Innovative Ways to Create Content that Matters
Let’s play a game: In the next 10 seconds, think of your next thought-leadership topic. Get set… Go!
Stuck? Don’t worry, that’s expected. As with any writer, coming up with new things to write is challenging considering if you have deadlines or quotas to achieve. It’s well-known that coming up with a new ground-breaking topic or putting a new spin on an existent idea is difficult. You’d question yourself: What can you bring to the table that will hook your readers and be heard? As a writer myself, looking for things to write about is problematic. It’s certainly more difficult than choosing what I want to eat for lunch!
As a writer, I do a lot of reading. I read articles that are professionally written by master pensmen and women. I read articles that target humor with a pinch of crudeness in them. Every author has their voice reflected into their writing piece. The more I read, the more ideas I get. I begin to question things and put “What if”-type questions in front of them.
Here are some suggestions to help you get on track with writing your next outstanding piece!
Figure Out What Others Aren’t Doing
This method may seem a little unorthodox but it’s a good way to get recognized in your niche. Examine your industry and figure out the type of questions people aren’t talking about. Is it a vague topic? Is it controversial? Once you’ve pinned down what you want to write, try to locate sources related to it and write about it. Add in your personal touch along the way. By doing this, it paves the way to shedding light on vague topics, now rewritten to be insightful and engaging. Never be afraid to tread into the unknown!
Take away note: It’s a 50/50 chance that your content will be picked up by the masses. Whatever the probability is, go for it, share it and make your voice heard.
Image Credit: britblaise.com
Putting a Spin into Old Topics
Over the years, content was created with the sole purpose to sell. Since the introduction of the hummingbird algorithm last year, content significantly evolved and adapted to the algorithm. To shine light onto old articles, why not rewrite the article to be ‘hummingbird’ friendly? Provide thoughtful answers in your article which may be picked up by the search engine.
By rewriting articles, it allows the writer a glimpse to re-examine the validity of the article’s intended purpose. Ask yourself these questions: Do you still believe in the same concept you did years ago? Yes or no? If not, what changed you into believing the concept no longer applies to you? If yes, apply examples how the concept continues to apply to you today. Write out a list of questions you want answered. Even if you don’t know the answer, write down the question. There is a chance that someone who comes across your article can answer it for you.
By rewriting your old content, you can better understand the root of your ideas thus, allowing you to compare and contrast it to your understanding in the present.
Take away note: Keep on questioning the topics and don’t be afraid to add in your personal views.
Spilling Secrets
If by chance you have things you want to share, share it… Or in this case, spill your industry secrets. Given the fact humans are curious by nature, by writing or showing them something new is bound to attract attention. Knowledge you’ve learned and kept all those years will benefit you now. So, how do you go about sharing your secrets?
The best possible ways to spill your secrets are through how-to guides, e-books and books. While these mediums are a great way to tell the world your awesome secrets, never ever disregard video. Get yourself out there by doing a video series on topics you think will benefit your audience. Embed your video in your blog; upload to YouTube, Vimeo or any other video sharing website and of course, tagging it properly. Make sure your video is short, concise and to the point. Avoid rambling on for five minutes when your point can be grasped in less than thirty seconds. If possible, use an eye-catching thumbnail, as it will encourage more clicks.
Take away note: Avoid spilling all of your secrets in one go. If the plan is to commit to a web series, divide it up into easy-to-understand topics or segments and expand on it. Use case studies to prove your points. And please, add in images for the sake of visual data!
When it comes to writing a new topic or covering an existing topic, always remember each article written by you will be unique. Of course, it would share the same ‘voice’ as the other thousand articles penned about the same topic. However, by adding in your personal views, hypothesis or even challenging the norm, it can just be enough to distinguish your piece from the majority.
Never be afraid to tackle concepts others turndown; it may just be your secret to recognition and ultimate success!
