When you're dedicated to consistently publishing content — whether it's for social media, your company blog, or your newsletter — coming up with new ideas can be challenging. Staring at a blank page is a familiar frustration for many content creators. Fortunately, there are straightforward strategies to uncover content ideas based on questions your target audience is already asking. These methods can also help you identify problems worth addressing with new products or services.
Here are four practical ways to generate engaging content ideas:
1. Leverage Answer Socrates & Answer The Public
Both tools are compelling and reveal people's questions about various topics. This resource is invaluable for solo entrepreneurs and creators.
How to Use It:
- Enter a keyword related to your niche.
- Review the list of relevant search terms and questions.
For example, suppose you specialise in helping companies with social media. In that case, you might enter keywords like “social media strategy.” You could also find queries such as "social media algorithm," "Is growth hacking dead?", "How Do Companies Make More Money with Social Media," and more.
Each of these queries represents a potential content idea!
2. Tap into YouTube Insights
YouTube is the 2nd biggest search engine and a rich source of information about your audience’s interests.
How to Use It:
- Search for your niche or related keywords.
- Examine popular videos and the questions in the comments.
Using keywords related to your business helps you discover popular videos and scan the comments for more content ideas.
3. Utilise Google Autocomplete
Google Autocomplete can also help generate content ideas. This feature suggests popular searches as you type into the search bar.
How to Use It:
- Begin typing your keywords into Google’s search bar.
- Review the autocomplete suggestions.
These suggestions are based on the actual search behaviour of millions of people. For example, typing “social media marketing” might prompt suggestions like “social media marketing course”, which helps you develop new ideas for content. Each suggestion could inspire you.
4. Analyse Your Competitors
You can just monitor your competitors and give insights into successful content within your niche.
How to Use It:
- Examine the questions competitors address and the topics they cover.
- Identify gaps or opportunities to offer your unique perspective.
For instance, if a significant competitor frequently posts about your topic and is on top of the game, you might create similar content but in your style.
Steal like an artist: Austin Kleon cautions that he does not mean 'steal' as in plagiarise, skim, or rip off, but study, credit, remix, mash-up, and transform. Creative work builds on what came before; thus, nothing is entirely original.
This approach validates the idea and ensures you provide valuable information to your audience.
Understanding the questions and concerns of your target audience is essential for creating relevant and engaging content. Tools like Answer Socrates, YouTube, Google Autocomplete, and competitor analysis can provide valuable insights. Incorporating this simple research exercise into your content routine will help you generate ideas more efficiently, sparing you from the frustration of a blank screen.
By consistently addressing the topics your audience cares about, you’ll create content that resonates with them and might even identify new opportunities for products or services.
If you need an organic lead generation strategy, do not hesitate to book a free demo call with us: https://theapexconsulting.com/
