How to Find Inspiration and Make YOUR Article Stand Out from the Crowd

Fresh content! It's the mantra of the search marketer.

But that doesn't make it any easier to actually sit down and write an article, does it?

Well there's no need to sweat it… because I'm going to share with you right now some foolproof tricks that professional writers use to get ideas for what to write.

There are two things you face when you're looking at that blank screen, waiting for inspiration to hit you:

• What the heck you're going to write about; and

• How do you make the post interesting so people will want to read it.

It's easier than you think! Jumpstart your creativity by coming up with an “angle.” Find something current that people are already thinking about, and then link your subject to it.

To start with, there are seasonal topics you know will come around each year, like spring, Halloween, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Easter, Valentine's Day, and so on.

Then there are seasonal events such as the Oscars, the Olympics, The World Cup, The Superbowl, Fashion Week, The Grammys, “American Idol”… you name it, there's always something going on.

Add to this big news events, like the US presidential elections, and technology updates -- release of the iPhone or a new gaming console -- and suddenly you have a lot of topics you know people are curious about.

And have you also thought about movies?

Run a search for “upcoming movies” and make a list of what's already causing a buzz. Top previews I found include: The X Files 2; Indiana Jones 4; The Incredible Hulk; X-Men Origins: Wolverine; Batman: The Dark Knight; Star Wars: The Clone Wars; and The Mummy 3…

Right there you have a list of some of the hottest topics on the Internet at the moment!

Now the point of this is not to snag people searching for those topics.

You want to appeal to the people who are searching for information on YOUR topic and get them intrigued enough to actually read your article and post it on their website. And of course, to encourage anyone who reads it to click through to YOUR website!

So don't write your entire article on one of these topics. You simply use it as a hook to create interest for your readers. Then keep your article relevant to your business so the content adds to your credibility and value.

Fortunately, all is takes is a little lateral thinking.

For example, one of my colleagues challenged me to relate “scarab beetles” to my hot topics list. Pretty obscure, right? And yet it took me all of about 20 seconds to recall that the movie “The Mummy” had whole scenes featuring flesh-eating beetles. Right there I have my hook. Using the movie as an example, I can talk about how the movies have portrayed beetles, and how realistic that is. And since “The Mummy 3” is being released soon, I know my blog post will be topical.

Let's think of another example.

Say your best keyword is how to “find the right mortgage lender.” You could tie this one in with the US Presidential elections. Run a search for what policies the candidates have on finance and do a comparison that relates to your niche. Remember that you don't have to write the whole article on it… it can simply serve as a lead-in to other information you might have.

In case you were thinking these examples were easy ones… how about “worm farms?” Tie it in with an post about spring! Or how worm farming is good for the environment (always a topical subject), or how worms are represented at Halloween or in different cultures.

It's a simple process: Look around, see what's on people's minds, ask if there's some connection you can make with your own topic, then write and post your article while the subject is still hot.

Once you've discovered an angle, you'll find it's pretty easy to write a post that will hook readers… even if you thought your inspiration had disappeared for good!

by Jess Summers