When it comes to blogging, there are endless topics and themes to consider, but how do we zero in on those that engage and ultimately convert?
Once you have those 25-50 key posts, it can be hard to dig deeper to complete the rest of your editorial calendar and, typically, pulling ideas from other departments is fruitless.
Below are ways to create topics your target clients are already searching for and processes to keep those brainstorming sessions going:
Know Your Audience
People like to read about issues that are applicable to them. So find out all you can about your audience. Are they men or women? How old are they? What’s their educational background?
What do they do for a living and for fun? What questions are they asking that you can you answer in your blog posts?
The more that you can pin down the details regarding the struggles of your buyer personas, then the more likely it is that you can uncover what interests them.
What’s one of the best places to find questions you can copy and paste directly into your editorial calendar? Your chat transcripts!
A gold mine for frequently asked questions directly tied to your products and services, be sure to loop in your sales team to dig deeper into the common misconceptions they come across.
Rely on Topic Generators
If you’re in a hurry to come up with ideas, write down some words that describe your business, products, and services. Then put them into an online topic generator to generate ideas.
- Portent’s Content Idea Generator needs just one subject. It then creates one idea at a time and has helpful pop-ups explaining why each part of the title produces results.
- Hubspot’s Blog Topic Generators lets you put in three nouns, in which it offers five topics.
- Content Ideator turns a phrase into multiple pages of related titles that it finds on the web. Clicking on a topic takes you to an online article that develops the content. A paid version adds statistics and more research about your selection.
- WriterAccess provides clients with the Topic Pitch feature. Enable it when placing an order, providing the writer at least general guidance in regards to subject, silo, or category. The writer will then pitch you a more detailed, engaging title within 24 hours. Review and approve, or reject with feedback for an alternative! As you work with a freelance writer on a consistent basis, our industry experts will be researching the latest trends and tools which will prove beneficial for you and your editorial calendar.
Research for Inspiration Outside of Your Industry
Check out the post titles of your favorite blogs that may not be parallel to your business and think about how you can adapt them to your own content.
This will help you look outside your typical audience and take a new approach to crafting your message.
Use The News
When a piece of news affects your business or your audience, you’ll want to highlight it. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of it in a timely manner.
Online news sites are full of potential ideas. Does a story solve or cause problems for your audience? Will something make it easier or harder for your clients to do business?
Can you tie in an upcoming holiday to your product or service? Including timely topics shows your brand as a leader within the industry, who can be relied on for both innovative information and solutions.
Take a New Slant
After reviewing how your current content has been performing, look more deeply at pieces that are performing best and how they align with queries bringing new visitors to your site.
How can you take a different slant on a highly successful post? Rather than a comprehensive guide, instead think about shortening it into a handy checklist or a corresponding infographic.
What does you ideation process currently look like? Share in the comments, or connect with @WriterAccess on Twitter.
Find out how freelance writers like Aurelio L can assist you in generating topics that convert for your business!
