Whether you’re a blogger who’s struggling with writer’s block or a business owner who is trying to think of new content to add to your website, trying to come up with new ideas that are actually interesting can be quite a challenge. Although it’s easy to crank out fluff for your blog or website, this isn’t going to hold the attention of your visitors. And as Google has shown over the last year, they’re not interested in content just because it has relevant keywords in it.
If you’re trying to come up with some great ideas but feel like your brain is stuck in park, here are five tips for getting your creative juices to flow:
Turn Off Your Computer
When you’re sitting in front of your computer, you’re less than two seconds away from an unlimited supply of sites that are extremely fun and very distracting. Because it’s so easy to spend time not focusing on work, sometimes coming up with new ideas is as simple as disconnecting.
The next time you get stuck, turn off your computer, grab a paper notepad and go sit somewhere. Whether it’s outside or a different room in your house, the key is to just sit without being overstimulated by so many distractions. You may be surprised to discover that as soon as your brain has a moment to relax and focus, the ideas you’ve been trying to find will start flowing.
Take a Shower
While this sounds a little strange, it can definitely work well. If turning off your computer and sitting with a notepad doesn’t work, you may need to free up your mind a little more. By simply thinking while taking a long shower, you can eliminate the need to worry about writing ideas down and just allow your thoughts to flow.
Connect Two Concepts from Different Fields
One reason some people have trouble coming up with content ideas is because they feel like they’re simply repeating what others within their field have already said. However, what these people fail to take into account is not everyone in their field has the same interests as them.
As a result, you can use your unique interests and hobbies to bring in fresh concepts and connect them to your field.
Ask Your Visitors
If you’re a blogger, use the comments visitors leave as inspiration for new content. And if you have a website for your business, look through the emails you’ve received from visitors to find patterns of what you have been asked about on a regular basis.
Update Existing Content
You already have content on your blog or website. While it may not be out of date, that doesn’t mean you can’t revisit previous ideas. By simply reading through what you’ve written in the past, you will likely discover topics that you want to approach from a different perspective in a new post or article.
What other strategies do you use to come up with new content ideas?
Craig Klein is the president of a Sales Nexus which is a CRM software company that also offers email marketing for small business solutions.
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