If you’re like most business owners, then you have a constant need for content. You’re always creating blog posts, writing newsletters, distributing articles and creating info products.
Sometimes, however, you just get stuck. Maybe you start writing an article, but you’re not sure how to really flesh out the content. Or perhaps you can’t even get started, because you’re having troubles coming up with what type of content to share with your readers.
If this has ever happened to you, rest assured that you’re not alone. And if it hasn’t happened yet, just wait – it happens to almost every content producer at one time or another.
Fortunately, help is here. That’s because inside this report –
You’ll discover 101 writing idea generators that you can use
to add content to just about any situation.
Indeed, the next time you’re stuck you can just randomly open this document to any page, as you’re bound to find at least one writing prompt that gives you just what you need to create great content.
But don’t take my word for it – see for yourself by reviewing all these surefire prompts right now. Read on…
1. Answer a Frequently Asked Question
Have you ever noticed that people in your niche tend to ask the same question on forums, on blogs or niche communities? The good news is that you can add value to your content, simply by answering these frequently asked questions.
Example: You might answer a question such as, “What’s the quickest way to lose 10 pounds?”
2. Share a Quote
You can get quotes in a variety of places, including:
- On a colleague’s blog or in their newsletter.
- On forums.
- On social media sites.
- In books.
- On TV, movies or other videos (YouTube.com).
- From the news.
- From quote sites such as BrainyQuote.com.
Of course don’t just share the quote – be sure to also share your thoughts on the quote.
Do you agree or disagree? Do you find the quote motivating? Offensive? Controversial? Uplifting? Instructional? And how might this quote be useful to people in your niche?
3. Recount a News Story
This method works best if you’re able to share a relatively recent news story that ties directly into what you’re discussing in your content piece.
Example: “Recently several major websites reported getting hacked, which makes you wonder: how safe is YOUR sensitive information?”
4. Make a Popular Cultural Reference
You’ll generally find that younger people are more in tune with cultural references. As such, they’ll connect with pop culture icons like Lady Gaga, Snooki or the latest meme. However, older audiences are less likely to know these same cultural references, unless you refer to references from when they were younger.
Bottom line? Know your audience before you mention anything related to pop culture.
5. Give a Tip
If you’re writing any sort of instructional, “how to” information, then this is one of the easiest ways to add value to your content.
Example: If you’re writing about how to paint a car, you may add a safety tip such as, “Always wear a respirator mask and work in a well-ventilated area.”
6. State the Steps Involved
This is another method that works great if you’re offering instructional content. Simply elaborate on the “how to” part by listing the steps. How much explanation you offer depends on the purpose of your content piece.
Example: If you’re writing about how to plant a garden, you might offer a step-by-step explanation of how to transplant seedlings.
7. Elaborate on an Idea
This is a great method no matter what kind of content you’re creating. Whether you have an instructional piece, a motivational article or even just a single quote or tip, you can quickly flesh it out by elaborating on an idea.
Example: If your colleague posts about how to read body language in a business meeting, you can elaborate on this idea to explain why this is an important skill. You can then offer other situations in which it’s useful to read body language.
8. Compare and Contrast Two Ideas
In just about every niche you run into contrasting ideas. For example:
- Democrat vs. Republican
- The poodle’s intelligence vs. the border collie’s intelligence
- Harvard vs. Yale
- Free weights vs. weight machines for bodybuiling
And so on.
You can add value to your content by comparing and contrasting these ideas.
Even if your content piece is about one of the ideas (such as using free weights for bodybuilding), you can create a sidebar to discuss the contrasting idea.
9. Compare and Contrast Two Products
Instead of comparing and contrasting ideas, you can compare and contrast products.
Examples:
- Chevy trucks vs. Ford trucks
- MarketSamurai.com vs. WordTracker.com
- Joe Sugarman’s copywriting books vs. David Ogilvy’s copywriting books
As you can see in the examples, you can compare and contrast on a large scale (Chevy vs. Ford trucks), or you can directly compare and contrast two specific products. You’ll also note that this is a great method to use if you’re an affiliate for one or both products.
10. Review a Product
Do you ever mention specific products in your content? If so, then you can add value to your content by reviewing these products. Naturally, you can also review all the new products hitting your niche marketplace, such as the newest book, app, gadget or other product.
Example: If you write an article about how to groom a poodle, then might want to review the products you use, such as the shampoo and clippers.
11. Insert a Video
A video can add value to just about any content. And it doesn’t need to be a long video, either – sometimes just a quick 20 or 30 second demonstration is all that’s needed.
Examples:
- If you’re reviewing a product, you can insert a video that shows you using the product.
- If you’re writing an article about a dog trick, then post a video that shows your dog performing the trick.
You can upload your video to YouTube.com. If you’re posting your article on your blog, then you can embed the video directly into the article. Otherwise, just link to the YouTube page.
12. Create an Infographic
If you’re sharing complex information, then one way to simplify this information is by presenting it in the form of an infographic. Your readers can get an overview of the topic by looking at the infographic, and then they can get more information by reading the text.
Example: An infographic can help readers understand how different demographics and other factors influence voting patterns.
13. Post a Mindmap
If you’re sharing a complex process, then a mindmap is a non-linear way to represent the steps of this process. Many people find this a useful way to think about new ideas or simplify complex processes.
Example: You can present a mindmap that shows people all the steps involved in product creation, from market research to hiring freelancers to polishing the final draft.
14. Answer Readers’ Questions
Chances are, your readers are sending questions to you via email, posting on your blog or asking questions on your social media sites. You can add value to your content by answering these questions, either individually or collectively.
Example: “A reader just asked the best way to tune a carburetor…”
15. Offer the History of Something
Whether you’re talking about an idea, person or a tangible object, this item has some history behind it. And you can add value to your content by sharing the history.
Example: If you’re talking about how to train a German shepherd dog, you might share the GSD’s breeding history, which gives the reader an insight into why the dog has a certain temperament and physical stature.
16. Share Your Blueprint
If you’re experienced in your niche, then you’ve probably developed a good blueprint for completing a specific process or reaching a particular goal. Your readers will be thrilled if you share your blueprint with them.
Example: If you’re teaching people how to make money online, then you can share your business model and your exact blueprint for starting and running a successful online business.
17. Reproduce Your Schedule
This is where you share with your readers a “day in your life”. Doing so will help beginners visualize what they’ll need to do to achieve the same results.
Example: If you’re a bodybuilder, then you can share your exact eating and training schedule for any typical day.
18. Post a Worksheet
You can ensure your readers understand the material you’ve given them and/or you can help them apply this information by creating a worksheet.
Example: If you’re writing about copywriting, then you can post a worksheet that takes readers through the process of profiling their target market, listing the features and benefits of their product, and brainstorming headlines.
19. Give Readers a Checklist
Another way to bridge the gap between reading information and applying it is by giving your readers a checklist.
Example: If your content is about how to land a new job, you might prepare a checklist that details all the items that should be included on a resume.
20. Quiz Your Readers
Here’s a fun and interactive way to make sure your readers understand and retain what they’ve just learned. You can offer “multiple choice” questions, “true or false” questions or even open-ended (essay style) questions.
Example: A quiz question for a copywriting discussion might be: “What does AIDA stand for?” (Answer = Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.)
21. Survey Your Readers
A survey is where you ask your readers questions, such as what their problems are or what they like most about certain products in your niche. You might even ask fun questions, such as “what is your favorite dog?” The bonus is that later on you can share your survey results with your readers.
22. Share a List of Resources
The idea here is to compile and share content resources, such as the top blog posts, videos or free reports in your niche.
Example: “The Top 10 Blog Posts Every Copywriter Ought to Read.”
23. Tell a Personal Story
Injecting a personal story into your content is a great way to connect with readers, build rapport and tap into their emotions.
Example: If you’re writing about how to get rid of allergies, then you can share your story of what it was like to suffer from seasonal allergies before you found a treatment that worked.
24. Recount a Story About Someone Else
Don’t have your own story to tell? No problem – you can share someone else’s story (with permission, of course).
Example: Your weight loss article might share the story of how someone had a heart attack before they finally decided it was time to lose weight.
25. Share Your Best Secret
You have your own secret tip, a secret strategy or some other little-known piece of information that gets you great results. Guess what? Your readers would love you for forever and day if you shared this best secret – and yes, this is a method you can and should use, even if you’re sharing the secret for free.
Examples:
- Share your #1 way for looking younger.
- Share your #1 weight loss trick.
26. Post an Excerpt From Your Product
This is a neat way to add value to your content piece while also saving yourself some time and boosting sales.
Examples:
- Share your “ingredient substitution” list from a weight loss book in an article about how to cook healthier meals.
- Share an excerpt about how to profile a target market from your copywriting book in a free report about how to write a sales letter.
27. Post an Excerpt From Someone Else’s Product
If an excerpt from your own products isn’t appropriate, then share an excerpt – with permission! – from someone else’s product.
This includes your colleagues’ products, your joint venture partners’ products or even an excerpt from a product for which you’re an affiliate.
28. Repost a Tweet
You can copy and paste the tweet along with a link to the original Twitter.com tweet, or you can even post a screenshot of the tweet. Either way, be sure to share your thoughts on the tweet.
Example: Your colleague tweets a prediction for an upcoming soccer game. You can share with your readers whether you think this prediction is right or wrong, and why you feel that way.
29. Share a Facebook Post
Same idea here as above, except this time you’re sharing a Facebook post. Again, be sure to share your thoughts and commentary on the post.
30. Interview an Expert
Are you tired of adding in your own comments, tips, steps and ideas to your content? Then ask an expert to share his or her thoughts and ideas.
Example: You might ask an expert a question such as:
- What is your favorite weight-loss tip?
- What is your opinion of “puppy pad” training for dogs?
31. Get an Expert as a Guest Author
Instead of just asking a question or two from an expert, you can ask the expert to write an entire content piece, such as an article, in exchange for a byline.
Example: If you’ve written a report about how to plant a garden, you might ask an expert to write an article about how to get rid of aphids.
32. Transcribe an Audio
Do you have a podcast, an interview with an expert or some other audio to which you have the rights? Then you transcribe this audio and offer a text version of the full recording or even just an excerpt to your readers.
Example: If you’re writing about how to set up a blog, you might transcribe an audio where one of your colleagues explains how to create engaging content.
33. Transcribe a Video
Same idea as above, except here you’re transcribing the audio portion of a video. If graphics are needed, you might offer stills from the video or other pictures and screenshots. Again, be sure you own the rights to the video before you do this. Naturally, “article videos” – those that rely heavily on audio and not so much on the visual aspects – work best.
34. Turn Text Into Multimedia
Here you’re doing the reverse of the above methods, in that you’re turning plain text into multimedia.
Example: You might turn one of your articles on dog training into a video, which allows you to also add footage of you actually training a dog.
You can then upload the video to YouTube and link or embed it into your content.
35. Post PLR Content
Short on time? Then you can tweak and insert private label rights content into your existing content.
Example: If you’re writing a report about golf, then find PLR content on the topic of putting and insert it into your report.
36. Reply to Another Blogger’s Post
You can reply to a blogger’s ideas even if you’re not blogging yourself. If you see a thought-provoking post, then you can share the post and your reply with your newsletter readers or even the readers on your social media pages.
Example: You see a blogger post touting their best bodybuilding strategy. You can link to the post and then share your reply, such as why you don’t condone this particular strategy.
37. Make a Prediction
People love reading predictions, from predictions for the coming year to predictions about an upcoming event.
Examples:
- Post your prediction for an upcoming basketball game on your basketball blog.
- Post your prediction for niche trends in a free report for online marketers.
38. Share Your Mistakes
If your readers are beginners in the niche, then they’re bound to make mistakes. However, you can help them avoid these mistakes by sharing your own mistakes and what you learned from them.
Examples:
- Share your top three dieting mistakes.
- Share your #1 product-creation mistake (such as not doing market research before creating a product).
39. Teach a Twist
You probably have developed your own twists on “tried and true” methods. If so, you can add value to your content by sharing this twist.
Example: Share with your readers a twist you’ve added to a bodybuilding exercise to make the exercise even more effective.
40. Give Away a Freebie
The idea here is to pleasantly surprise your readers by giving them a valuable freebie, such as a report, ebook, video, audio, software tool, consultation or other tools or resources.
Examples:
- Give your readers a free WordPress theme.
- Give your weight-loss readers a free calorie-counter.
41. Reminisce About the Past
If you’ve been in your niche or industry for several years, then you can reminisce about the past. How have things changed? Has the progress been good? Or do you wish things would go back to the way they were?
Example: If you’re a bodybuilder, then you can talk about the “old school” bodybuilding methods and how some bodybuilders today want results without the hard work.
42. State a Polarizing Opinion
You have plenty of opinions, no doubt. But some of them are controversial, meaning they’re likely to polarize your audience. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For example, political commentators have turned polarizing opinions into an attention-grabbing art form.
Depending on your niche, you may be able to do the same thing.
Example: You can start a controversy in a sports niche by telling your readers why a certain team is far superior to one of their biggest rivals.
43. Track and Analyze Trends
Earlier you learned about making predictions, including predicting trends. Here the idea is similar, except you’re going to start by tracking past trends. That way you not only make a prediction, but you can show the data to back it up.
Example: You can show readers how economic factors from the past 50 years may indicate the predicted state of the economy in the next six months.
44. Post a Chart
Are you sharing statistics or other data? Then posting a chart is a nice way to add value to your content.
Examples:
- You can show a chart that represents how much rainfall the state of Idaho gets each month.
- You can show a chart that represents which breed group typically wins the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.
45. Do a Case Study
One good way to test whether a product or even a strategy works is by doing a case study. If it’s not your product or idea, then you can do the case study yourself. Otherwise, you may have someone else do the actual case study and you record their results.
Examples:
- You can try a diet for eight weeks and present your results in a case study.
- You can do a case study on a new web traffic strategy.
46. Share the Results of an Experiment
Another way to test an idea is by doing an experiment.
Examples:
- Do Coke and Mentos really explode when you put them together?
- Are people more willing to comply with a request if you use the word “because” when you ask for your favor?
47. Get Your Readers to Submit Content
Here’s another good way to get content without creating it yourself: simply ask your readers to create it for you.
Examples: You can ask them to:
- Share their favorite free traffic strategy.
- Share their favorite sales letter headline that you can compile into a swipe file.
48. Summarize Complex Information
If you’re working in a niche where scientists, doctors and other academics and researchers publish information, then your readers would likely appreciate if you summarize and explain these research articles in plain English.
Examples:
- You can explain the latest research on allergies that was published in the Journal of Medicine.
- You can explain in laymen’s terms how a new diet drug affects the metabolism.
49. Provide “Cliff Notes” for
Time-Consuming Information
If people in your niche regularly produce long books, videos or other information, then you can provide a service where you summarize these long products and point out the highlights. Naturally, you can only do this with products for which the author has given you the rights to do this.
Example: If a new 400-page book comes out, you can summarize the highlights in 10 or 20 pages, thus providing a valuable service for busy people. (Again, let me stress that you can ONLY do this if the content creator gives you permission to do so.)
50. Provide a Weekly Digest of Your Content
If you personally put out a lot of content – such as creating multiple blog posts every day – then you might want to create a weekly digest of your own content.
Example: You can summarize and link to your week’s top five best blog articles, newsletter articles and/or Facebook posts.
51. Provide a Weekly Digest of Other Niche Content
Does your niche have a lot of information coming out on a monthly, weekly or even daily basis? If so, you can create a digest of all the important information that comes out on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, along with links to the full content.
Examples:
- You can provide a daily summary of the niche news, such as all the political news.
- You can provide a monthly summary of all the news, research articles, good blog posts and other information appearing in the field of weight loss.
52. Offer a Free Critique
The idea here is that you can offer a free critique to one or more of your readers, and then use this critique as a learning tool for your other readers. Just be sure, of course, that the person receiving the critique gives you permission to share the critique.
Examples:
- You can do a sales letter critique via video, where you explain how to tweak the letter to make it more persuasive.
- You can write a critique for a person’s business plan and share the critique with your readers.
53. Share Industry Best Practices
You’re probably well aware of your industry’s best practices, which are the best and most efficient methods for completing certain procedures. You can share these best practices with your readers.
Example: If you’re writing about customer service, then share your industry’s best customer service practices.
54. Start a Niche-Relevant Meme
Memes are typically photos that captured the public’s attention enough that people started adding their own captions to the photos and sharing their creations. Memes could also be viral videos, lists or other content. You can try to start your own meme. Or, you can turn widespread memes into niche-relevant memes. (Tip: See http://www.knowyourmeme.com/ for listings of current memes.)
Example: If you’re working in a dating niche, you might use the “Overly Attached Girlfriend” meme: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/overly-attached-girlfriend
55. Admit Your Mistakes
Earlier you learned how you can turn your own niche-relevant mistakes into lessons for your readers. Now here the idea is to share any mistakes you’ve made with regards to your readers, prospects and customers.
Example: If you promised to give them a free report on a certain date but the deadline has passed, then admit your mistake, apologize and make amends as needed.
56. Write an “Open Letter”
Would you like to share your thoughts with a company, a group of individuals, or perhaps a specific person who’s not easily accessible? Then write an open letter to this person or organization and share it with your readers.
Example:
- Write an open letter to your local government officials on some matter that’s relevant to your niche (such as advertising laws that are relevant to your livelihood as a marketer).
- Write an open letter to “backyard” dog breeders to stop their cruel practices.
57. Address a Hot Topic
If you’re writing content that’s going to be immediately accessible to readers (like a newsletter article or blog post), then you can address a hot topic. To find these hot topics, such visit niche forums, Facebook groups and blogs to see what topics are holding everyone’s attention.
Example: If everyone is talking about a new strategy that was recently discovered in your niche, then you can share your thoughts with your readers about how to use this strategy for maximum benefit.
58. Translate Content
This is one of those things that you can only do if you’re granted permission by the original author. However, if you DO get permission, then you might translate an article or blog post and repost it in English on your blog, in your newsletter or elsewhere.
Example: If you see a great article in Spanish by a well-known dog trainer, you can ask permission to translate the article into English and share it with your readers.
59. Create a Tutorial
Sometimes people in a niche tell beginners how to do something, but they never tell readers exactly how to do it. You can rectify this by creating a tutorial, complete with screenshots where applicable.
Example: You can create a WordPress tutorial that shows people exactly how to install and customize a WP blog.
60. Ask a Question
The idea here is to ask a thought-provoking question to get your readers thinking about a specific issue. In other words, you don’t need your readers to tell you their answers. Instead, you’re asking the question to help them.
Example: “What would you do if you lost your job tomorrow?”
61. Write About an Event
For this method you can write about any type of event. However, if you’re blogging, then you may want to write about a live event.
Examples:
- You can blog about a weekend seminar you’re attending.
- You can write about a bodybuilding competition you attended a few days ago.
62. Tell About Your Personal Life
As mentioned earlier, you can build rapport by sharing niche-relevant stories, such as a story about how you lost weight. However, you can also share other details about your life, even if they’re not directly relevant. People like to do business with those they know, like and trust, and sharing (limited) personal details can help you build this relationship.
Examples:
- You can share news about a new baby in the family.
- You can share (briefly) your difficulties of caring for an elderly family member.
63. Point Out an Injustice
Did someone get treated unfairly in your niche? If so, you can point out this injustice. You may even want to offer words of advice to the offending party about how to rectify the situation.
Example: If you work in the travel industry, you might share a story about the horrible customer service someone received from an airline or hotel.
64. Share a Big Idea
Do you have an idea about how to change things? Not just an idea, but a BIG idea? Then share it with your readers.
Examples:
- You can share an idea about how to lessen poverty in your region.
- You can share a big idea about how to deal with spam.
65. Play Devil’s Advocate
You don’t have to believe in the other side of an argument in order to take a position on that side. Instead, you can get people thinking simply by playing the devil’s advocate.
Example: If there’s a general consensus in your niche about how to do a specific procedure, then you might play the devil’s advocate to open peoples’ eyes to the pitfalls of that particular method.
66. Write About a Unique Way to Use a Product
Have you ever used a product in a way that it wasn’t intended to be used, or perhaps you discovered a “twist” on its traditional uses? If so, you can share these unique uses with your readers.
Example: Perhaps you’ve discovered an entirely new way to use a WordPress blog or a tool like Market Samurai, apart from the ways most people use them. If so, share your secret method.
67. Profile a Fellow Marketer / Blogger / Writer
The idea here is to share a biography and a background on one of the influential people in your market.
Examples:
- If you’re sharing methods from copywriter Joseph Sugarman, you might also share his history and background.
- If you’re promoting a product in your niche, you might profile this creator on your blog or in a newsletter.
68. Comment on a Statistic
Whether a statistic has been floating around for ages or it was something that was just revealed, you can share the data and comment on it.
Example: If you run a dating website, you might comment on the statistic that 50% of all U.S. marriages end in divorce.
69. Highlight a Reader’s Comment
Perhaps a reader commented on your blog post, tweet, Facebook post, forum discussion or even an article you shared with your newsletter readers. With your reader’s permission, you can share this comment with the rest of your audience.
Example: You can highlight an exciting tip one of your readers made in the comments section of your blog.
70. Debunk a Myth
There are plenty of myths floating around in every niche, and you can add value to your content by debunking one or more of these myths.
Example: If you’re writing a report about bodybuilding for women, you can debunk the myth that lifting weights makes women “bulky” or masculine-looking.
71. Comment on Your Older Content
If you’ve been working in your niche for any period of time, then you no doubt have plenty of older ebooks, reports, videos, newsletters and/or blog posts. You can bring out this old content and comment on it. Or you can even update it to reflect the changing times.
Example: If you have an old article about how to create a TypePad blog, you might update the post to show people how to install a WordPress blog instead.
72. Invite Readers to Join a Contest
If you offer a contest where readers have to submit content, then you’ll also have user-generated content to add to a future report, blog post, product or other content piece.
Examples:
- You can run a contest where participants create videos of their dogs doing tricks.
- You can run a contest where participants share their favorite gardening tip.
73. Admit Your Fears
If you’re not only working in your niche but also a part of the niche market, then you probably have fears. Go ahead, admit them. Doing so will draw like-minded others closer to you.
Examples:
- If you’re someone who’s lost a lot of weight, you might admit your fear that you’re going to gain the weight back. You can then tell your audience how you combat this fear.
- If you’re someone who’s quit your job to start an online business, you might admit your fears that your new business isn’t going to support you over the long term. Again, you can explain to your readers what steps you’ll take to alleviate this fear.
74. Snap and Share Pictures
This idea is a quick and easy way to add value to your content.
Example: If you’re writing about how to develop muscle symmetry, take a photo of yourself which illustrates good symmetry.
75. Distribute Customer Testimonials
This is a good way to add value to a post (and to offer social proof!) when you’re writing about products or even writing about your business. Just be sure you ask for permission from customers before sharing their feedback.
Example: If you’re reviewing a new laptop, you can post testimonials from other satisfied customers.
76. Offer Proof
Here’s another good method if you’re creating promotional content. Basically, the idea is to prove your claims, such as by offering a video, screenshot, pictures or some other evidence that what you say is true.
Examples:
- Your weight-loss article can show your “before” and “after” pics to prove your dieting strategy works.
- Your classic car website can a video of your car running smoothly, as proof that your carburetor repair service works.
77. Introduce Yourself
Even if you’ve been working in your niche for a long period of time not everyone knows you. This is especially true because new readers enter a niche for the first time every day. As such, you can introduce yourself at any time – either as a stand-alone content piece, or even within a blog post, report, video or other content.
78. Introduce Your Staff
Do you have people working for you? Then feel free to introduce these people to your readers. In particular, you’ll want to profile those staff members whom work directly with the public, such as your customer care representatives.
79. Address the Legal Side of Your Niche
A word of warning: unless you’re a lawyer, don’t give legal advice. However, you can certainly tell your readers what types of issues they should discuss with their attorneys.
Examples:
- If you’re sharing advertising tips with your readers, you might tell them to consult their attorneys to make sure their ads are in compliance with FTC regulations.
- If you’re writing about divorce, then you might address custody issues and tell your readers to discuss these issues with their attorneys.
80. Do a Challenge in Real Time
Obviously, this tactic is most suited to a blog, social media page or other interactive platform that you can quickly and easily update. Nonetheless, the idea is to do a challenge and share your results in real time with your readers.
Examples:
- Do a 30 day challenge, such as writing a novel in one month (ALA NaNoWriMo.com).
- Do an ultra-marathon relay and have a partner update your blog or social media page.
81. Make a Response to a YouTube Video
You’ll see that people on YouTube.com often post “video responses” to other YouTube videos. However, you don’t necessarily have to turn your response into a video – you can use text if you’d like.
Example: You can post a response to someone who creates a controversial or offensive video in your niche.
82. Tell a Joke
Be careful with this tactic, as humor is subjective, and it varies across cultures. However, if you’re comfortable with your audience, then you might inject a joke into your content.
Example: If you have a legal blog, then you have plenty of jokes that you can good-naturedly share with your readers.
83. Be Controversial
Earlier I mentioned that you could share a polarizing opinion. This is similar, except that you may not be necessarily sharing an opinion – rather, you might be sharing content that is otherwise controversial or even engaging in behavior that’s controversial.
Be careful, though, so that you don’t offend your entire audience. Use your good judgment here.
Examples:
- As an online marketer you might do backlinking campaigns, which can be controversial depending on how they’re done.
- If you’re a political commentator you might make some rude jokes about the other side of the political spectrum.
84. Interview Your Customers
Here’s another quick and easy way to get extra content: simply interview your customers. You can do this in a variety of ways, including:
- Asking them to share their story.
- Asking them how your product changed their life.
- Asking them to share their best niche-relevant tips.
85. Write a Press Release
Do you have some sort of news to share with your readers? Then create a press release in share it in that format. As an added bonus, you can then submit this press release to the media and/or distribute it online using a service like PRWeb.com.
Example: You can write a press release about how your company sponsored a local charity event.
86. Share Someone Else’s Press Release
Do your colleagues and business partners have news that would interest your readers? If so, you can share their press releases. You can pick these up from distribution sites like PRWeb.com, or you can often get them directly from the “media” or “press” section of their website.
Example: If you run a site that’s focused on Apple products, then you might regularly read their PR page at http://www.apple.com/pr/library/ to see if they have any press releases you’d like to share.
87. Give Readers a Template
You can tell your readers exactly how to do something, which is useful. But if you can complete part of the work for your readers by providing a template, they’ll really be impressed.
Examples:
- You can share a sales letter template with aspiring copywriters.
- You can share a template character sketch for aspiring horror writers.
88. Offer an Example
Another way to make your instructions even more useful for your readers is by offering a specific example.
Example (!):
- If you just told your readers to write a “curiosity arousing” headline, then give them examples of headlines that evoke curiosity.
- If you told your weight-loss readers to eat balanced meals, then give them specific examples of what these balanced meals look like.
89. Distribute a Calendar of Events
If there are a lot of happenings going on in your niche, then your readers would no doubt appreciate you giving them a calendar of events.
Examples:
- You can provide bodybuilders with a listing of the top bodybuilding competitions.
- You can provide dog lovers with a listing of the upcoming dog shows and dog expos.
90. Create a Niche-Relevant Game
This could be a word game, like a niche-relevant crossword puzzle. Or if you’d like something more high tech, you might even offer a relevant smart phone app.
Example: You can offer a dieting crossword puzzle as a way to quiz readers about their knowledge of good weight loss techniques.
91. List Your Favorite Tools
You likely use specific tools to work in your niche, and you can bet your readers would appreciate knowing more about the tools you use.
Examples:
- If you tell blogger to “install a blog platform,” be sure to share with them the specific platform you use as well as your suggested plug-ins and themes.
- If you’re writing about bodybuilding, then share with your readers what supplements you use (including the specific brand), such as creatine and whey protein.
92. Offer an Interesting Analogy
Another good way to make your content stand out is to offer an interesting analogy that makes your readers think.
Example: “Writing a sales letter is like writing a love letter – it’s all about the recipient.” (Naturally, you’d go on to explain your analogy in more detail.)
93. Capture a Relevant Screenshot
This method works particularly well if you’re providing step-by-step instructions with accompanying screenshots, such as how to install a blog plug-in. However, even a single screenshot can make a statement.
Example: If you run a security website, you might show a screenshot of a large, well-known website that’s been hacked. Then you can go on to explain how webmasters can keep their sites safe.
94. Make an Unofficial Industry Award
You can grant an award sarcastically, such as providing the “Best Customer Service Award” to a company in your industry who’s in the news for offering horrible customer service. Or you can offer genuine accolades to someone else in your industry.
Example: You can award a dog trainer a “Good Citizen” award for the time he’s spent helping stray animals find homes.
95. Praise a Competitor
Most people like to take jabs at their competitors, if they say anything at all about them. That’s why you’re likely to stand out if you praise the competitor and/or praise their products.
Example: You can share a story about how you met your competitor at a seminar and how he turned out to a great guy.
96. Praise a Partner
The idea here is to lavish some praise on your joint venture partners or other associates. And here’s an extra tip: you can do this same thing for people whom you’d like to partner with. That’s because they’re bound to find out if you mention their name in your content.
Example: You can share with your readers a story about how one of your partners went out of this way to satisfy a disgruntled customer.
97. Explain How a Product Was Created
Is there a particular reason your product (or someone else’s) was created? Or was it created in an interesting way? If so, share the story. This could even become the product’s USP (unique selling proposition).
Example: You might share the story of a unique dog kennel with features that were created by someone who was unsatisfied with the products already on the market.
98. Set Up a Live Webcam
This is another one of those content additions that only works if you have a live platform, like a blog. However, it certainly can add a lot of value to your site, especially if the webcam is awaiting an event.
Examples:
- If you’re a dog breeder, you can set up a live webcam in the whelping room to capture the birth.
- If you’re a bodybuilder, you might set up a live webcam in your gym when you workout.
99. Get Political
No, this doesn’t mean that you start preaching your political beliefs to your readers. Rather, you can keep them informed of pending legislation that affects them, and perhaps encourage them to contact their local government officials.
Example: Do you remember hearing about SOPA? Online marketers got together, got political and many asked their congresspersons to vote “no” on this piece of legislation.
100. Encourage Readers to Take Action
Just about every piece of content you write can benefit from having a call to action within it.
Examples:
- You can encourage your readers to take action on what they just learned, perhaps by reminding them of the steps.
- You can encourage your readers to buy a specific product to solve their problems.
101. Brag About Awards, Accolades and Achievements
Have you won any awards, met some goals or have anything else to brag about? If so, don’t be afraid to share your achievements with your readers.
Examples:
- Share with your readers how a recent sales letter you created made $1 million for the product creator.
- Share with your readers how your latest book recently topped the bestseller list.
Conclusion
You just discovered 101 writing idea generators that you can use to help you generate additional content in just about any situation. So whether you’re writing a blog post or creating a video, you’re sure to find dozens of ways inside this report to flesh out your content and satisfy your readers.
Now let me leave you with one final tip…
Do remember that you’re not limited to using just one prompt for each content piece. Indeed, you can make these prompts even more powerful by combining them.
Example: If you’re writing an instructional “how to” article, then you can share a tip AND create an infographic.
Bottom line, each prompt alone adds value to your content. But combine them, and you’ll really provide something useful for your readers!
