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The ultimate list of content creation ideas to spark your creativity

The ultimate list of content creation ideas to spark your creativity

13 minute read

The ultimate list of content creation ideas to spark your creativity

13 minute read

The ultimate list of content creation ideas to spark your creativity

Catherine McNally

GatherContent Contributor, Writer

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With so many different platforms and formats to choose from, it can be overwhelming to come up with new content ideas. In fact, having too many options might limit your creativity, while constraints can spark your imagination.

Sifting through and choosing specific content creation ideas can help you set limitations and jump-start your creativity. Choose one content creation idea and use it to spin off multiple unique content ideas. Then, once your editorial calendar is filled, use a tool like GatherContent to take your idea from draft to published.

If you’re looking for seeds to start your content creation idea wheels turning, you’ve come to the right spot. We’ve put together a list of 23 content creation examples and ideas to inspire you. Let’s dive in.

Top 23 ways to come up with new content ideas

Ready to brainstorm captivating content ideas? Try one or more of these 23 starting points that are proven to inspire compelling content for your audience.

Dig into social media

1. Remix and repost your content with the best engagement

You’re likely already poring over your social media analytics, so make an extra stop and look for your most engaging YouTube videos, Facebook posts, Tweets, and LinkedIn articles.

Once you’ve found these, consider how you could remix or update your most engaging content and reshare it as a fresh, new video or post. Depending on how old the content is, you might even reshare it as is—no updates needed.

Why does this work? Because your audience likely hasn’t seen all your content before, so this reshare is likely new to them. Also, even if your audience has seen your post or video before, they may not remember it. And if it received high engagement, it likely includes lots of helpful tips or content that resonates well.

2. Check comments for ideas and pain points

Speaking of engagement, check your blog and social media posts for comments that reveal your audience’s needs, pain points, and ideas.

Morgan Eckroth shares coffee drink recipes on their YouTube channel and received a comment from a follower requesting savory coffee ideas.

If you do create content based on a follower’s comment, it’s also nice to give credit if you can. And hey, if your audience isn’t forthcoming about their needs or desires yet, ask them! Many people are eager to share their thoughts, so don’t be shy about posing a question or two.

One other note: It’s best to add these types of ideas to a running list as you see them, since comments can get deleted or lost. Then, use that list to fill out your editorial calendar with content that’s already vetted by your audience.

3. Research competitors’ top-performing posts

Remember our first idea to find your most engaging posts and remix then reshare them? Let’s take that a step further and check out your competitors’ most engaging posts for ideas too.

For example, many Twitter users often share “plug-and-play” Tweet templates that anyone can fill in. These are typically based on high-performing Tweets from a wide variety of profiles and can touch on almost any subject. Think about how you might be able to take a similar approach (and make it your own) with content on Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms.

Typeshare, a social media publishing platform, includes templates like this one. These help you quickly and easily assemble posts—and the templates are usually based on high-performing content from other social profiles, which makes your content more likely to engage your audience.

Of course, if you spin off new content ideas based on competitor research, be sure you don’t outright copy or plagiarize their content. Tailor the idea to your own business, your offerings, and your audience. What works well for your competitors won’t always work well for you, but it can be an excellent jumping-off point.

4. Use Twitter advanced search

Did you know Twitter has an advanced search option that lets you seriously narrow down your criteria? Not many know about this, but advanced search is a must-have tool that acts as a magnifying glass when it comes to finding new content ideas.

Advanced search tools like Twitter’s can help you:

  • Find top-performing content from your competitors
  • Search for and resurface content from weeks, months, and even years ago
  • Discover content examples based on specific keywords
  • Narrow down your results to show only posts with a certain level of engagement

Did you know Twitter has an advanced search?

It’s a must-have tool that helps you unearth new content ideas. You can find top-performing content from your competitors and discover content examples based on specific keywords.

5. Check what’s trending on BuzzSumo

Along with providing you with a list of the latest trending keywords, BuzzSumo gives you a heads-up on trending stories along with their current engagement on various social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Reddit. It even has a Topics section that helps you:

  • Find keywords your audience is using
  • Discover questions related to your topics
  • View trends and example content

The Questions section actively scours forums, Reddit, Quora, and other Q&A websites for questions to which your audience members are looking for answers.

While BuzzSumo is a paid tool, it does offer a few free searches each month as well as a 30-day free trial so you can be sure it’s a helpful addition to your content ideation kit.

6. Take a peek at LinkedIn posts and articles

LinkedIn is a gem when it comes to accessing info and insights from industry professionals—all for free. It’s a standout platform for following thought leaders and companies to check out the conversations they’re having and what topics they’re talking about.

Not to mention LinkedIn’s news tends to be much more targeted toward industry updates and trends, especially when it comes to jobs and hiring. (After all, LinkedIn is also a career platform.)

Along with following industry professionals and thought leaders, LinkedIn lets you join groups and follow hashtags related to your interests. These can inspire new content that you might even be able to repurpose and post directly on LinkedIn.

Repurpose your wins

7. Turn high-engagement content into infographics

What’s better than remixing high-engagement content into a new blog or social post? Turning it into an infographic!

Infographics can help your audience better understand complex topics and ideas. On top of that, they’re incredibly shareable, which could help you build out your backlinks and improve your search engine ranking.

Good to know: It’s important to keep in mind that your infographics consider both your content goal and your design goal. Learn how to pair content and design to create beautiful, compelling infographics.

8. Optimize existing content

Chances are you’ve got a few all-stars in terms of high-performing content. But even though certain posts or articles are raking in audience engagement or organic sessions, they still need love and attention every so often.

It’s a good practice to revisit these top performers to optimize and update them. If you’re not sure where to start, consider one or more of the following changes:

  • Move calls to action (CTAs) to different locations on the page
  • Add timely information and relevant industry updates
  • Change the copy for headlines, subheads, and CTAs
  • Update or add images and graphics
  • Fact-check data, information, and sources
  • Make sure all internal and external links still work as intended
  • Place information in tables or bulleted lists to make it easier to read

Digging into certain metrics helps you spot which content performs best, but it also helps you note which content needs a little help getting off the ground.

If you still think your low-performing content is relevant and helpful to your audience, why not use a content collaboration tool like GatherContent to gather your team together and brainstorm ways to improve its performance?

9. Don’t forget about ebooks, case studies, and whitepapers

We’ve talked a lot about repurposing and remixing your content so far, but don’t forget that you may have some stellar ideas hiding in ebooks, case studies, and whitepapers.

Could a chapter of your popular ebook be turned into a blog post? Could a whitepaper get summarized into a compelling social media post?

You could also reverse-engineer this process and bind several top-performing blog posts into an ebook. Or pull relevant data, facts, and supporting info from your social or blog content into a whitepaper.

Learn more: Stuck on two or three content formats? Check out our guide to 13 different types of content marketing that can reach your audience and boost engagement.

Consume content

10. Listen to podcasts

The rise of podcasts has given us yet another outlet we can gather new content ideas from, and all you need to do is pop on your headphones and listen.

Listen Notes lets you search through curated lists of podcasts that are relevant to specific topics like healthy habits or personal finance. Listening to podcasts can help you learn new trends from industry thought leaders and spark new content ideas.

If you’re not sure where to start or maybe found yourself sucked into a rabbit hole, sites like Listen Notes can help you come up for air and zero in on podcasts relevant to your business. Listen Notes even includes curated lists of podcasts for very specific topics and intents, such as podcasts for learning a new language or podcasts that keep your kids entertained on the next family road trip.

11. Read books

There’s just something about opening a book that gets your mind into creative inspiration mode. And there’s a good reason for that: books expose you to a diverse range of perspectives and themes. Reading books is also an excellent way to build up your knowledge of various subjects.

As far as purchasing books, you’ve got a lot of options. Of course, there’s always Amazon and Kindle, but if you prefer to crack open a physical book, ThriftBooks and Bookshop are excellent and low-cost alternatives.

12. Subscribe to industry newsletters

Every once in a while, someone declares that email newsletters are dead. But as far as content inspiration goes, there’s rarely a better way to keep up to date on industry trends and developments.

The best part is, industry newsletters come in all shapes and sizes. Here are some of our favorites:

13. Keep tabs on Reddit forums

If you haven’t dived into Reddit yet, you’re missing out. This enduring, megalith forum is home to thousands of subreddits that niche down into some very specific topics, such as:

You can easily see which subreddits you’re subscribed to and search for new ones to join on the main Subreddit page. Don’t disregard forums that aren’t obviously related to your topics of choice. Some subreddits, like r/dataisbeautiful, might inspire different content formats—and could be opportune spots to cross-post your own content.

Source: Offtopic subreddits like r/dataisbeautiful can be surprising sources of inspiration for different content types, such as charts, infographics, videos, and GIFs.

14. Gather FAQs from Quora

Quora is yet another online forum where you can easily find content ideas. What makes it so compelling is that each post is posed as a question, making it a breeze to find questions related to your business or industry.

One thing to take note of is question stats. By checking this, you can see which questions are generating a high volume of views, meaning more people are interested in an answer. Here’s how to find the question stats:

  1. Click the three horizontal dots underneath the question and on the right-hand side.
  2. A drop-down menu should open; select View question log.
  3. The question log shows you the question stats in a box on the right-hand side, including public followers, views, and when the question was last followed.
Source: You can tell whether a Quora question is highly relevant by checking the question log for stats on views and follows.

P.S. A Quora question with lots of views and recent follows is an ideal candidate for cross-posting your content as an answer.

15. Know Your Meme

This idea might seem odd, but follow our train of thought. Trending memes give you insight into the latest pop culture happenings, and they can also be used to inspire creative content.

If you’re ever searching for the latest popular memes or want to be sure you understand the meaning behind an image you plan to use, Know Your Meme is a great place to start. It features galleries full of the latest and greatest memes along with each one’s origin story. (Just beware, not all content on Know Your Meme is suited for work.)

Depending on what kind of content you create, you might even be able to use memes in your social posts, blog articles, or email newsletters. We’ve seen multiple, well-known businesses like Semrush successfully use memes and gifs in their content—and their audience loves it.

Source: Semrush is one great example of a business that regularly posts memes (to their audience’s delight).

Ask artificial intelligence (AI)

16. See what ideas ChatGPT generates

AI is the new kid on the block, and it packs a pretty powerful punch if you know how to use it right. While we don’t suggest using AI to fully write your content (just look at CNET’s recent foray into that experiment), you can and should try using AI to brainstorm new content ideas.

There are dozens of AI text generators available, but ChatGPT is the most well-known. Once you sign up (it’s free but requires a phone number), you can ask the AI to answer questions, write outlines, and summarize text.

If your first few attempts at using AI don’t get you the results you want, never fear. Try experimenting with a different approach, like asking a question, or rewording your prompt to see if you get a different result.

We asked ChatGPT to help us brainstorm some common questions a salesperson might ask about cold calling. Any of these could be used as the basis for new content.

17. Plug your topic into the Portent idea generator

Digital marketing agency Portent has a fun tool called the Idea Generator that lets you plug in your topic and generate different headlines that might inspire your next batch of new content.

While the headlines fit best with lifestyle topics, they could give you the zap you need to come up with an eye-catching headline for any type of content. Not to mention the best part: Portent lets you click on parts of the generated headline to see helpful tips.

Portent’s Idea Generator not only helps you come up with headline ideas, but it also offers tips for getting your headlines clicked by more people.

Use SEO to suss out audience needs

18. Use free keyword searches

Even if SEO isn’t your main method of gaining views of your content, it’s never a bad idea to optimize for search.

You don’t even need to pay for a keyword research tool since there are several free options that provide helpful info about what phrases people are searching for on Google and Bing—as well as other sites like Amazon and YouTube.

Some free or limited free trial keyword research tools to check out include:

19. Find out what’s trending

Exploding Topics and Google Trends help you identify popular, trending topics in real-time and across different industries and geographic locations. This gives you insight into the current interests and potential needs of your target audience so you can create helpful content that’s also timely.

Both tools can also be used to track trends over time, which might help you spot emerging topics or questions before they become popular. This not only helps you potentially get ahead of your audience’s needs but also gives you an opportunity to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry by being one of the first to address new, trending topics.

20. Grab browser extensions to gain insights

Browser extensions can give you a leg up when it comes to competitor and keyword research because they’re ready to get to work no matter what webpage you’re visiting.

Some, like Keyword Surfer, help you spot keywords related to your current Google search. This can help you round out your content by pursuing relevant subtopics or addressing related questions. Others give you a look behind the curtain to see your competitors’ stats, like a site’s category rank, visits over time, and more.

Some popular browser extensions for keyword and competitor research include:

Harness the power of Google

21. Google and YouTube search autocomplete

While keyword research tools are helpful, let’s not forget about one of the simplest ways to spot keywords in the wild: Google’s and YouTube’s search autocomplete. Aside from weird and funny autocompletes, you might spot additional phrases or opportunities for complementary articles or spin-off videos.

For example, if you type “What is the best car” into Google, you get some interesting autocomplete suggestions:

  • What is the best car insurance
  • What is the best car brand
  • What is the best car to buy
  • What is the best car in the world

As for YouTube, its search tool offers a similar autocomplete feature that can help you brainstorm new YouTube Shorts and video content. If we type “What is the best car” into YouTube, here’s what autocomplete suggests:

  • What is the best car in rocket league
  • What is the best car in gta 5
  • What is the best car in need for speed heat
  • What is the best car in mario kart 8 deluxe

Along with topic suggestions, we got a bonus tip from YouTube: Video game-related content might perform better here compared to, say, car insurance content.

Pro tip: Use your browser’s Incognito Mode or private browsing tab to use search autocomplete to brainstorm new content ideas. This removes any potential influence your past searches or YouTube views might have on the search results.

22. People also ask and related searches

Below the ads and the first one or two organic search results on Google you’ll find a section called “People also ask.” This is an excellent place to farm for FAQ content or even ideas for a whole article, social post, or video because it highlights commonly asked questions related to what you’ve searched for.

Better yet, Google features content that answers those questions when you click the arrow or question—that makes this another place to grab some quick organic SEO wins.

Google’s People also ask section spotlights commonly asked questions related to your search term, which can help you brainstorm new content ideas that address those questions.

But don’t stop scrolling through page one of your search results just yet. Down at the very bottom, you’ll find another Google gem: Related searches.

Similar to People also ask, the Related searches section can help you spot new content ideas related to your current search term. Google also tends to highlight some of the most-mentioned brands—in our screenshot below, it highlighted GEICO, State Farm, Progressive, and Allstate as the “cheapest car insurance in California.”

If you scroll all the way to the bottom of your first page of Google search results, you’ll find Related searches. This is another potential goldmine for new content ideas.

23. Google Alerts

There’s no denying that Google is king of search (at least for now), so why not harness that huge wealth of information and ask Google to let you know if a certain topic, person, or company is mentioned?

You can easily do just that with Google Alerts. This free service lets you pick a topic and customize an alert based on how often you want updates, your preferred language, types of sources, region, and more. You can even choose to have your alerts sent in an email digest or rounded up in an RSS feed.

Elevate your content creation with GatherContent

As you can see, there are dozens of ways to generate new content ideas. Some examples require no more than listening to your customers when they leave feedback in the form of comments, while others require additional tools to help you dig in and find hidden gems. Either way, each brainstorming idea can be used to fill in your content calendar from January 1 to December 31.

And once you start brainstorming, why not consider using a content production tool like GatherContent? Not only does it help you manage that now full content calendar and your content marketing strategy, but it enables you to create content templates and workflows, plus collaborate with multiple people and teams to ensure you publish the best content every time.

With so many different platforms and formats to choose from, it can be overwhelming to come up with new content ideas. In fact, having too many options might limit your creativity, while constraints can spark your imagination.

Sifting through and choosing specific content creation ideas can help you set limitations and jump-start your creativity. Choose one content creation idea and use it to spin off multiple unique content ideas. Then, once your editorial calendar is filled, use a tool like GatherContent to take your idea from draft to published.

If you’re looking for seeds to start your content creation idea wheels turning, you’ve come to the right spot. We’ve put together a list of 23 content creation examples and ideas to inspire you. Let’s dive in.

Top 23 ways to come up with new content ideas

Ready to brainstorm captivating content ideas? Try one or more of these 23 starting points that are proven to inspire compelling content for your audience.

Dig into social media

1. Remix and repost your content with the best engagement

You’re likely already poring over your social media analytics, so make an extra stop and look for your most engaging YouTube videos, Facebook posts, Tweets, and LinkedIn articles.

Once you’ve found these, consider how you could remix or update your most engaging content and reshare it as a fresh, new video or post. Depending on how old the content is, you might even reshare it as is—no updates needed.

Why does this work? Because your audience likely hasn’t seen all your content before, so this reshare is likely new to them. Also, even if your audience has seen your post or video before, they may not remember it. And if it received high engagement, it likely includes lots of helpful tips or content that resonates well.

2. Check comments for ideas and pain points

Speaking of engagement, check your blog and social media posts for comments that reveal your audience’s needs, pain points, and ideas.

Morgan Eckroth shares coffee drink recipes on their YouTube channel and received a comment from a follower requesting savory coffee ideas.

If you do create content based on a follower’s comment, it’s also nice to give credit if you can. And hey, if your audience isn’t forthcoming about their needs or desires yet, ask them! Many people are eager to share their thoughts, so don’t be shy about posing a question or two.

One other note: It’s best to add these types of ideas to a running list as you see them, since comments can get deleted or lost. Then, use that list to fill out your editorial calendar with content that’s already vetted by your audience.

3. Research competitors’ top-performing posts

Remember our first idea to find your most engaging posts and remix then reshare them? Let’s take that a step further and check out your competitors’ most engaging posts for ideas too.

For example, many Twitter users often share “plug-and-play” Tweet templates that anyone can fill in. These are typically based on high-performing Tweets from a wide variety of profiles and can touch on almost any subject. Think about how you might be able to take a similar approach (and make it your own) with content on Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms.

Typeshare, a social media publishing platform, includes templates like this one. These help you quickly and easily assemble posts—and the templates are usually based on high-performing content from other social profiles, which makes your content more likely to engage your audience.

Of course, if you spin off new content ideas based on competitor research, be sure you don’t outright copy or plagiarize their content. Tailor the idea to your own business, your offerings, and your audience. What works well for your competitors won’t always work well for you, but it can be an excellent jumping-off point.

4. Use Twitter advanced search

Did you know Twitter has an advanced search option that lets you seriously narrow down your criteria? Not many know about this, but advanced search is a must-have tool that acts as a magnifying glass when it comes to finding new content ideas.

Advanced search tools like Twitter’s can help you:

  • Find top-performing content from your competitors
  • Search for and resurface content from weeks, months, and even years ago
  • Discover content examples based on specific keywords
  • Narrow down your results to show only posts with a certain level of engagement

Did you know Twitter has an advanced search?

It’s a must-have tool that helps you unearth new content ideas. You can find top-performing content from your competitors and discover content examples based on specific keywords.

5. Check what’s trending on BuzzSumo

Along with providing you with a list of the latest trending keywords, BuzzSumo gives you a heads-up on trending stories along with their current engagement on various social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and Reddit. It even has a Topics section that helps you:

  • Find keywords your audience is using
  • Discover questions related to your topics
  • View trends and example content

The Questions section actively scours forums, Reddit, Quora, and other Q&A websites for questions to which your audience members are looking for answers.

While BuzzSumo is a paid tool, it does offer a few free searches each month as well as a 30-day free trial so you can be sure it’s a helpful addition to your content ideation kit.

6. Take a peek at LinkedIn posts and articles

LinkedIn is a gem when it comes to accessing info and insights from industry professionals—all for free. It’s a standout platform for following thought leaders and companies to check out the conversations they’re having and what topics they’re talking about.

Not to mention LinkedIn’s news tends to be much more targeted toward industry updates and trends, especially when it comes to jobs and hiring. (After all, LinkedIn is also a career platform.)

Along with following industry professionals and thought leaders, LinkedIn lets you join groups and follow hashtags related to your interests. These can inspire new content that you might even be able to repurpose and post directly on LinkedIn.

Repurpose your wins

7. Turn high-engagement content into infographics

What’s better than remixing high-engagement content into a new blog or social post? Turning it into an infographic!

Infographics can help your audience better understand complex topics and ideas. On top of that, they’re incredibly shareable, which could help you build out your backlinks and improve your search engine ranking.

Good to know: It’s important to keep in mind that your infographics consider both your content goal and your design goal. Learn how to pair content and design to create beautiful, compelling infographics.

8. Optimize existing content

Chances are you’ve got a few all-stars in terms of high-performing content. But even though certain posts or articles are raking in audience engagement or organic sessions, they still need love and attention every so often.

It’s a good practice to revisit these top performers to optimize and update them. If you’re not sure where to start, consider one or more of the following changes:

  • Move calls to action (CTAs) to different locations on the page
  • Add timely information and relevant industry updates
  • Change the copy for headlines, subheads, and CTAs
  • Update or add images and graphics
  • Fact-check data, information, and sources
  • Make sure all internal and external links still work as intended
  • Place information in tables or bulleted lists to make it easier to read

Digging into certain metrics helps you spot which content performs best, but it also helps you note which content needs a little help getting off the ground.

If you still think your low-performing content is relevant and helpful to your audience, why not use a content collaboration tool like GatherContent to gather your team together and brainstorm ways to improve its performance?

9. Don’t forget about ebooks, case studies, and whitepapers

We’ve talked a lot about repurposing and remixing your content so far, but don’t forget that you may have some stellar ideas hiding in ebooks, case studies, and whitepapers.

Could a chapter of your popular ebook be turned into a blog post? Could a whitepaper get summarized into a compelling social media post?

You could also reverse-engineer this process and bind several top-performing blog posts into an ebook. Or pull relevant data, facts, and supporting info from your social or blog content into a whitepaper.

Learn more: Stuck on two or three content formats? Check out our guide to 13 different types of content marketing that can reach your audience and boost engagement.

Consume content

10. Listen to podcasts

The rise of podcasts has given us yet another outlet we can gather new content ideas from, and all you need to do is pop on your headphones and listen.

Listen Notes lets you search through curated lists of podcasts that are relevant to specific topics like healthy habits or personal finance. Listening to podcasts can help you learn new trends from industry thought leaders and spark new content ideas.

If you’re not sure where to start or maybe found yourself sucked into a rabbit hole, sites like Listen Notes can help you come up for air and zero in on podcasts relevant to your business. Listen Notes even includes curated lists of podcasts for very specific topics and intents, such as podcasts for learning a new language or podcasts that keep your kids entertained on the next family road trip.

11. Read books

There’s just something about opening a book that gets your mind into creative inspiration mode. And there’s a good reason for that: books expose you to a diverse range of perspectives and themes. Reading books is also an excellent way to build up your knowledge of various subjects.

As far as purchasing books, you’ve got a lot of options. Of course, there’s always Amazon and Kindle, but if you prefer to crack open a physical book, ThriftBooks and Bookshop are excellent and low-cost alternatives.

12. Subscribe to industry newsletters

Every once in a while, someone declares that email newsletters are dead. But as far as content inspiration goes, there’s rarely a better way to keep up to date on industry trends and developments.

The best part is, industry newsletters come in all shapes and sizes. Here are some of our favorites:

13. Keep tabs on Reddit forums

If you haven’t dived into Reddit yet, you’re missing out. This enduring, megalith forum is home to thousands of subreddits that niche down into some very specific topics, such as:

You can easily see which subreddits you’re subscribed to and search for new ones to join on the main Subreddit page. Don’t disregard forums that aren’t obviously related to your topics of choice. Some subreddits, like r/dataisbeautiful, might inspire different content formats—and could be opportune spots to cross-post your own content.

Source: Offtopic subreddits like r/dataisbeautiful can be surprising sources of inspiration for different content types, such as charts, infographics, videos, and GIFs.

14. Gather FAQs from Quora

Quora is yet another online forum where you can easily find content ideas. What makes it so compelling is that each post is posed as a question, making it a breeze to find questions related to your business or industry.

One thing to take note of is question stats. By checking this, you can see which questions are generating a high volume of views, meaning more people are interested in an answer. Here’s how to find the question stats:

  1. Click the three horizontal dots underneath the question and on the right-hand side.
  2. A drop-down menu should open; select View question log.
  3. The question log shows you the question stats in a box on the right-hand side, including public followers, views, and when the question was last followed.
Source: You can tell whether a Quora question is highly relevant by checking the question log for stats on views and follows.

P.S. A Quora question with lots of views and recent follows is an ideal candidate for cross-posting your content as an answer.

15. Know Your Meme

This idea might seem odd, but follow our train of thought. Trending memes give you insight into the latest pop culture happenings, and they can also be used to inspire creative content.

If you’re ever searching for the latest popular memes or want to be sure you understand the meaning behind an image you plan to use, Know Your Meme is a great place to start. It features galleries full of the latest and greatest memes along with each one’s origin story. (Just beware, not all content on Know Your Meme is suited for work.)

Depending on what kind of content you create, you might even be able to use memes in your social posts, blog articles, or email newsletters. We’ve seen multiple, well-known businesses like Semrush successfully use memes and gifs in their content—and their audience loves it.

Source: Semrush is one great example of a business that regularly posts memes (to their audience’s delight).

Ask artificial intelligence (AI)

16. See what ideas ChatGPT generates

AI is the new kid on the block, and it packs a pretty powerful punch if you know how to use it right. While we don’t suggest using AI to fully write your content (just look at CNET’s recent foray into that experiment), you can and should try using AI to brainstorm new content ideas.

There are dozens of AI text generators available, but ChatGPT is the most well-known. Once you sign up (it’s free but requires a phone number), you can ask the AI to answer questions, write outlines, and summarize text.

If your first few attempts at using AI don’t get you the results you want, never fear. Try experimenting with a different approach, like asking a question, or rewording your prompt to see if you get a different result.

We asked ChatGPT to help us brainstorm some common questions a salesperson might ask about cold calling. Any of these could be used as the basis for new content.

17. Plug your topic into the Portent idea generator

Digital marketing agency Portent has a fun tool called the Idea Generator that lets you plug in your topic and generate different headlines that might inspire your next batch of new content.

While the headlines fit best with lifestyle topics, they could give you the zap you need to come up with an eye-catching headline for any type of content. Not to mention the best part: Portent lets you click on parts of the generated headline to see helpful tips.

Portent’s Idea Generator not only helps you come up with headline ideas, but it also offers tips for getting your headlines clicked by more people.

Use SEO to suss out audience needs

18. Use free keyword searches

Even if SEO isn’t your main method of gaining views of your content, it’s never a bad idea to optimize for search.

You don’t even need to pay for a keyword research tool since there are several free options that provide helpful info about what phrases people are searching for on Google and Bing—as well as other sites like Amazon and YouTube.

Some free or limited free trial keyword research tools to check out include:

19. Find out what’s trending

Exploding Topics and Google Trends help you identify popular, trending topics in real-time and across different industries and geographic locations. This gives you insight into the current interests and potential needs of your target audience so you can create helpful content that’s also timely.

Both tools can also be used to track trends over time, which might help you spot emerging topics or questions before they become popular. This not only helps you potentially get ahead of your audience’s needs but also gives you an opportunity to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry by being one of the first to address new, trending topics.

20. Grab browser extensions to gain insights

Browser extensions can give you a leg up when it comes to competitor and keyword research because they’re ready to get to work no matter what webpage you’re visiting.

Some, like Keyword Surfer, help you spot keywords related to your current Google search. This can help you round out your content by pursuing relevant subtopics or addressing related questions. Others give you a look behind the curtain to see your competitors’ stats, like a site’s category rank, visits over time, and more.

Some popular browser extensions for keyword and competitor research include:

Harness the power of Google

21. Google and YouTube search autocomplete

While keyword research tools are helpful, let’s not forget about one of the simplest ways to spot keywords in the wild: Google’s and YouTube’s search autocomplete. Aside from weird and funny autocompletes, you might spot additional phrases or opportunities for complementary articles or spin-off videos.

For example, if you type “What is the best car” into Google, you get some interesting autocomplete suggestions:

  • What is the best car insurance
  • What is the best car brand
  • What is the best car to buy
  • What is the best car in the world

As for YouTube, its search tool offers a similar autocomplete feature that can help you brainstorm new YouTube Shorts and video content. If we type “What is the best car” into YouTube, here’s what autocomplete suggests:

  • What is the best car in rocket league
  • What is the best car in gta 5
  • What is the best car in need for speed heat
  • What is the best car in mario kart 8 deluxe

Along with topic suggestions, we got a bonus tip from YouTube: Video game-related content might perform better here compared to, say, car insurance content.

Pro tip: Use your browser’s Incognito Mode or private browsing tab to use search autocomplete to brainstorm new content ideas. This removes any potential influence your past searches or YouTube views might have on the search results.

22. People also ask and related searches

Below the ads and the first one or two organic search results on Google you’ll find a section called “People also ask.” This is an excellent place to farm for FAQ content or even ideas for a whole article, social post, or video because it highlights commonly asked questions related to what you’ve searched for.

Better yet, Google features content that answers those questions when you click the arrow or question—that makes this another place to grab some quick organic SEO wins.

Google’s People also ask section spotlights commonly asked questions related to your search term, which can help you brainstorm new content ideas that address those questions.

But don’t stop scrolling through page one of your search results just yet. Down at the very bottom, you’ll find another Google gem: Related searches.

Similar to People also ask, the Related searches section can help you spot new content ideas related to your current search term. Google also tends to highlight some of the most-mentioned brands—in our screenshot below, it highlighted GEICO, State Farm, Progressive, and Allstate as the “cheapest car insurance in California.”

If you scroll all the way to the bottom of your first page of Google search results, you’ll find Related searches. This is another potential goldmine for new content ideas.

23. Google Alerts

There’s no denying that Google is king of search (at least for now), so why not harness that huge wealth of information and ask Google to let you know if a certain topic, person, or company is mentioned?

You can easily do just that with Google Alerts. This free service lets you pick a topic and customize an alert based on how often you want updates, your preferred language, types of sources, region, and more. You can even choose to have your alerts sent in an email digest or rounded up in an RSS feed.

Elevate your content creation with GatherContent

As you can see, there are dozens of ways to generate new content ideas. Some examples require no more than listening to your customers when they leave feedback in the form of comments, while others require additional tools to help you dig in and find hidden gems. Either way, each brainstorming idea can be used to fill in your content calendar from January 1 to December 31.

And once you start brainstorming, why not consider using a content production tool like GatherContent? Not only does it help you manage that now full content calendar and your content marketing strategy, but it enables you to create content templates and workflows, plus collaborate with multiple people and teams to ensure you publish the best content every time.

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