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Effective content marketing involves equal parts “left-brain” and “right-brain.” Your “left-brain” is your objective, analytical, spreadsheet-using side. This is the mindset to embody when planning your content strategy. You need this side when developing your target personas, your editorial calendar, and other tasks that fuel your content with purpose.
Conversely, the “right-brain” is where your inner creative lives. In content marketing, creativity is just as important as strategy. If you’re content can’t capture the eyes and interests of your audience, it doesn’t matter how defined its aim is- the arrow will always fall short of the target. You need your right side to assume novel perspectives, turn boring subjects into remarkable content, and come up with fresh ideas to write about.
But even the most seasoned content marketers can attest to experiencing writer’s block. So, what do you do when your creativity well runs dry and you’ve run out of ideas to write about? Let the left take the lead.
These 5 resources for content marketers can help you take a logical approach to overcoming a creative dry spell so your writing never skips a beat.
1. HubSpot Blog Topic Generator
This free tool from the content marketing experts at Hubspot is as amazing and simple as it sounds. Just add three nouns related to your blog’s industry and the algorithm will generate a laundry list of blog topics. While the topics may be a little rough around the edges, it’s a great starting point when you’re stuck in a creativity rut.
2. Quora
Quora is an open question and answer platform, exploring topics as boundless as human curiosity itself. Filter by subject to find what kinds of questions people are asking about your industry. Answering relevant questions in your blog is a great way to get visits and be regarded an authority to your audience. Just don’t let your own curiosity get the best of you- be forewarned that this site can become addicting.
3. Google Keyword Planner
This is a tool that most content marketers take for granted. Google’s Keyword Planner allows you to extract data on certain search terms, such as number of monthly searches and competition, so you understand which keywords you should be aiming for. In order to take the fullest advantage of this tool, you should be looking for trends in search behavior. Identifying trends enables you to target keywords before they have become too popular, giving your blog material the cutting edge and facilitate your content’s Search Engine Optimization.
4. Designrr
Sometimes, content writers get tunnel vision and forget that there are other forms of written content than blogs. Repurposing your blog articles into long form is a great way to build out your content repertoire. White papers and Ebooks are an important part of a well-rounded content strategy as they intrigue and educate your readers. But, writing them can sound like a daunting task. This resource makes creating long form content effortless (literally) by turning your articles into Ebook format for you.
5. Google Images Filtered For Reuse
Sometimes the challenge is not finding topic for a blog post, but the right image for it. When you’re consistently writing within a certain industry, it can be difficult find new ways to express the same themes through pictures.
While royalty free images can be found on websites like Pixabay or Pexels, their libraries are limited and you often find yourself repeating that “girl-smiling-at-computer” stock photo. This little-known trick on Google Images will help you avoid that problem and give you an endless supply of license free images. Simply click the tools feature, click the drop down menu usage rights, and click labeled for reuse to filter for free images.
Being an effective content writer takes a lot more than blogging when creativity strikes. It involves consistency, discipline, and persistence to push through when you feel like you’ve exhausted every last page of your idea book. These left-brain centered content resources are here to keep you balanced throughout the process.
For more ways to get creative with your content writing, check out this article on Where to Find Inspiring Content for Your Brand.
Also, check our partner blog and this article on Content Writing.
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