What to Write About?

Facing a blank page can be a daunting experience, especially when you're tasked with generating fresh content consistently. According to a survey by the Content Marketing Institute, 60% of marketers find creating engaging content to be their biggest challenge. One of the most frequent questions in content creation is: what to write about? Having a strategy to determine what topics will resonate with your audience can alleviate this challenge and ensure your content reaches its full potential.

Table of Contents

1. Understand Your Audience
2. Explore Trending Topics
3. Solve a Problem
4. Leverage Personal Experience
5. Use Content Tools for Inspiration
6. Repurpose Existing Content
7. Create a Content Calendar
8. FAQs About Choosing Topics

Understand Your Audience

You can't decide what to write about without a clear understanding of your target audience. Knowing who they are—demographics, preferences, pain points—will guide your content creation. It's like setting the foundation for a building; without it, everything else crumbles.

• Conduct Audience Research: Use surveys, interviews, and analytics to gather data about your audience's age, profession, interests, and challenges.
• Create Audience Personas: Develop detailed profiles of your ideal readers to serve as a reference for content decisions.
• Engage with Your Audience: Actively participate in forums, social media groups, or community events where your audience congregates to understand their concerns firsthand.

Explore Trending Topics

Keeping an eye on current trends can help you decide what to write about. Timely content can drive more traffic to your site as people are naturally drawn to newsworthy topics.

• Monitor Social Media Trends: Platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn show trending topics and hashtags, providing a snapshot of current interests.
• Use Tools like Google Trends or BuzzSumo: These platforms help identify what topics are currently in demand and can offer insights into the volume of conversations happening around specific topics.
• Stay Updated with Industry News: Regularly reading industry-related publications ensures you're aware of the latest developments and can write about them.

Solve a Problem

When wondering what to write about, consider addressing specific problems your audience may face. Content that offers solutions is highly valued because it directly improves your audience's lives or workflows.

• Identify Pain Points: Use feedback from customer service teams or look into forums and review sites to understand the common challenges within your field.
• Provide Actionable Solutions: Offer clear, step-by-step ways to tackle the issues. This approach adds immediate value to your readers’ experience.
• Include Case Studies or Anecdotes: Real-world examples illustrate the effectiveness of your solutions and build credibility.

Leverage Personal Experience

Your own experiences can be a goldmine for generating content ideas. Sharing personal stories not only humanizes your brand, but also establishes a deeper connection with your audience.

• Reflect on Your Skills and Expertise: What unique insights can you offer? What have you learned from your career that others could benefit from?
• Analyze Past Experiences for Lessons: Consider situations where you faced challenges and overcome them—what lessons can be extracted and shared?
• Be Authentic: Readers appreciate honesty and will connect more deeply with personal narrations.

Use Content Tools for Inspiration

When struggling with what to write about, technology can be your ally. A variety of tools can spark creativity and help with ideation.

• AnswerThePublic: This tool helps visualize search queries and questions people are actively seeking answers for.
• HubSpot's Blog Ideas Generator: Enter a few nouns related to your industry into this tool and receive topic ideas instantly.
• SEMrush and Ahrefs: These platforms not only suggest topics but also provide keyword insights, enhancing your search engine optimization efforts.

Repurpose Existing Content

Sometimes the answer to what to write about is already within your existing content. Refreshing old content can bring a fresh perspective and boost its value.

• Update with New Data or Insights: Check older articles to see if new statistics or updates can be incorporated to bring them up to current standards.
• Transform Formats: Turn a successful blog post into a video, podcast, or infographic to reach different segments of your audience.
• **Consolidate Related ** Combine multiple articles on similar topics into a comprehensive guide or series.

Create a Content Calendar

Planning is key to consistent content creation. A content calendar ensures you always know what to write about next.

• Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve with your content, such as increasing engagement or educating your audience.
• Schedule Topics in Advance: Plan out your topics and posting schedule for at least a few months ahead. Tools like Trello or Asana can assist in management.
• Leave Room for Flexibility: While structure is essential, remain adaptable to incorporate spontaneous content ideas or trending topics.

FAQs About Choosing Topics

How do I know if a topic will resonate with my audience?
Research and audience feedback are critical. Test different topics and analyze engagement metrics such as views, comments, and shares to find what resonates.

What should I do if I run out of ideas?
Revisit your audience persona and pain points to find new angles. Use content tools and consider collaborating with others for a fresh perspective.

How often should I update my content calendar?
Regular updates are essential—consider bi-monthly or monthly reviews to incorporate newer trends or data and adjust content strategies accordingly.

Bullet-Point Summary

• Understand and research your audience to tailor content.
• Explore trending topics and industry news for timely content ideas.
• Solve audience problems by addressing pain points with actionable solutions.
• Use personal experiences to connect and share unique insights.
• Employ content tools for generating topic ideas.
• Repurpose and refresh existing content for continued value.
• Maintain a flexible content calendar to organize and plan content effectively.

Understanding what to write about is a critical factor in capturing your audience's attention and meeting their needs. By employing strategic approaches and tools, you’ll ensure that your content remains engaging and effective.