Content creation seems challenging at times. How do you come up with ideas for content on a regular basis?
You don’t have to spend hours each day trying to come up with content ideas. There are plenty of free and premium tools that can inspire you and showcase what your audience really wants from you. Here are a few you can use:
Keyword Tool.io
Keyword Tool.io is one of the most comprehensive keyword tools available. That’s because this unique website pulls keywords from several popular content sites including Google, YouTube, Bing, Amazon, eBay, and App Store.
With so many different search options, you’ll be able to rank well in Google and YouTube. One of the reasons it’s so effective is because this tool pulls keywords from real Google autocomplete searches.
Answer the Public
Another alternative that you may want to consider when looking for keywords is Answer the Public. You can use the site to see what questions users search for answers to. For example, you can type a topic like ‘puppy training’ into the search box.
Answer the Public will then display a list of questions that those seeking this information often ask. Seeing these questions can inspire you to create new content since you know what information is really important to your community.
Buzz Sumo
Buzz Sumo is another keyword tool you can use for your research. But it has more than one feature that makes it an excellent choice for marketers and small businesses. The most exciting option is that you can enter a keyword and see which links have been ‘most shared’ in your niche.
For example, if you type ‘puppy training’, you’ll see a new story about puppies that’s been shared over 173K times on Facebook. You can use this feature to help you create content that’s more likely to go viral.
Moz Keyword Explorer
You may also want to consider Moz Keyword Explorer when you’re looking for fresh content ideas. You can use this keyword tool to look at the search engine results page (SERP) rankings of the sites that rank on page 1 of Google. This can provide you with insight into which websites will be your biggest competitors.
Google Trends
It’s not enough to simply know a keyword is popular. You also want to know when during the year it’s most popular. This is important because it helps you plan your content in advance so you can get the most traction possible. That’s why you want to use Google Trends when you create your content strategy.
For example, you may know wedding preparations is a popular keyword in May, right before all the June weddings. But what you may not know is it’s also a very popular keyword in late November due to couples planning their spring nuptials.
Semrush
Semrush is one of the most popular keyword tools available today. That’s because the data it provides is comprehensive. You can see which keywords are popular by country, view organic search keywords, and study the CPC of paid traffic. You can also see related keywords. This can show you which terms you’ll want to use in your content. For example, you might find that puppy training isn’t as popular a keyword as you thought. You might discover that most of your community uses the term dog training instead. This insight is valuable because it helps you discern what your community is really looking for.
Let
Your Community Inspire You
The good news is there are lots of ways to get your community to help you. Not only is this a great way to drive engagement, it also gives you the chance to be inspired by your fans. Here’s how to reach out:
Create a Poll
Sometimes, content creation can be slowed because you have too many choices. For example, you run a cooking blog and you’re about to launch your latest series. You’re not sure if your community would prefer a new batch of dessert recipes or brunch ideas.
You don’t have to make this decision yourself. You can create a poll and ask your followers to share their thoughts. You can use a WordPress plugin to add a poll to your website or you can use the poll feature on a social network like Twitter.
Broadcast Your Questions
Twitter isn’t the only social network you can use to gather insights from your fans. You can also use Facebook’s livestream feature to create your very own broadcast. While you live stream, Facebook goes to work, notifying your followers that you’re live.
Take advantage of this perk and ask your viewers questions while listening for their responses. But don’t make your question vague like, “What should I write about?” Instead, ask questions that encourage conversation such as, “What was the last news story that made your blood boil?” or “Who always encourages you when you’re having a difficult day?”
These questions can prompt you to come up with fresh content ideas. If you do end up creating content from these conversations, be sure to thank your watchers for their insights and ideas in the finished product.
Send Out Surveys
You may also want to try sending out surveys to your audience. You don’t have to create anything complex. You can even use a simple website like Survey Monkey or Alchemer.
Sometimes, it can be difficult to get responses when you create a survey. One way to get around this problem is to offer a small, valuable prize in exchange for participation. For example, one brand gave away $5 Amazon gift cards to participants who completed their survey. One marketer offered participants a coupon code to get her latest book for free.
Encourage User-Generated Content
When you’re really stuck on what to post, consider letting your fans help you. One lipstick company encourages their buyers to post to social media using a branded hashtag. Then the content manager selected the best pictures and created a blog post titled, 15 Lipstick Tips to Make Your Lips Look Fab. Inside the post, Instagram photos from users were embedded.
Before the post went live, the content manager reached out to each participant and had them sign waivers. Then to show their gratitude, each Instagrammer received a special t-shirt in the mail. It was a simple way to thank fans for the user-generated content. You can use a similar tactic in your own business. Invite your followers to post content to your brand hashtag. Then let their responses inspire you to create even more amazing content.
