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So you need to produce new content for your website? If you find that you’re stuck on what to write about and can’t come up with interesting topics that will engage your audience, make use of this article that offers five effective ways to find article ideas for your website.
Many of the masterminds behind the most successful online platforms can agree that sometimes, getting new ideas can be a bit tasking. This is because we live in a world where people continuously crave good content to read, watch or listen to. No doubt, the only way to keep visitors interested in your content and asking for more is to keep the stream of creative ideas flowing. For sure, consistency is the most vital trick to writing a blog or running a website as there is no easy way to get around content creation; even though it is the primary tool required for innovative and modern day marketing to thrive.
If you are looking to find article ideas for your website, we have garnered up some tricks that should largely make content creation relatively easier. These five basic tips will serve as a guide for quick sourcing of ideas, easy content building as well as creative writing and advertising that will give a prolonged edge over the competition.
1. LISTEN TO FEEDBACK
This has to be one of the oldest content writing tricks. Every avid writer has to understand that while writing may be a form of escape for them, or a hobby greatly enjoyed, there’s an audience to please. It is equally important to note that you can’t please everyone, but there is great importance in what a good number of loyal readers are saying about the website. Some people, through their comments or suggestions, can actually provide useful ideas and tips that could go on to build a good topic or advert.
People are constantly asking for more, and while some don’t exactly know what they want, others are nice enough to provide useful solutions to questions, which even you don’t know the answer to. What’s more, a lot of big brands profit off customer feedback, making use of the outstanding information that flows in, converting it into useful content. For example, someone whose website is centred around providing fashion tips could ask in depth and direct questions to their users. This provides a good focus on what next to write about and how best to satisfy a large audience.
Sometimes, an easy way of getting useful ideas is by taking a poll or survey. This will easily facilitate a good inflow of information on certain areas in your niche. Pay in depth attention to the feedback received, read and re-read what different subscribers have sent in and wisely select the information that could prove to be a good building block when putting ideas together. Always remember, your subscribers will be pleased to find that they are heard and that their feedback/contributions are appreciated.
2. MONITOR YOUR COMPETITORS
The beautiful thing about websites and social media platforms today is the easy access to information. There is no harm or crime in checking out what other big blogs or websites are doing and trying to incorporate that into your content strategy and it’s one of the easiest and most effective ways to build content. No doubt, there is probably more than one website delivering similar content in your niche and searching for content ideas from time to time will keep your blog busy.
The saying that ‘No man is an island’ also applies to brands, websites and blogs and looking to solely create content of your own and personally come up with all the ideas will only prove to be quite draining. The sooner you feel drained, the faster your writing dissolves. Checking out other sites is one of the most effective ways of reviving the appetite for writing and getting good ideas to build on. however, it’s not okay to take someone else’s ideas word for word – the edge you have over the competition with all that access to information is what you do with it.
Search for good content from other top websites or blogs and transform it to an even better idea. Looking out for what other content writers are putting up is only a necessary guide to inspire even better work. Think over every piece of information gathered and decide which part will best influence or contribute to what you need to put out there. Remember, everyone is different, we all have a little spice that could make the content even juicier, it all depends on how well the information is combined.
3. KEEP UP WITH IMPORTANT TRENDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
It’s extremely important to be in touch with your writing as a content builder, yet even more important to stay in touch with what’s happening on the web. Social media has become a very powerful platform where people share ideas, get valuable attention and equally get the audience they need to rise to the top. It has become an extremely powerful tool for big and budding brands alike to get more traffic on their websites, blogs and vlogs. With more and more people signing up on at least one social media platform, there’s a growing online community to benefit from.
Whether at work, in school or on the move, most people are on their phones, refreshing their web pages just to get in the loop of what is happening at a time. As a content creator, you may have to make a habit of constantly checking what’s trending online. Join active platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the likes to constantly be in the know of what the respective communities are buzzing about. When something big happens, people love to go from page to page, site to site looking for different angles on the story. Even a budding and growing page that has some inside scoop on a hot topic will enjoy a large boost in blog / website traffic.
For example, if a controversial event takes place, you can leverage it to gain more visitors. Of course, this trick should be employed with caution and wisdom; sometimes, just little bits of trending news will peak the interest of readers. It is important also to watch how subscribers respond to trending topics to know just how often to employ this tool.
4. ASK AND ANSWER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
People have a lot of reasons why they constantly rush to social media platforms and search engines so frequently. There’s always a pressing problem that requires a speedy solution. There are a few ways of finding out what consumers who are not yet accustomed to your website are looking for. It’s not enough to just look to your comment section for inspiration; rather, make use of platforms like Quora, Yahoo and various Q&A websites to search for pressing questions a good number of people are asking.
These Q&A platforms can equally be used by content creators to gather information on a topic that is a bit foreign to their niche. Simply type your question in the search box and get various answers from individuals who are more expertly qualified in that area. Then you can easily make use of the newly found information to form content blocks on your website and write more knowledgeably on areas that may be a bit new to you.
5. ANSWER QUESTIONS YOUR COMPETITORS HAVE LEFT UNANSWERED
Most content builders are largely skilled at providing important information or writing creative and innovative content. They don’t actually take the time to provide in depth answers to the questions their subscribers and followers are asking. It would do you good to divert the needed attention to your site by creating a catchy question and providing the necessary answers. Big blogs and websites don’t usually have the time to answer pressing questions, they may answer one or two, but that’s about it.
By making use of the second tip, you will be able to find out which blog isn’t providing the answers to follow-up questions by their subscribers. Depending on the blog, or related niche, you could make use of the golden opportunity. With search engines such as Google and Wikipedia, you can easily and quickly research on such topics and get a more knowledgeable view. Some times, the answers are not on the first or second web page. Don’t be discouraged, you’d be surprised about the juicy information hidden away on the third or fourth page of the Google site.
Once you have a reliable and suitable answer, effectively write up a simple piece providing information on some of the top questions that were left unanswered and watch the number of people that will thank you for it. People love easy answers; most readers don’t want to search out answers for themselves, so they would happily appreciate a blog that offers them such information on a platter of gold.
