Article ideas to inspire you
Lists of tips or ideas, like this one. Numbered lists work well. They’re quick and easy to read.
‘How to’ articles. The Internet is the place people turn to for answers to their questions. Answer your customer’s practical questions. How to redecorate on a budget. How to do perfect butterfly stroke. How to write diamond studded metaphors that make your writing sparkle.
Your comment on news that’s relevant to your clients – like our Brexit-inspired article here.
‘Why?’ articles. We all turn to the web for advice, and to help us make decisions. Why you should visit Greece in April. Why cutting sugar is overrated. Why small businesses can create better content than the big guys.
Your response to a question you have been asked by a prospect or client. Answer a specific client question as a blog post. Write directly to that person, one to one, it will make your writing more engaging.
An interview with one of your clients or someone you really admire. Throwing the spotlight on someone else is a chance to teach your readers something new. Here’s what we can all learn from Ling’s Cars!
A critique of someone else’s article or opinion, with your view on what works or what does not.
Create an A-Z post. The A-Z of marketing, the A-Z of pet care, the A-Z of project management. There’s something very appealing about an alphabeticized list. (Be prepared to cheat on X and Z!). Check out our designer Christian Tait’s excellent guide: ‘A-Z of Design – and the benefits to your marketing‘
Like a journalist, review what you learned from a recent talk, industry conference or event. Include photos and slides. Here’s Sonja’s review of the brilliant HOW Interactive Design conference in Chicago.
Ask other experts a question and share their response. Crowd sourcing content is a great option. Not only does having a variety of voices make for interesting copy, but the people who contribute are likely to share the article too. Here’s one that worked for us.
A case study on a company you have worked with. Case studies make for brilliant content, especially if you use them as opportunities to teach something. Not just ‘look how great I am,’ but ‘here’s what you can learn from this.‘ Check out our case study of content-led change at consultancy Project One
Create a quiz. Quizzes are fun to create, and make extremely shareable content. There are lots of free resources online to help you. Try our content quiz – How valuable is your content now?
Conduct a survey and share the response (Survey Monkey is simple way to do this)
Write a comparison post. Make the comparison surprising for increased clickability. Why buying a house is like running the NY marathon. Why writing perfect sentences is like baking a cake.
A roundup of topical news for your community.
Share slides from a recent presentation you have given (Slideshare is excellent for this) – Check out one of our recent talks: Businesses with purpose create better content.
Information on products or services that will benefit your audience. If you’ve discovered something that will help your readers, use your blog to share the word. Being helpful builds trust.
Share or create a cartoon or graphic that sums up your argument nicely. Visual content is very shareable. Check out our Land of Content map for an example.
Create an infographic that teaches your readers something useful. Infographics are still hugely popular online as they deliver a lot of information and commentary in bite-sized form.
Write your manifesto. Why do you do what you do? What are your values? What do you believe? Here’s how to write a valuable business manifesto.