Content marketing ideas are the lifeblood of any solid marketing plan. Everything good begins with a good idea.
If you think you don’t need more good ideas – that what you need is better implementation – you’re still saying you could use some ideas for how to do better implementation. Good ideas are part and parcel of content marketing.
The problem is without a solid marketing plan and a calendar of topics for upcoming videos, articles, or social media posts, you’re going to run short on content ideas now and then. Here’s a quick recipe that will help you out in a pinch.
First, curate a list of content marketing ideas that matter
The tool at the heart of this search for helpful content topics is the google incognito page. Most folks use incognito for private searches, but it’s also helpful as a way of searching anonymously to find search results that are not tied to your own browser history. That way, the results you see are what the average users are typing in.
One of the sections on page one of the search result is “People also ask.” This is your bullseye for topic ideas, but it only works if you enter the right kind of search.
For example, if I search “ideas for blog posts about software,” here’s what I get:
Basically, my search is too generic – folks are asking the same questions I am.
Not helpful.
However, one little twist can change everything.
For content to be relevant, make it specific to a problem. That problem could be related to an industry or a particular aspect of a product or service. By simply typing in the software type and the word “problem,” you’ll see a much different result.
Here’s what it looks like when I refine my software query to the phrase “enterprise software problems”:
Now we’re getting somewhere!
Any one of the above questions, “People also ask,” is rich with implications for content marketing ideas. In fact, with a few tweaks, a couple of these questions could serve as excellent headlines.
A few more searches, or better yet, a few conversations with clients or your sales team, will fill in the subtopics for your excellent piece of content.
If you know something about SEO, you can take it to a whole new level. Start with some keyword research and when you come up with your keyword phrase, add the word “problem” to it when you do that initial search.
Even if you don’t know what a keyword phrase is, you now have a method for using it in a simple, effective way. However, don’t procrastinate on educating yourself about SEO. There are plenty of great resources available, like this one.
And you can always ask us, of course.
All that’s left now is to add some intrigue to the endeavor.
The cat killer rides again
(Platform Creator does not condone feline violence)
Curiosity may kill a cat or two here and there, but it happens to be one of the most powerful emotions you can draw on when it comes to capturing attention.
Remember, it doesn’t matter how great your content is if it’s ignored.
Now that you have some content marketing ideas, use curiosity as the shiny wrapper.
People react to content that suggests something they can do to improve their situation and then wonder if they can do it.
Make this your mantra as you work on the structure of your headline and the structure of your content.
That’s it. Quick and simple. Go forth and create content your readers want instead of guessing what they want.
