s on a search engine, on social media, in an email, or wherever. The title answers a question and solicits a click.<\/p>\n

So start with the frame of mind that you\u2019re going to answer questions with your content and with your content titles.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s get into the sources of content ideas!<\/p>\n

1. General Forums (Quora, Yahoo!, etc.)<\/h2>\n

One of the first places I go to find inspiration for titles is\u00a0Quora<\/a>. It\u2019s a huge forum where people ask questions about everything under the sun. Simply type in the topic your readers are interested in or the name of your industry, and you will start finding questions that you can turn into content.<\/p>\n

From this question, you could create something like:\u00a010 Invoicing Tools for Freelancers<\/em><\/p>\n

2. Industry-Specific Forums (Your Readers\u2019 Forums)<\/h2>\n

Forums are kind of old school in the world of the Internet, but they\u2019re still popular. They are one of the simplest ways for people to converse with others online just as they do in real life. People share news, ask questions, answer questions, and more.<\/p>\n

There are general forums like Quora, but there also are forums for just about every industry and niche.<\/p>\n

Go to Google and search for [your industry] forum, and you\u2019ll likely find at least one and probably a dozen.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a snapshot from\u00a0<\/dream.in.code><\/a>:<\/p>\n

There are a few great questions on that one page.<\/p>\n

3. Online Groups (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)<\/h2>\n

Social media groups are like niche forums. People discuss industries, interests, and topics. Look for the groups that don\u2019t allow lots of article sharing. Those are mostly spam. Look for groups in your industry that have a lot of questions and answers.<\/p>\n

4. Industry Publications: Popular Titles and Topics<\/h2>\n

Find the sites in your industry that publish all the latest news, trends, tips, and everything else your readers love. Look for the articles with the most engagement: comments, shares, views, etc.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll get a feel for what\u2019s popular and what the hot topics are. Create content on those topics, and try to either bring a different viewpoint or expand on what\u2019s already been discussed.<\/p>\n

5. Industry Publications: Comment Sections<\/h2>\n

On industry publication sites, you\u2019ll see comments. The people leaving the comments are your target readers, so notice what they\u2019re saying. Since writers do not, and cannot, share everything on a topic in a single article, sometimes readers will ask questions. Look for those questions, and provide answers with your own content.<\/p>\n

6. Social Media: People You Follow<\/h2>\n

Create a list of your ideal readers. Usually, that\u2019s a list of your best customers or ideal customers. Follow them, and take note of the content they engage with. See what they share, reply to, etc. Those are topics you can cover with your content.<\/p>\n

7. Social Media: People Who Follow You<\/h2>\n

A basic social media strategy is to share the content you create (and the best content you can find) that your target audience will find interesting and useful. If you do a good job of this, you\u2019ll attract a following.<\/p>\n

Even with only a few followers, you can ask your followers questions like:\u00a0What is your biggest challenge at work?<\/em><\/p>\n

The replies can lead to great topics for content.<\/p>\n

8. Social Media: Hashtags<\/h2>\n

It took me a while to start using hashtags on the updates I share on social media, and it took me even longer to follow hashtags.<\/p>\n

Your ideal followers won\u2019t always follow you. It\u2019s just the way it is. But you can still find them by following popular industry hashtags.<\/p>\n

Follow the hashtags and look for popular articles, buzzwords, and questions. That can lead to potential topics for your content.<\/p>\n

9. Social Media: Questions People Ask Industry Influencers<\/h2>\n

Identify the influencers in your industry. Put them on a Twitter list or follow them. Look at how people interact with those influencers. Often, people will ask influencers questions; but because influencers are busy, they won\u2019t have time to respond to all the questions.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where you can step in and provide the answers.<\/p>\n

10. Social Media: Topics Industry Influencers Discuss<\/h2>\n

Look at the things influencers are sharing. Create similar content. If it\u2019s good enough for the influencers in your industry, then it\u2019s important.<\/p>\n

11. SlideShare<\/h2>\n

SlideShare kind of falls into its own category of online content. It\u2019s a hugely popular site, and there are slide decks for just about every industry out there. Search for your industry, and find the most popular decks. From there, create content that builds on the popular topics or that presents your unique commentary.<\/p>\n

12. YouTube: Industry Videos<\/h2>\n

There are a few ways you could get inspiration from YouTube. The one that works the best is to find the most popular videos from your industry, which could be how-to videos, trend videos, news videos, or whatever. Then look for those with views, comments, and other engagement, and you\u2019ll have the topics you should be focusing on with your content.<\/p>\n

13. Instagram Feeds and Comments<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve followed influencers in the online industry, and the comments they get can lead to content gold. Again, influencers don\u2019t have time to answer every question. That\u2019s where you can come in. And for some reason, influencers on Instagram get a lot of comments.<\/p>\n

14. Interviews<\/h2>\n

Talk to interesting people. I like to think that everyone has a unique perspective to offer on something. Even if they\u2019re just telling their own stories about experiences they\u2019ve had, it can lead to inspiration for a post. So interview someone. Talk to them in person, on the phone, or over email. Ask them a few questions.<\/p>\n

Use the discussion as inspiration. You also could use the interview as a piece of content, but always get permission before you do that.<\/p>\n

15. External Roundups<\/h2>\n

A roundup can make a great post on its own. Provide ten great pieces of content for your customers to consume. In addition, looking through the content itself can spark inspiration. You can see what people like, and then form your own content.<\/p>\n

16. Internal Roundups<\/h2>\n

This is the same basic idea as the external roundups described above, except that here you\u2019ll look back through your own archives to see what you\u2019ve done in certain categories or tags.<\/p>\n

17. Surveys<\/h2>\n

Are you unsure about what your customers need to know? Ask them what they\u2019re struggling with. Ask them for three challenges they\u2019re facing in the industry. Ask them what topics they would like to know more about. Don\u2019t overdo it with surveys. Directing even one question to a few customers can lead to great content inspiration and ideas.<\/p>\n

18. Your Website: Comment Sections<\/h2>\n

In the same way you can get ideas from the comment sections of other websites, you can get great ideas from your own comment sections. If readers are asking questions or telling you what you should have included, you can use that to create new content.<\/p>\n

19. Your Website: FAQ Sections<\/h2>\n

Many websites have frequently asked questions sections because they get repeat questions and want to provide the answers for visitors and new customers. Look at your FAQ section and determine if there are ways you can expand on the topics with another form of content, such as a video, a blog post, an e-book, or a guide.<\/p>\n

20. Competitor Websites: FAQ Sections<\/h2>\n

Take a look at the FAQ sections on your competitors\u2019 websites. See what questions they\u2019re getting all the time, and make sure you\u2019re answering those questions with some form of content.<\/p>\n

21. Conference Q&A Sessions with Experts<\/h2>\n

Conferences are great if you can attend. Not only do you learn a lot, but you can use the sessions for content inspiration. You can pull inspiration from the topics the experts discuss. Also, pay close attention to the Q&A sessions and focus on what people ask. Can you provide answers to those questions?<\/p>\n

22. Conference Agendas<\/h2>\n

Check out the agendas for conferences. See what the big topics are. You can create your own content based on the hot topics at conferences.<\/p>\n

23. Conference Roundtable Discussions<\/h2>\n

I think there is good value in the roundtable discussions at conferences. The best discussion often comes from the questions. If people ask questions about the same topic, it\u2019s a good indication that content covering that topic would be popular.<\/p>\n

24. Customer Service Representatives<\/h2>\n

Here is one of my favorites. I used to work for a large shoe catalog company, and I would get the occasional email from customer service saying they were getting questions about the shoes.<\/p>\n

I would try to find the answer and report back. But then I realized that customer service representatives speak with the customers all the time. They get a lot of business-specific questions, but they also get many general questions. Those general questions can lead to great ideas for content.<\/p>\n

25. Salespeople<\/h2>\n

Like customer service representatives, salespeople are in constant communication with customers. They are on the front lines. Even better, salespeople work with customers in the early stages of the sales process. So they answer common questions all the time. You can take that insight and turn it into great content that will attract other potential customers.<\/p>\n

26. Product\/Service Experts<\/h2>\n

When I worked for the shoe company, I learned that the merchandisers would attend shoe shows where they would get all the latest information on upcoming trends. This made for great blog posts. We could do content about\u00a0Hot Trends for Next Summer,<\/em>\u00a0and people liked it. The experts at your company often have very interesting and useful knowledge.<\/p>\n

27. Popular Posts on Your Site<\/h2>\n

Look at the popular posts on your site, even going back a few years. You can create new content on the same topics or repurpose content into other forms like videos, podcasts, and more.<\/p>\n

28. Announcements<\/h2>\n

What does your company have coming up? Big announcements can make for content that your customers would find interesting.<\/p>\n

29. Webinars<\/h2>\n

Webinars have really become popular the last few years, but they\u2019ve been around for a while. Check out the popular webinars in your industry. Look at the influencers. They usually hold webinars. Follow a few and see which ones are more popular. The topics discussed can make for great topics for all content.<\/p>\n

30. An Industry Outsider<\/h2>\n

Have a discussion with someone who has little to no interest in your industry. They\u2019ll likely have questions that would make for great content.<\/p>\n

31. Webmaster Tools<\/h2>\n

All Google keyword search queries pass through Google\u2019s Webmaster Tools now. It\u2019s a good place to see what content is generating the most traffic from search. From there, you can look for other potential keywords that could be the focus of future content.<\/p>\n

32. Website Analytics<\/h2>\n

The same tactic described in Webmaster Tools above works with analytics. You can see how visitors are finding your site. Then determine if there is more you can do in those channels to create content to attract more of the same type of visitors.<\/p>\n

33. Google Search Box Suggestions<\/h2>\n

Notice the suggestions that appear when you start typing a search into the Google search box. Some of the suggestions can be ridiculous, but others can give you clues about what people are searching for.<\/p>\n

34. Google Related Searches<\/h2>\n

On search results pages, look at the bottom and you will see related searches that can clue you in to what you could be covering in your content.<\/p>\n

35. Controversy<\/h2>\n

What are the controversies in your industry? They don\u2019t have to be life or death arguments, but find something that is a hot topic and start a conversation. Pick a side and create a piece of content around that idea.<\/p>\n

36. HARO<\/h2>\n

Help A Report Out<\/a>\u00a0is great if you\u2019re looking to be included in stories. You can also subscribe to see what the popular topics are in various industries. If you see trends, it\u2019s a sign that you could be discussing the topic, too.<\/p>\n

37. Popular Industry E-Newsletters<\/h2>\n

I try to subscribe to at least a handful of industry newsletters. I maintain the subscriptions to the good ones and replace the others. What I look for are the topics being discussed, and sometimes I get inspiration for something I can create that my target customers would find interesting.<\/p>\n

One key: you\u2019re looking at e-newsletters that your\u00a0customers<\/em>\u00a0subscribe to.<\/p>\n

38. Google Alerts<\/h2>\n

Set up alerts for certain topics that your customers care about. See what\u2019s being published. Look for gaps in the information and create content to fill them.<\/p>\n

39. Internal Data<\/h2>\n

Use the company data that you typically have about your industry and customers. It might be an old research project your team did or a collection of statistics you\u2019ve gathered about your customers.<\/p>\n

When the information is on a large scale, you can tell your customers things like \u201c75% of our customers use X tool for analytics.\u201d It\u2019s anonymous but valuable to customers and potential customers.<\/p>\n

40. Industry Statistics<\/h2>\n

Tap into industry statistics. I try to follow places like Nielsen, Emarketer, and others to see what the latest studies are showing in various industries. I can comment on the findings to create content.<\/p>\n

41. Experiments<\/h2>\n

Experiments aren\u2019t just for science class. Try experiments with your work. You can turn the experiment into a piece of content, or you could get inspiration for something you can create that your customers would find interesting.<\/p>\n

42. Internal Website Search Queries<\/h2>\n

This goes with analytics a little bit (which was mentioned earlier), but I\u2019m also calling it out as its own point. See what people are searching for\u00a0on your site<\/em>. If they\u2019re not finding what they want, it\u2019s a sign that you need to create content that provides the answer.<\/p>\n

43. Popular Content Types from Other Industry Publications<\/h2>\n

Use popular content types, such as the Top Ten list from David Letterman. People love that format.<\/p>\n

Maybe a popular site presents annual awards. You can create awards for your industry, its influencers, and best products and tools.<\/p>\n

44. Content Topic Generators<\/h2>\n

There are a few content topic generators available. They use popular title formulas, and you fill in the blanks with your industry terms and keywords.<\/p>\n