There’s nothing worse than being stumped on what to write about. We all know how daunting the blank page can be, or an empty spot in your content calendar. Well good news, you’re not alone.
At times, writer’s block is no match for the internet, while other times the sheer magnitude of the web causes us to become overwhelmed and leaves us without results. You need filters, guides, and specific places to go for the best material.
Here are the best places to find content ideas for social media marketing, blogging, and more:
- Google. Okay, we all use Google. But the handy website goes far beyond the standard search engine. You can specifically look for news and filter results based on the most recent or relevant. You can also set up alerts that help you stay aware of new content relevant to specific keywords. Finally, Google allows you to study trends and topic performance with Google Trends. It’s a handy tool that transforms content into quantifiable data. All three are fantastic features that not many marketers utilize.
- Facebook and Twitter. I bunched these two social media giants into one category simply because you’re able to search for content in similar ways. Hashtags, trending charts, and search bars are all very helpful when trying to find that spark of inspiration.
- Reddit. While Reddit is technically a social media platform to a certain extent, you can use it as a resource. Reddit is comprised of categories named Subreddits and you can find content that’s specific to your topic. r/cars is ideal for mechanics, r/technology is for computer companies, r/news is all-around awesome.
- Groups. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ house communities where like-minded professionals go to discuss relevant topics. These places are great for inspiration and new insights.
- Blogs. There’s nothing like a blog to get your brain working. There are millions of these sites out there that offer up a plethora of information. The only problem with blogs, however, is that they can be difficult to find. Blog Engage is a great place to find new and exciting avenues to knowledge.
- Email Marketing. Instead of trashing every email you receive, save the ones that might actually get your brain thinking or offer an engaging news article. You might find out that not everything in your inbox is spam.
- Stack Overflow. I love Stack Overflow. It’s a fantastic place to find the answers to technical questions, but they also offer a seemingly infinite library of knowledge and resources. They also have plenty of sister sites that will fit a wide variety of your content-hungry needs.
- Feed.ly. Like Google Alerts, Feed.ly is great because you can sit back, relax, and wait for the content to come to you. It takes just a few moments to set an account up and you will soon see a nice stream of articles, blogs, and more coming your way.
- YouTube. YouTube offers content suggestions based on things you’ve already viewed. This causes it to become a surprisingly deep well of knowledge and information. Just don’t get too distracted with funny videos.
- Your Own Page. Lastly, all the inspiration you need might be on your own Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram page. Read your followers’ comments, study analytics, and read your older content.
There is no excuse for writer’s block or blank pages anymore. With the above recourses, you should be ready to take on the content creation world with a revived passion for marketing!
Still stuck? Contact us today to see how our social media managers can bring your marketing to new heights!
