How to Find Topics to Write on with Jennifer Bridges @JenBridgesRD #vcbuzz

Finding content ideas is a never-ending challenge!

In the era of content overload when everything seems to written, how to find topics to write on?

Let’s discuss!

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About @JenBridgesRD

Jennifer Bridges @JenBridgesRD is content marketing manager at Reputation Defender.

As a content manager Jennifer has to come up with relevant content ideas on a continuous basis, so she definitely has some tricks to share!

Questions we discussed

Q1 How did you become a content marketer? Please share your career story!

I kind of fell into content marketing. After graduating with an English degree, I struggled to find my niche (insert English major = waitress joke here) and did a wide variety of jobs. Eventually, I got hired as an editor and found I was good at it.

A1 I became a content marketer (didn't use that term in the 90s) when a friend started looking for a new job, and I learned HTML in 2 weeks, and built a website for a new business for him, & started marketing it. Know your audience & create for them. #vcbuzz
— Bill Slawski ⚓ (@bill_slawski) June 1, 2021

In 2011, I got a job as an editor at ReputationDefender. One day, a writer for a VIP client didn’t understand what the client wanted—and I did. So, I volunteered to write the content myself. He liked what I wrote, so I became his writer.

A1. I became a content writer when I created my film review site, Thinking Cinema, a few years ago. Now that I'm doing an author website with a blog, I'll continue to create content. But it's something that happened, not something I planned. #vcbuzz
— Dana Lemaster Author (@LemasterAuthor) June 1, 2021

A1b Then I created websites for local Mennonite businesses and wrote all their content the same way. When WordPress came about, my first blog was set up for me by a friend and I've had blogs ever since. https://t.co/3sUsOWvJ1a has been up since 2009. #vcbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 1, 2021

A1 My start in content marketing started in the Advertising world – where I was writing copy *content* to reach the target audience with enticing content to help get them to convert.#VCBuzz
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 1, 2021

I started working as an SEO in Sep 2010, and since then have been working and learning about how to make websites better for their audience. 🙂#vcbuzz
— Praveen Sharma (@MusingPraveen) June 1, 2021

Q2 How do you find content ideas?

I write about reputation management and online privacy, so it can be hard to find new topics. Mainly, I search competitor blogs and Ahrefs. I also brainstorm ideas with my boss. My goal is to fill gaps in my content and do what the competitor is doing, only better.

A2. Have been using these for some time now:

? Google Auto Suggest
? PAA
? Related Searches
? Keywords Everywhere Chrome Extension
? Communities like Quora, Reddit
? Customer Support Queries
? SEO Tools like SimilarWeb, SEMRush, Ahrefs, etc#vcbuzz
— Praveen Sharma (@MusingPraveen) June 1, 2021

A2 I look at new patents (published, granted, and continuation) from Google every week, and see what they are about, & add ones that I might want to write about to a recent patents list. I will also keep an eye on new topics & search through old patents for info on those #vcbuzz
— Bill Slawski ⚓ (@bill_slawski) June 1, 2021

A2. You name it! I'm a voracious reader & talk to a wide variety of people, watch a lot of films, research, ask "What If" a lot. #vcbuzz
— Dana Lemaster Author (@LemasterAuthor) June 1, 2021

A2 For me, clients are the greatest source for content ideas. I write about the problems they discuss with me, the questions they ask me, and the mistakes and misunderstandings they come to me with (without using their name of course). #vcbuzz
— Jon-Mikel Bailey (@JonMikelBailey) June 1, 2021

#VCBuzz A2.2

Content Audits help us see what content we have that has performed (or not), and contributed to the goal(s) we are after.
This helps us see what the existing audience responds to, what converts, what gets promoted/linked to etc.
(And what to avoid!)

>>>
— Lyndon NA (Darth Autocrat) (@darth_na) June 1, 2021

A2c One of the strategies we really should be using more is the Featured Snippet tool Ann @SEOSmarty told us about https://t.co/MnizgWbI3v #VCbuzz
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 1, 2021

A2: Talk to your clients! Look at the questions they're asking and challenges they're facing. If they're looking for more information and solutions to these problems, other people (and businesses) are too. #vcbuzz https://t.co/gcw72vIULi
— Jaime Shine ?️ (@jaimeshine) June 1, 2021

#VCBuzz A2.4

Then it's "business info" – often Sales, Support and Care get asked questions etc. These can be useful for informational content (short/long), and can potentially help with certain goals (reduce costs, free up time etc.).

Once I've gone through internal …

>>>
— Lyndon NA (Darth Autocrat) (@darth_na) June 1, 2021

That reminds me that we need to find out what kind of content is ranking for a given search BEFORE we create it because it might be a listicle or a video or not what we were thinking of doing! #vcbuzz https://t.co/2Fw5JUFT29
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 1, 2021

Q3 How do you evaluate a potential content idea? What prompts you to write an article on a certain topic?

I use Ahfefs to see which competitor articles rank well. Then, I see if they are copies of my stuff. If they are but have new info, then I’ll revise my doc to incorporate the new info. If they aren’t, then I’ll write a new, more in-depth post about it.

A3: What question, need, or pain am I addressing with this piece of content? Who will this serve?#VCBuzz
— John Buglino (@john_buglino) June 1, 2021

If a topic is well written but isn’t getting any clicks, then I won’t waste my time writing about it. Often, I find new topics that rank well, but are not fleshed out. These topics are good opportunities for me.

A3 theyI evaluate sources of information that I might write about, and how helpful them might be, and what I can add to them. #vcbuzz
— Bill Slawski ⚓ (@bill_slawski) June 1, 2021

A3. We keep it simple, if something is 'asked' by our audience then it becomes important for us.

They can ask such questions anywhere: in online communities, on our social channels, customer support, search engines, etc.

We use Google Alerts for some important terms.#vcbuzz
— Praveen Sharma (@MusingPraveen) June 1, 2021

Yes. A common mistake I see #smallbusiness make is to write content that their audience isn't interested in.

Are you writing to impress someone? If you are, make sure they are at least in your target audience. #vcbuzz https://t.co/cKuHoSQSuw
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 1, 2021

Q4 No matter how many tricks a writer has, there’s always a writer’s block once in a while. How do you cope?

I struggle with writer’s block, probably because I’m never satisfied with my own work. I can spend hours writing and rewriting my intro paragraph. When this happens, I go outside and take a walk. The fresh air, exercise, and time away from a computer reboots my brain.

A4. I don't force things. I try to work; it doesn't work. I move to something else. And the inspiration will come when I'm ready. #vcbuzz
— Teodora Ema Pirciu (@emapirciu) June 1, 2021

A4. Do something else for a while. Typically, I find writer's block just gets worse if you try to work through it. If a short break doesn't do the trick, you may have to ask what about this project is giving you so much trouble. #vcbuzz
— Dana Lemaster Author (@LemasterAuthor) June 1, 2021

A4 Writer's block exists. My solution is to WALK AWAY – go to what inspires me. Usually the BEACH.

It's like defragging your head drive to begin anew.#VCBuzz
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 1, 2021

A4 Having a potential source of information to write about & having experience w/the problem it is intended to solve makes writing about most things easier & being able to point to what others might be writing on the same topic can add diversity to what you may write.#vcbuzz
— Bill Slawski ⚓ (@bill_slawski) June 1, 2021

#VCBuzz A4.2

There's no shortage of advice or solutions – but whether they work for "you" and "your block" – no idea.

Personally, I find having "thinking time" prior to writing is critical (a lot of my work is done in my head first).
Getting in the right frame of mind helps.
— Lyndon NA (Darth Autocrat) (@darth_na) June 1, 2021

Q5 What are your favorite content marketing tools?

WordPress
Hootsuite
Ahrefs
Grammarly (I use the free version. It’s not perfect, but it sometimes alerts me to misspellings and grammatical errors.)
Pocket (This is a great tool to store articles I find that I want to share on social)

A5 Favorite Content Marketing Tools ….. hum there are many. Love https://t.co/KTsCDNzoOJ #VCBuzz
— Debi Norton (@BRAVOMedia1) June 1, 2021

A5 My favorite current marketing tools:

1. My brain
2. The Web, & sources such as Reddit, which is filled with voted upon topics
3.Other writers – to see what else others may have written about before, what works well & if it addresses problems that exist.#vcbuzz
— Bill Slawski ⚓ (@bill_slawski) June 1, 2021

A5 The one I consistently use is @BuzzSumo

The other one I really need to be using is your Featured Snippet Tool https://t.co/MnizgWbI3v

And I need to sign up for a free @SEMrush account and learn to use it! #vcbuzz https://t.co/eQVhuaz2Ke
— Gail Gardner (@GrowMap) June 1, 2021