Content Ideation Is A Superpower (10 ways to come up with topics)
My first job in digital marketing was in content ideation. I helped clients come up with and plan content ideas, which involved keyword research, SEO, content strategy and copywriting.
And I learned a lot.
I learned that my best work (the high-impact stuff) comes when I’m most creative and brand-intentional.
So this is how I stay creative and intentional with all of my content.
Now let’s do this!
What is Content Ideation?
Content ideation is the process of coming up with ideas for different types of creative assets. The goal is to add value to your audience, meet goals and grow your brand.
But it’s more than just that asking ChatGPT for ideas.
The true skill is tapping into your uniqueness and uncovering how you can push something further in a new direction or offer a new perspective.
And it’s a key part of a good content strategy.
Why Content Ideation Matters
Organize your ideas better
Stay on-brand with your content
Improve the quality of your content
Be more intentional with your content plan
Examples of Content Ideation
Blog topics
Thumbnails
Ad creatives
Infographics
Video scripts
Lead magnets
Social media posts
Emails and newsletters
Tip: Keep your ideas organized in a document with headers for easy navigation and quick reference. I use Google Docs or Notion.
10 Ways to do Content Ideation
1. Know Your Audience
Your audience is one of the best places to look for content ideas. This is a great strategy because, as creators, we sometimes think we know what our audience wants, but we don’t actually (or we never actually asked).
So here are some ways to better understand your audience and use them for content ideation:
Keep track of common FAQs you get
Do more audience research
Use a survey or a poll
2. Use Google
Google is a treasure trove for ideas (and a key part of my keyword research process). They are, after all, still the largest and most used search engine.
So here are some ways I like to use Google for content ideation:
Google results (People also ask and Related searches)
Google search (autosuggest)
Google Keyword Planner
Google Trends
3. Use Social Media
“Google search is losing ground — especially with younger users. But I’m not surprised.”
Just spend a few minutes on TikTok search and you’ll see it’s pretty awesome — better UX, less ads, actually helpful and interesting results that match exactly what I’m searching for.
Everyone is on social media and it’s an amazing place to get inspiration and discover what’s trending. I fully support the expansion of blogging becoming more social.
Explore more:
➤ Blogging / Vlogging / Social Media
4. Use AI
It’s hard to talk about anything (but especially content creation) and not mention AI. But it’s a great resource, so let’s use it.
Start by simply prompting your preferred platform (Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.) to help you brainstorm content ideas for your brand. But keep in mind the more context and instructions you provide, the better.
Explore more:
➤ The Future of Blogging
5. Check Reddit
Reddit is full of people asking their most burning questions (more or less). It’s an awesome resource for brainstorming and topic inspiration.
Look for popular threads (in your niche) and create a post that addresses the question exactly — and way better than the answer from fartforall420.
6. Leverage Your Experiences
“The only source of knowledge is experience.”
Experience creates the best content. Without it, you run the risk of just copying other creator’s ideas and not adding anything new to the conversation.
So to avoid that (and create better content that stands out), leverage your unique experiences in your niche. And if you don’t have any, start getting some and share your journey — mistakes and all!
7. Layer Your Skills + Interests
Your unique combination of skills and interests (and experiences) creates opportunities for truly unique content.
The formula is simple too: layer your interests and skills in various ways — look for interesting combinations. By cross-pollinating ideas and insights, you create fresh perspectives and novel ideas.
Nice.
8. Study Other Creators
“Other creators and brands in your niche are epic places to find content inspiration (operative word here, inspiration; never steal — always add your flavor).”
Your niche and other creators are leaving clues about what content to create.
One strategy to find these clues is a content gap analysis — analyze other creators/brands in your niche and look for gaps in their content. Then, simply fill in those gaps by creating your own content.
Alternatively, try to reverse engineer top-performing content from creators you look up to. Try to replicate their hooks and editing and keep a list of your favorite examples, templates and ideas.
Again, this is great for inspiration and learning. Always try to add your spin on things.
9. Use Content Ideation Tools
Content ideation tools are software for brainstorming and researching ideas.
Here are some popular ones to know:
TikTok Tools — Keyword Insights / Trend Discovery
Ahrefs Keyword Explorer Features
Google Keyword Planner
AnswerThePublic
AlsoAsked
FAQfox
AI
10. Learn Keyword Research
When you know how to find good keywords, you also discover the best content ideas for your blog, accounts and brand.
Keyword research is a big topic, but here’s the basic formula:
Come up with seed topics
Turn your topics into search queries using Google
Check search volume and competition data
Check the search intent of each topic
Analyze existing content
Add your spin
How to Know When a Content Idea is Good
It Makes Sense for Your Brand
For some creators, content on LinkedIn makes the most sense. For others, it doesn’t. It’s the same with X or Instagram or blogging.
For example, for my music content, TikTok, Instagram or YouTube would make a lot more sense than LinkedIn or X.
So a great litmus test for your content ideas is to always make sure your ideas match your audience, skills and brand.
You Can Add Your Unique Twist
Great content requires new perspectives. So tap into your creativity and explore outside the box.
Can you layer a unique experience, belief or idea into your content idea? If so, then that’s a good sign. The best content is content that suits your brand, authenticity and personality.
That’s the ultimate test.
It Builds Upon Older Ideas
Chances are, you’ll be making more than one piece of content, so it’s best if all your ideas fit together in a logical way.
This creates authority, trust and clarity for your brand.
In blogging, this idea is called topic clusters and it’s what builds topical SEO authority for ranking and trust.
But it also just makes sense for your visitors and followers. Content that builds upon each other is less jarring.
Later ✌️
Content ideation is more than just asking ChatGPT to come up with 50 topic ideas for your blog.
Truly great pieces of content are creative, unique, audience-relevant and authentic.
Leveraging search engines, social media, community forums and other creators is a great starting point. But testing, staying open to change and adding your unique spin on things is crucial.
