Did you know that blogs are still the most widely used content type for demand generation among content marketers? And 77% of marketers are using video content, including quick how-to videos, to engage their audiences? So, how do you stand out? It lies in your content. To boost your personal brand, you need to brainstorm content ideas that offer valuable insights to your ideal audience.
Looking for fresh ideas for content creation can feel like a challenge at times, but it doesn’t have to be. If you want to write blog posts, video scripts, or social media posts, the best ideas often come from the world around you. Paying attention to the questions your target audience is asking, searching for trends on search engines, or listening to conversations can spark the next great topic.
When you create content that answers the specific questions your audience is searching for, you make valuable connections. It’s particularly important in content marketing to improve online presence and establish authority in your niche. So, in this post, let me share 20 ways to spark new ideas for content creation to keep your content calendar full and fresh!
The best content ideas aren’t found — they’re created by paying attention, asking better questions, and staying endlessly curious.
How Do You Come Up With Content Ideas?
As a content creator, you need a solid content strategy to attract a wider audience. You need to understand their needs to create content that aligns with your digital marketing goals. Here’s how:
Tap Into Content Idea Tools
Content idea tools can be a lifesaver for a digital marketer struggling to find fresh topics. A good example is Semrush’s Topic Research tool that lets you input a broad topic or keyword, and it instantly provides a list of trending content ideas.
Content curation tools like Feedly and Pocket also allow you to follow industry blogs and get updated with the latest trends. This helps you stay up-to-date on what’s relevant to ensure you create quality content that resonates with potential customers.
Conduct Keyword Research and Find Low-Competition Terms
Keyword research is a good way to find blog ideas that align with what your target audience is actively searching for. Start with a broad term, let’s say “sales CRM,” and use a great tool like Semrush to uncover more specific, long-tail queries such as “What is CRM in sales?”
This helps you find relevant keywords that can guide your content. But you need to pay attention to both “Volume” and “Keyword Difficulty” (KD%). High search volume means more interest, but low KD% shows less competition.
If you want your content to rank king in search results, aim for terms with high search volume and low competition. If you want to go deeper? You can even reverse engineer a competitor’s top keywords to find gaps in their content strategy.
Analyze Your Competitors’ Content Strategies
Analyzing your competitors’ content strategies can help you identify opportunities to strengthen your own approach. Start by browsing their websites and blogs—what topics are they covering, and what formats are they using, like videos, infographics, or user-generated content?
If you notice certain blog content consistently getting high engagement or organic traffic, that’s a good indicator of what resonates with your shared audience. However, the goal isn’t to copy but to use their ideas for inspiration.
Can you offer more valuable information or present a new angle? By filling in gaps or creating more in-depth content, you can make your content stand out and better meet your audience’s needs.
Review Your Top Blog Posts and Comments
Reviewing your top blog posts and comments can offer valuable insights into what your audience enjoys and where you can improve. Start by checking your site’s analytics to see which posts are getting the most views, shares, or comments.
These high-performing articles likely cover topics that resonate with your readers. For example, if a post about “How to Rank in AI Overviews” is gaining traction, it shows your audience is interested in detailed guides.
Blog comments are also a goldmine for content ideas. Your readers’ feedback can reveal what they enjoyed, what they still want to learn, or topics they feel are missing. I suggest keeping an eye on both your own and competitors’ comments to guide your next steps in content creation.
Utilize Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT & Meta Ad Library)
Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT and Meta AI can boost your content creation process.
Start with ChatGPT. By providing it with a detailed prompt, you can quickly generate a variety of content ideas. For example, if you’re in the travel industry and want to create content that drives hotel bookings, just ask ChatGPT to suggest article ideas. It can produce a list of tailored suggestions based on your goals, which you can refine or combine with your own insights. The more specific your prompt, the better the results.
Then, turn to the Meta Ad Library for inspiration. This tool allows you to explore your competitors’ ad campaigns, which can give you a glimpse into successful content strategies. By searching for ads in your niche, you can identify content that’s performing well and spot potential gaps in your own strategy. This is a great way to generate fresh ideas and find ways to stand out with unique content.
Need Content Strategy? Help is one click away!
Interview Industry Experts and Review Key Opinion Leaders’ Perspectives
By interviewing thought leaders, you gain access to their firsthand knowledge and expertise, which can add credibility and depth to your content. For example, you could create a detailed report, Q&A, or expert roundup post using the insights from these experts, which helps address your audience’s interests. To connect with experts, professional networks like LinkedIn are useful. Attending industry events or webinars can also provide opportunities for networking.
Analyzing key opinion leaders’ interviews can also be valuable. Listening to what they predict or advise can spark new content ideas, such as future trends or actionable insights that your audience will find useful. Keep an eye on their content and discussions to stay informed about new content topics.
For example, in Sam Altman’s interview with Time, he hopes that artificial general intelligence (AGI) will have roughly the same intelligence as a “median human that you could hire as a co-worker.” If you’re in the tech niche, you can create various content from this interview.
- You can write a prediction article like “How AI Will Affect Jobs in the Next 5 Years.”
- Or a listicle like “10 Ways AI is Changing Hiring” to give readers a quick look at what’s coming.
Learn from Google Search Console and Google Analytics’ Landing Page Data
Google Search Console (GSC) is a great tool for understanding how people find your site. It shows the search queries that lead visitors to your pages and how they perform in search results.
For example, if you notice a lot of traffic from queries like “beginner yoga poses,” this could suggest creating more content on yoga for beginners. You might write a guide on “Yoga Poses for Stress Relief” with detailed images or create a “10-Minute Yoga Routine for Beginners” video for your social media platforms.
Now, if you have some traffic coming in, Google Analytics’ landing page report can be a goldmine for content ideas. This report shows which pages are driving visitors to your site.
You can use this information to identify what’s working best in terms of content topics, formats (like list posts or case studies), writing styles, and even promotional strategies. For example, if you notice that content about YouTube marketing is performing well, it might be a smart move to create more articles or videos around that topic.
Share Your Personal Experiences
Sharing your own stories can make your content more engaging and relatable. When you incorporate personal experiences, your audience gets a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to walk in your shoes. Whether you’re a small business owner, a content creator, or in any other field, telling your story brings authenticity to your content.
Let’s say you’re running a small business. Here are some topics you can write about:
- Insights on the day-to-day challenges you face
- A story about how you handled a tough customer situation
- How you found the perfect solution to a supply chain issue
These are the types of real-life examples that your readers can connect with, as they are often dealing with similar challenges themselves.
Sharing your own thoughts provides insights that your audience may not find in generic, information-only content. It’s your own twist on common problems, which can make your content stand out. The personal element you add with your own spin not only connects with people but can also inspire or motivate them.
Get the Latest Updates via Industry Newsletters
Subscribing to industry newsletters is a great way to keep up with the latest trends and news in your field and to give you new content ideas without much effort on your part. For instance, you’re in digital marketing, you can subscribe to newsletters like Marketing Brew to give you quick access to the latest viral ads, social media trends, or industry news about emerging marketing platforms.
Reading these updates can spark ideas for your own content, such as a timely article or video on a new trend. You can take the latest happenings in your field and add your own take on them to offer unique perspectives, predictions, or even a deeper analysis.
The best part? By regularly consuming this curated content, you’ll never run out of fresh ideas. You can quickly identify what’s currently on people’s minds and use that information to craft content that’s relevant and timely.
Keep Up with the Latest Product Launches
Websites like TechCrunch, CNET, and Product Hunt are fantastic resources for tracking new technology and products. By staying on top of the latest gadgets, software, or services, you can generate blog content that resonates with your audience and reflects current trends.
For instance, let’s say TechCrunch publishes an article about “Pilot,” a new AI-driven social travel hub designed to help users plan, book, and share trips. So, what topics can you start writing about?
- A detailed review of Pilot, examining its features and benefits.
- A how-to guide on using AI for travel planning could also be useful.
- A comparison article that evaluates different AI-based travel tools to help your readers make informed choices.
Plus, writing engaging content around new products lets you position your website as an up-to-date resource that your followers can rely on for the latest insights.
Key Benefits of Implementing a Sales Funnel
A well-structured marketing sales funnel brings several advantages to your business by optimizing your marketing and sales efforts.
- Relevant and Timely Messaging: A well-defined sales funnel helps you understand your customer’s journey and anticipate their questions at each stage. By delivering the right message at the right time, you build trust and guide them closer to a purchase.
- Marketing and Sales Alignment: With a clear sales funnel, marketing can answer customer questions at early stages without involving the sales team. This creates a smoother experience for customers who are still exploring options.
- Time and Effort Savings: The funnel helps your marketing team focus efforts on Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs). By filtering out unqualified prospects early, your team can invest resources in nurturing those who are most likely to convert into paying customers.
Remember that leveraging a digital marketing funnel aligns your customer interactions and drives conversions with less wasted effort. With regular customer feedback, you can continuously refine your approach to make sure your customer funnel remains effective at each stage of the sale cycle.
Use Google Image Tags
For quick content ideas, try Google Images. Search a broad topic like “graphic designing” and explore the suggested tags. Google shows related topics like “graphic design examples” or “graphic design artwork,” which can spark fresh ideas.
Another example is if you search “cosmetic manufacturer,” you might find tags like “cosmetic manufacturing company” or “cosmetic factory.” Use these to generate new blog content or videos. By mixing your original keyword with the suggested tags, your brainstorming sessions can now get easier, which will also help you generate leads and keep your content relevant and engaging.
Explore Pinterest’s Suggested Topics for Content Inspiration
It works similarly to Google’s autocomplete, but the suggestions may differ, which offers a unique angle.
For example, typing “interior design” into Pinterest could lead to topics like “interior design styles” or “interior design your home,” while Google might suggest “interior designing course” or “interior design for small house.”
These can give you inspiration for social media post ideas and help you reach a new audience. You can easily repurpose existing content by incorporating these fresh angles or create new blogs that explore topics you hadn’t considered before.
Try HARO (Help A Reporter Out)
HARO is a resource for great content ideas while staying in the loop with current events. It connects reporters with experts, and as a subscriber, you’ll get access to trending topics from various industries. This can also give you insights on key dates and trending topics to cover. By leveraging platforms like HARO, you can browse the requests to see what journalists are writing about to help you identify relevant subjects for your own content.
Discover Creative Ideas from YouTube and Niche Podcasts
To generate fresh content ideas, YouTube and niche podcasts are fantastic resources. By following YouTube channels in your niche, you can spot trending topics, popular formats, and insights into your audience’s preferences.
For example, I’m in the SEO industry, and I used to check out Brian Dean’s YouTube channel. That’s where I took my inspiration for writing my blogs, such as:
Similarly, listening to niche podcasts like “Ahrefs Podcast” or “SEO 101” helps me brainstorm ideas for blog posts or social media content. By staying engaged with these platforms, I always have fresh inspiration for my content creation.
Gain Insights from Current Studies and Trending Stories
Incorporating insights from current studies and trending stories can add credibility to your content.
Start by researching recent studies or surveys in your niche, such as academic journals or industry reports. For example, if you cover health and wellness, a recent meditation study, “Intracranial substrates of meditation-induced neuromodulation in the amygdala and hippocampus,” could inspire topics like:
- Does Meditation Really Change Your Brain? New Study Insights
- Does Mindfulness Meditation Affect Brain Activity During Rest?
- Understanding the Link Between Meditation and Brain Health
Trending news stories also offer opportunities to create entertaining content. Use tools like Google Trends or social media networks to identify hot topics. Then, adapt these trends to your brand’s voice. For instance, “studio ghibli style AI chatgpt” is one of the trending topics on Google Trends (as of writing). We can use it to generate content ideas, like:
- How AI Can Create Studio Ghibli-Style Stories: ChatGPT as a Digital Storyteller
- Creating Studio Ghibli-Inspired Dialogues with AI: The Future of Immersive Storytelling
Use the Reddit Keyword Research Tool for New Content Ideas
Reddit is divided into subreddits, which are communities dedicated to specific topics. By joining subreddits relevant to your niche, you can easily track trending discussions and the types of questions people are asking.
For example, if you’re in gardening, visit subreddits like r/gardening and look for posts with high engagement. A popular post, such as one about growing dragon fruit, could lead to content ideas like “How to Grow Dragon Fruit on Your Rooftop” or “The Best Backyard Plants to Pair with Dragon Fruit.”
To speed up the process, you can use the Reddit Keyword Research Tool. Unlike traditional keyword tools, this one highlights hot topics from specific subreddits and provides search volume data from Google Keyword Planner. This is a quick way to find relevant, trending keywords that can inspire your next content.
Gain Insights from Conferences, Forums, and Social Media Conversations
Exploring different avenues like forums, conferences, and social media conversations is a great way to gather ideas. Platforms like Quora are perfect for this. People post specific questions about topics they’re curious about, offering a clear view of what your audience wants to know.
If you’re into cryptocurrency, searching for “crypto” on Quora reveals questions like, “Should I invest in cryptocurrencies?” or “What is the best cryptocurrency exchange?” You could turn these questions into a blog post.
Attending conferences, both in-person or online, also offers another opportunity. By paying attention to panel discussions and Q&As, you can uncover hot topics or pain points in your industry. Besides, social media channels like Twitter and Instagram can show what your audience is talking about. Scanning Instagram stories or comments on posts can give you ideas for entertaining content.
Ask Your Customers What They Want and Use Reviews for Inspiration
Asking your customers directly about their content preferences is a great way to generate highly relevant material. You can use social media channels, email newsletters, or even create a simple survey on your website to gather feedback.
Customer reviews, both positive and negative, can be another powerful source of content inspiration. Reviews reflect what customers value and what they feel could be improved.
- A negative review about customer service could prompt content focused on improving support.
- Positive reviews highlighting ease of use could inspire a blog post or YouTube video about simplifying user experiences.
By using customer feedback, you can create content that directly addresses their concerns or highlights features they love—a great idea for building trust and engagement.
Use Google’s “People Also Ask” and Suggested Searches for Insights
Google’s “People Also Search For” section and suggested searches are excellent tools for uncovering content concepts that can help your site rank higher with long-tail keywords.
Start by searching for a broad topic you want to cover. Once the search results appear, scroll down to the “People Also Search For” area. This section provides a list of related topics that people are actively searching for. Clicking on one of these topics will lead to even more suggestions, creating a cycle of idea generation.
For example, I searched for “SEO” and clicked on “What is SEO in social media marketing?” I found new questions like “What is the purpose of SEO in marketing?” and “Which is better, SEO or social media marketing?” These queries give a deeper understanding of the audience’s interests and can help create highly relevant content.
Similarly, Google’s autocomplete suggestions—what appears when you type a keyword into the search bar—are perfect for discovering popular, real-time search terms. If you type “SEO,” you might see suggestions like “SEO for lead generation” or “SEO marketing.” You can use these suggestions as topics for your other content.
Generate Content Ideas That Keep Your Audience Engaged
You don’t have to worry about finding endless content ideas. There are a lot of ways to uncover fresh topics that resonate with your audience. Paying attention to trends, listening to customer feedback, and tapping into industry experts for unique perspectives are only some of the best ways to source topics.
Remember that keeping your content relevant is important to maintain engagement while building trust with your audience. Ready to create content that speaks to your audience’s needs? Get in touch with me today for guidance on writing high-quality content that fits your brand’s voice!
World Class SEO and Content Marketing Services,
Filipino Affordability.
Book a Consultation here.
FAQs About Content Ideas
How Can I Create New Content?
Start by researching trending topics, using keyword tools, and analyzing competitors. Pay attention to audience questions and needs, then brainstorm fresh angles. Use tools like Google Trends, forums, and social media to spark creative ideas.
What is the Best Content Creation Idea?
The best idea directly addresses your audience’s pain points and interests. It can be a how-to guide, listicle, or video that provides clear value. Focus on engaging, educational, and problem-solving content that your target audience can relate.
How to Find a Content Idea Related to My Industry?
Explore industry-specific blogs, forums, and news to identify trending topics. You can also ask your audience on social media or through surveys to gather insights for fresh ideas.
How do you write content for beginners?
Keep the language simple, avoid jargon, and break complex topics into digestible steps. Use clear examples and visuals, and maintain a friendly, approachable tone. Structure content with headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs to improve readability.
Which tool is best for content writing?
Popular tools like Grammarly help with grammar and style, while SEMrush and Ahrefs are great for keyword research. For idea generation, tools like BuzzSumo or Google Trends help find trending topics. Choose the one that fits your needs best.
Related Content Marketing Posts
What is User-Generated Content and Why It is Important?
Imagine you’re scrolling through Instagram, and several posts catch your eye—a fresh pair of sneakers, a glowing review of the latest gadget, or an exciting unboxing video. That’s user-generated content (UGC) in action. If you're new to this concept, you'll probably...
Which Content is Appropriate for Visitors in the Sales Funnel?
Creating content for your sales funnel isn’t just about churning out blog posts and social media updates. It’s about understanding the specific needs of your audience at every stage of their buying decision. But how do you know which content is appropriate for...
