We writers are prone to fears, anxieties, and self-doubt. We worry whether our writing is good enough. We worry whether we communicated as clearly as we could have. We worry when we’re passed over for another writer. And, when we get a customer who wants pitches for every order, we wonder whether we’ll be able to consistently generate ideas.
Most of the things we worry about are largely in our heads and concerns about idea generation are no different. As long as you are curious and competent, you will rarely have trouble coming up with ideas.
The More Ideas You Create, the More You’ll Have
Sometimes you’ll get the urge to save an idea for your own blog because you are afraid you won’t come up with a better one. But it pays to remember that freelance insurance writers wind up getting deeply familiar with the topics they cover. Over time, this will reveal new topics and angles that you may not have thought of before.
If you are worried about ideas, keep a file with a backlog. Each time you are performing research for one topic, jot down any ideas you think of for a related blog. Over time, you will find that you come up with more than you ever expected.
Google Alerts Are Your Friend
If you write about a topic often, create a Google Alert for it. This will send periodic emails to your Gmail account with a round up of news stories. You can choose how often the alerts come and how many news stories are included. No time to read every single article? Skim the headlines. You will probably see something that triggers an idea.
Consider Different Angles
Often, you need only change the angle to come up with an idea that will create a unique article. If you’ve written about “5 Reasons to Update Your Life Insurance” for one client, consider writing “6 Milestones That Mean That It’s Time to Re-Examine Your Insurance.” These are, on the surface, largely similar ideas. However, by framing them differently, you will appeal to different audiences and make readers think about the suggestions in different ways.
When in Doubt, Use Prompts
No matter how good you are, you will still have days when you feel like the well’s run dry. Writing prompts are a common tool fiction writers use to get going when they are feeling blank. And they can benefit freelance insurance writers and other non-fiction writers as well. Keep a list of prompts to get yourself started. These can be questions, such as “What would I want to know if I was buying _____ insurance for the first time?” Or, they can be a generic starter headline like “5 Things You Never Knew About _______ Insurance.”
By using your research skills and expanding your knowledge, you can be assures that you are never short of inspiration. Trust yourself and don’t shy away because you are worried that you will run out of ideas.
Lara S is a content writer and blogger. She’s written professionally since 1998 and specializes in creating reader-friendly posts for complex industries like healthcare, law and insurance. On the weekends, you’re likely to find her out on her sailboat or ensconced in bed with a book.
