How to Find Inspiration for Content Creation
Ever find yourself staring at a blank screen, the cursor blinking mockingly back at you?
Or scrolling through social media feeds or mindlessly clicking links in search of that spark to ignite your next piece?
You feel like a brick wall is standing between you and your creative juices.
That, my friend, is called writer's block. 😬
And it’s more common than you think.
69% of writers regularly experience “blocked” moments and struggle to find inspiration for content creation.
Fortunately, though, there are some effective methods to help you overcome this challenge!
Today’s post is about breaking down those writing walls and unearthing the goldmine of ideas lurking just beneath the surface.
You'll learn how to leverage influencers in your industry, harness Google Trends for trending topics, engage with your audience for fresh ideas, and use other inventive tactics to find inspiration for content creation.
Ready?
Let’s go!
Find Inspiration for Content Creation - Table of Contents
The #1 Secret for Content Inspiration
Seven Tactics to Find Inspiration for Content Creation
1. Find Influencers in Your Industry
2. Leverage Search Engines for Content Ideas
3. Use Google Trends for Trending Topics
4. Analyze Your Existing Content
5. Explore Social Media Accounts for Inspiration
6. Dig Deep into Your Audience’s Demeanor
FAQs - Find Inspiration for Content Creation
The #1 Secret for Content Inspiration
The primary way to find inspiration for content creation and brainstorm new ideas is to focus on authenticity.
It’s a strategic factor in boosting engagement and building an emotional connection with your audience.
Genuine, creative content that stems from real experiences and passion is more likely to strike a chord with people than generic blogs or social media posts.
Audiences crave authentic interactions online - 88% believe authenticity is decisive in choosing what brand to support and like.
But where do you find inspiration?
When grappling with fresh content ideation, turning to different sources like popular social networks, relevant industry events, or frequently asked questions represents a great first step to finding compelling topics.
Add to this your life experiences, work, expertise, or customers’ testimonials.
You may recall situations where you had to think out of the box and solve problems innovatively or showcase a remarkable case study/review from a happy client.
These are all excellent starting points for creating relatable stories that highly speak to your following.
An additional method to gather material for engaging pieces is monitoring people’s online conversations in real time (more in the next paragraphs) - similar observations will help you develop trendy yet meaningful content topics aligned closely to your audience’s interests while making you relevant in the digital market!
Seven Tactics to Find Inspiration for Content Creation
Despite the challenge, seeking inspiration for content creation is vital to your brand's online presence.
The following content marketing tactics will show you how to successfully ignite creativity and fuel engaging content for your dream audience.
Let’s dive in!
1. Find Influencers in Your Industry
Finding influencers who are pioneers in their fields offers an excellent avenue to find inspiration for content creation.
These thought leaders often produce captivating material to learn from and adapt to suit your audience’s tastes.
The trick isn't to imitate their approach but to get a handle on how they tackle the imaginative process and recognize why their output appeals so much to viewers.
I use this tactic whenever I need to spark fresh social media content ideas - and the inspiration boost I get from it is always impressive!
In this example, I took inspiration from a fellow marketer’s live chat to create an original video about arts entrepreneurship:
The beauty of following industry-specific influencers and analyzing their material lies not only in the rich variety of post topics that emerge but also in being up-to-date with trends impacting your field.
You elaborate relevant and enticing content in your distinct voice that triggers meaningful conversations within your community.
And you get valuable insights into effective approaches that could work well within your content marketing strategy, too.
2. Leverage Search Engines for Content Ideas
Search engines are a storehouse of content ideas.
They’re portals to the vast digital world where popular topics and trends live.
Through niche-focused search terms, you uncover what people talk about most frequently.
For instance, entering "promote your art" into Google might give you useful topic suggestions and lead you to relevant industry forums or blog posts discussing the latest news about that specific subject.
This technique helps you identify what's currently popular and predict future trends.
It provides a snapshot of real-time discussions around specific topics, making it an invaluable tool in your content strategy arsenal.
Decoding Popular Content with Search Terms
The secret to finding inspiration for content creation lies in understanding how to interpret search results.
Study popular content ranking high on the SERPs first; decode why they're successful and draw inspiration from them.
You don't want to merely copy. Instead, your goal is to identify patterns (headlines used, tone of voice, visuals, etc.) and use this knowledge as your springboard for originality while still being attuned to trending interests.
Listen to my interview with the Art Coaching Club Podcast to explore three key factors for impactful idea generation:
Diversifying Your Inspiration Sources
To avoid getting stuck within one thought bubble, rely on different content tools.
Use Google Analytics and Console to uncover common topics in your industry. Both tools will outline what people search for on your website and elsewhere on the internet, including the most frequent terms and queries they type in.
You'll be more likely to find inspiration for content creation catered to your audience’s preferences this way.
Beyond that, SEO tools like SEMrush or Moz's Keyword Explorer will make it easy to discover relevant industry-specific keywords reflecting the user search intent and around which to shape captivating blog post ideas.
3. Use Google Trends for Trending Topics
The constantly shifting digital landscape requires keeping up with the most recent developments.
One tool to stay ahead of the “what's currently trending” game is Google Trends, which gives insights into the most popular search queries across various regions and languages.
To use it strategically, input focus keywords related to your market or topic of interest. From there, see how those topics have trended over time, highlighting any valuable patterns or seasonal trends.
Diving Deeper with Viral Topics
Finding viral topics isn't just about looking at today's data; it involves analyzing historical trends, too.
You can look back up to five years in Google Trends’ history - getting context for whether a topic is truly 'trending' or if it simply experiences regular spikes in popularity.
This understanding will let you plan future content around when these topics become relevant again, ensuring your post ideas remain timely and engaging for your audience.
Tuning Into Real-Time Searches
A lesser-known feature of Google Trends is its ability to track real-time searches within the last 24 hours - which is extremely helpful when seeking inspiring sources from recent events!
You might discover people talking about something unexpected, allowing you to create content and contribute fresh perspectives while conversations are still ongoing!
4. Analyze Your Existing Content
Great content often takes cues from existing pieces.
To craft a unique strategy, you must analyze what already works!
This involves recognizing your most successful published content, analyzing its strong points, and readapting its structure, theme, or format to expand its reach.
The benefit?
With content repurposing, you effectively boost audience engagement and visibility without reinventing the wheel every time.
Making Your Mark Through Repurposed Content
You don't always need fresh post ideas to find inspiration for content creation.
Sometimes, repurposing winning formulas will do just fine.
Take note of how people cover different subjects online or see which frequently asked questions pop up in relevant industry discussions (all precious info for potential topics!).
Check your audience’s feedback, observe their reactions to your content, and monitor their behavior (What are their comments about? Do they reshare your posts?).
That’s an outstanding way to measure what material and format is most effective for them - guiding you in tailoring future pieces to their demands and readapting old relevant themes for maximized exposure.
5. Explore Social Media Accounts for Inspiration
Exploring the vast array of social media accounts is another worthwhile opportunity to find inspiration for content creation.
Social media networks are abounding with dynamic groups of people expressing their perspectives, musings, and values.
From Facebook posts detailing life stories to Instagram feeds filled with visual delights, the content scope is immense.
One way to harness this source is by monitoring industry-related hashtags on social channels to get an unfiltered view of what's resonating with audiences there.
Examine your favorite accounts’ posts to pick new ideas for your content ideation process. And use social media analytics to identify common trends, audience demographics, and areas of improvement.
Looking at people’s social media habits and interactions with diverse content types will ultimately offer a clear picture of the best strategies for engaging posting!
6. Dig Deep into Your Audience’s Demeanor
There’s no better way to find inspiration for content creation than engaging with your people.
But how do you tap into it?
Begin with creating interactive content (on your blogs, socials, newsletters, etc.) that fosters curiosity and builds your sales funnel.
Reply to your followers’ comments on social media, be present on their feeds, and initiate discussions in your stories, lives, DMs, or emails.
Then, monitor these conversations closely to see what resonates best with the audience and craft more appealing, helpful content.
The Power of Questions
Beyond monitoring, actively involve your audience in the creation process by asking questions or conducting polls.
Doing so will foster stronger connections (your brand’s community will feel valued and heard!) while getting first-hand topic ideas.
You might encounter pressing queries that serve as excellent prompts for future blog posts or other content formats.
Whatever the case, engage with your audience consistently; keep exploring their behavior, listen to their needs, and let the inspiration flow!
7. Unleash Your Creativity
The content creation journey often starts with a single spark - an idea.
However, turning this idea into gripping, unique digital content implies curating and optimizing your creative process. Constantly.
Here’s what to do.
Finding the Spark Within You
Your own experiences and knowledge are the first main source of inspiration for content.
Look at your ongoing work, the challenges, accomplishments, or learning moments that have made you succeed as an art brand - and turn them into inspiring content pieces for your audience.
Adding this personal touch to your content will dramatically impact your business authority - increasing your credibility and sales (46% of consumers pay more for brands they trust), too!
Creative Juices and Brainstorming Sessions
A brainstorming session is a fantastic way to let loose those creative juices.
Write down everything that comes to mind about specific topics with no judgment or filters (every thought counts in this phase).
Once you've collected your ideas, it's time to sift through and refine them.
Evaluate which ones fit best based on your audience research and the relevance to your brand - and turn each idea into a solid content plan!
Plus, consider inviting others from your working team to these sessions. Different perspectives will bring new inspiration that may generate even more captivating topics.
FAQs - Find Inspiration for Content Creation
Where can I get inspiration for content creation?
Inspiration comes from various sources, like industry influencers, search engines, social media accounts, and your target audience.
Social listening tools, like Google Trends and social media analytics, also provide detailed information on popular topics.
How do I find inspiration for social media content?
Social platforms are a golden goose of content ideas.
Look at trending hashtags, follow industry leaders, and observe what engages your target demographic the most on those networks.
How do you come up with content creation?
To create compelling content, analyze successful examples in your field first.
Then, brainstorm unique spins based on your existing successful content, recurring trends, consumer needs, and insights coming from data analysis.
Use These Powerful Sources to Find Inspiration for Content Creation
Ideating high-converting quality content isn’t an easy task.
It takes time, ongoing practice, and consistent research.
But the above seven tactics are meant to work as your trump card to find inspiration for content creation at all times!
Learning from industry leaders is a great asset in creating content - their inventive strategies are worth observing and adapting to your style.
Search engines and Google Trends are your friends here to keep you updated on popular topics and help you stay ahead of the competition.
Social media platforms? They're more than just places for casual scrolling; they're treasure troves of content waiting to get uncovered!
Your audience is also an incredible source of inspiration - engage with them, understand their pain points, and watch how quickly new ideas come flowing.
And don't be afraid to let your personal experience shine through your content pieces - it’s the touchstone to make your voice authentic and stand out in this competitive industry with your unique perspective!
Remember: the path to inspired content creation lies in being open-minded about where to seek out those sparks of creativity.
So stay curious and keep exploring! 😉
