Do you know the #1 question I’m asked when it comes to writing articles?
It’s not about formatting or keywords or where to submit your articles, although those are popular questions.
The #1 question I get about blogging and article marketing is…
“WHAT should I write about?”
It’s an understandable question and a common problem. There is nothing more daunting than staring at a blank piece of paper when the time comes to write an article or blog post.
You stare at the screen and it just stares back.
And then the harder you try the farther you get from having any good article ideas.
I know, I’ve been there too. It usually ends with ice cream or Oreos (or both) for me. 🙂
Happily, I found a solution to the problem. Let me share three ways you can solve this problem toady.
I use about 45 techniques to create article topics. I have a journal dedicated to nothing but article ideas. When I get an idea I stop and pop it in there for later. Over the years this little book (I use Evernote now) saved my bacon more times than I can count.
I strongly suggest you get a journal for article ideas. This will save you more time and frustration than words can say.
The good news is that you don’t need to learn 45 ways to create article ideas. These three may be all you need to generate endless article ideas to ramp up your content marketing plan.
METHOD 1 – Speak from experience
If you have experience in a particular field then you have a great starting point for writing articles. The Internet is all about one thing — information — and you have it.
When you share that information on a blog or in a newsletter people will read it, like it and visit the sites you promote.
This is called building trust, and it’s a vital step in online marketing. It’s a step that many overlook, which could be one reason 99% of affiliates fail to make any money at all.
Speaking from experience is best for “how to” and “what to avoid” articles.
Here are three article titles that fit this idea.
- Three dangerous mistakes to avoid when camping
- How to stay safe on your next cruise
- How to add 10 yards to your drive today
Whether your life experience including cooking fabulous meals or brokering peace summits between nations doesn’t really matter.
What matters is that there is someone online right now who needs what you know, and they are searching. They want to hear from you! When you become the source of information they get to know you, like you and trust you. And then they will buy from you.
METHOD 2 – Share Your Research
Don’t want to write from your own experience or think your experience doesn’t make good article material?
No problem!
You can share what you have learned by doing research.
The good news here is that you don’t have to be a librarian or hard-core researcher to do this. If you know how to use Google and are curious you have what it takes to create endless article ideas by doing a little research.
Here are two ideas that make great article material, and topics you can research in only a few hours. In those few hours you could easily come up with hundreds of article ideas.
Definitions make great article material.
For many people working on the Internet is like landing on Mars. They don’t know the terrain and certainly don’t know the language. When your articles take the confusion away and stop the information overload they will remember your name.
The first step to earning loyalty will have begun!
This is why an article (or series of articles) about what things mean is a great idea.
Defining terms like HTML or ROI or PPC or PPV is easy to do and super-helpful to the reader.
Another idea is sharing answers to Frequenly Asked Questions. This is also easy resarch to do. You probably have had many questions answered yourself, and that’s a good place to start.
Or you could visit almost any forum and find lots of questions being asked. Never copy from a site directly but there’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from answers you find helpful. And always make sure the answers you share are accurate.
METHOD 3 – Solve A Specific Problem
Sometimes knowing what to write about is hard because there is so much that can be said. Since most of us work alone there is no one to ask “would this make sense as an article?”
The solution here is getting specific. The more specific the better.
Want an example?
An article about how to use the editing window in Aweber would make a great article for anyone in the online marketing world.
Many people have Aweber and almost all of them want to make their messages look better but don’t know how. So why not write an article about it? They learn something and you get a new reader. It’s a win-win!
Here are a few more ideas using Aweber as a starting point …
- How to create a new list in Aweber
- How to move people from one list to another using Aweber
- Should you use double opt in when using Aweber?
- How to make your articles look great using Aweber’s new editor
- How to track clicks using Aweber
See how specific these are? Imagine how powerful a blog or series of articles like this would be for your affiliate marketing efforts when promoting Aweber.
This works, and it always has. It has roots deep in reciprocity and everyone wins with this approach. No hype. No high pressure.
If you write articles like these your readers are going to save time, save money and have you to thank for it.
And that’s just one product!
So there you have it. Three ideas for writing of any kind – articles, blog posts, even solo ads. When you learn to use these simple tricks you will never again feel frustrated, worrying about what to write about.
You’ll just write, build your lists, and sell product.
And THAT is a beautiful thing indeed!
