Summary

The article provides strategies for generating an endless stream of writing topics.

Abstract

The author of the article offers nine practical tips for bloggers seeking fresh content ideas. These suggestions range from leveraging Google Autocomplete and searching Reddit to monitoring social media trends and using Google Trends for keyword research. The author emphasizes the importance of finding one's unique angle on a topic, even if it has been covered before, and encourages writers to keep an idea journal and revisit their own previous posts for new perspectives. The article aims to alleviate the stress of content creation by offering a systematic approach to finding and recycling writing material.

Opinions

The author believes in the value of content frequency for gaining followers and potential monetization, despite the challenge of constantly generating new ideas.
Originality is valued, but the author acknowledges that revisiting familiar topics from a personal perspective is valid and can yield unique content.
Google Autocomplete and asking Google questions are seen as simple yet effective methods for uncovering both popular and niche topics.
Reddit and Quora are highlighted as rich sources of content inspiration due to the diverse discussions and questions posed by their communities.
Social media monitoring, or "social listening," is recommended as a way to stay current with popular topics and understand audience interests.
The author suggests using tools like Mention for tracking specific terms and mentions online to find relevant content ideas.
Researching competitors' top-performing content can provide insights into what resonates with the audience, though the author cautions against advice from unqualified sources.
Joining relevant groups and forums can offer a wealth of questions and answers to inspire new content.

How to Find an Endless Treasure Trove of New Ideas

Use these 9 tips to generate a flood of new topics to write about

We all strive to find new ideas to submit to our blogs. It is sometimes nerve-wracking to think up the next big thing. However, try my tips to find ideas and you should never be stuck again. These tips should help you find endless topics you can regenerate over and over again.

We are told the more we post, the more we will get followers and then, maybe, just maybe we can earn enough to buy a latte at Starbucks?

We hope.

I find my ideas from many different places and I don’t worry if the topic has already been done. As I said in an earlier post that it doesn’t matter if someone has already written a piece in a similar. So what? How someone else wrote about a topic is not how I will write about it. We are all unique in how we approach an issue. You can be sure that are hundreds of blog posts telling you how to come up with new ideas. However, they are not like mine.

So, here are my suggestions:

1. Let Google Autocomplete your sentence as well as ask Google questions

Google Autocomplete can be fun and very lucrative as a way to find some familiar and obscure topics. We are stuck on using Boolean search terms to find exactly what we are looking for. But, what if you don’t already have that answer? Let Google be your guide and answer the question for you.

Search Google in general. It may seem too simple, but it really works. Ask Google a question and you will get pages and pages of response. It’s the equivalent of a pot of gold.

2. Search in Reddit

Reddit is a news and content aggregator. It has “subreddits” that take the topic a step further. You will find that many of these topics contain some excellent information you can use as content creators.

3. Use Quora as a source. There are tons of topics that you can manipulate for your purposes.

Quora can be a great starting point for seeing what people are talking about. The gift that keeps on giving.

What is unique about Quora is that people are asking questions of things that are interesting or important to them. What a great source. Use them as fuel for your content creation.

4. Become a Social Media Monitor

Also known as social listening. Paying attention to what people are talking about giving you the opportunity to gain insight into what is popular right now.

Take it from an expert, Brian White, founder of Brian White & Associates. He said, “You can learn more about people, what they want, what makes them act, and use that data to come up with successful content ideas.”

For social media monitoring, you can try Mention. I have several terms, including my name on Mention. It’s an easy way to find topics you may want to investigate further.

5. Research top-performing content of your competitors

What is getting noticed in your area of expertise? I have to say I see a lot of articles online written by people with no credentials to support their advice. Now, a lot can be excused if the article is framed as a personal experience. However, I can tell you I’m “underwhelmed” and have no respect for people presenting themselves as experts and lack the background to support it. So, that said, you can still surf Medium and see what is out there in your field.

6. Review relevant groups

Search for groups and topics in your niche that include a lot of questions and answers. You will find lots of questions and answers you can glean from.

7. Discover trending topics

The best way to find trending content is to use Google Trends for keyword research. Just enter a search term and see how the search volume changes over time. Using this data, you can better understand whether it’s worth creating content related to your topic.

8. Keep an idea journal

You know when those random thoughts occur out of the blue, or something triggered an idea? Always keep a pen and notepad handy so you don’t forget.

9. Restructure a previous post

I’ve been able to take an old post and re-write it from a different perspective. Look through your old posts and see what stands out.

It’s not easy coming up with new ideas unless you create a process to find them. Have you wondered why other Medium bloggers seem to never run out of topics? Chances are they employed a few of these tricks.