Content Creation can be exhausting. One week two weeks... It's been almost a month since you published any content on your site. In fact, you can't come up with any new content ideas. You feel like you've exhausted all your resources.

You are not alone. Hundreds of bloggers, entrepreneurs and website owners face the same problem. While some manage to get back on track after a few months, others simply can't, so their site has been out of date for years.

Let's take a look at how to avoid being uninspired...

🌈Survey

In your opinion, is it serious to not publish anything for weeks, months or even years?

Of course, it's serious! Whether it's in SEO or subscriber engagement.

No, I don't think it has any impact. As long as you have a site to show that you are a professional.

I don't know, maybe you'll answer it at the end of this article? I prefer to keep my opinion.

And I say feel free to share your opinion in comments 😉

Getting back to our concern, I'll show you in this guide how to find inspiration to create original content, and do so regularly.

Contents

• Phase 1: Pencil and paper ✏️
• Phase 2: Inspiration on the web 💻
• Phase 3: Mixing 📚
• Phase 4: I let go 😌
• Phase 5: I refine 🎀

Video

Phase 1: Pencil and paper ✏️

The best way, in my opinion, to find ideas is to write down what you want to create.

In fact, ideas come at random, in most cases, they come without any expectation (whether you are in the subway, at the super market, taking a walk, running...). I'm telling you this from experience: at those moments, you absolutely have to write them down.

You risk losing them if you put it off, because trust me, the brain is not a reliable storage space. 🧠

So you have to take a notepad and a pen with you wherever you go. You're going to tell me that it's not very practical, and I totally understand you. Maybe you prefer digital tools on a smartphone? Actually, that goes without saying. So, do as you please. The important thing is that you can write down your ideas somewhere at any time.

🗒 Note that digital tools are also a good idea, especially those that can be synced. That way, you can access your notes on any of your devices (computer, tablet and smartphone).

Later, when you have more time, review your notes and revise them. This is a good time to sort through anything you've written lately, and then group the ideas into categories. As you are more willing to think about content ideas, you can also use this time to detail the notes you have written. Making small sketches can help you to better understand the subject, to see from which angles it can be approached...

Phase 2: Inspiration on the web 💻

For the second phase, I turn on my laptop and start browsing my favorite sites to find ideas, innovate and shake up the codes. Here, my goal is to be aware of what's going on elsewhere. I can then get inspired by what they are doing.

❗️ Being inspired by what they do does not mean that you are copying them. On the contrary, avoid copying them at all costs. It is not only a question of duplicate content , which is very badly seen by Google, but above all, of added value. In addition to being downgraded on Google, you risk damaging your image. Your readers won't see you as original, because you won't bring them anything new. You will have wasted your time.

So try to always add value to your ideas, so that the content you create becomes original. But how? Don't hesitate to talk about your experience, make case studies, show your personality, etc.

💎 Here are some sites I visit often: awwwards, dribbble, behance, Lapa.ninja. There's a whole bunch of them, but it's up to you to choose what works best for you 🙂

The Google search engine is also a good idea. Easy to use, it generates suggestions of keywords and expressions as soon as you enter a keyword related to your domain. It is particularly the information about the search volume and the level of competition that could interest you the most. In fact, you will be able to see which topic attracts the most audience.

The Answer the public tool also works the same way. All you have to do is insert a keyword. The tool then offers you a series of questions based on the search of the Internet users. Even better, you can sort these questions.

You can also use tools specialized in information monitoring(Google trends among others).

Finally, don't forget that social networks are your allies. You just have to subscribe to people or pages that address the same theme as you.

Phase 3: Mixing 📚

Then I'm not afraid to mix 2-3 existing ideas. You don't always have to be the inventor, so there's no need to pressure yourself either! As I said earlier, you can take inspiration from others. One way to stay original, however, is to combine different ideas (the best ones) into one piece of content.

By mix, I also mean: recycle.

In my case, I've already managed to write several blog posts. If I ever run out of ideas, I can always recycle existing articles! Besides, there's no way my audience has already had time to consume ALL the content on my blog (or not, maybe it's possible, but in that case, I don't think they remember every detail).

So I can take a blog post, look at it and see if there are any details I'll need to address in a brand new post.

💎 Here are also 2 other methods of recycling and mixing content ideas:

• Update an existing article, updating numbers, dates, etc.
• Publish the content in question in another format or on another platform.

Among those you have already written, how do you know which one should be modified? There is a statistical analysis tool: Google Analytics. If it has already been installed on your site, just log in to see which content interests the most people on your blog.

Phase 4: I let go 😌

I take a day or two to relax and get out of this world, just to recharge my batteries. It's also another way to mature the idea, a bit like a fine wine 🍷. It takes time for it to transform.

Also in inspiration, you have to give yourself time. Coming up with a first idea for content (let's say: the guideline) is already a big step. And if you feel inspired to continue with your proposals, all the better; do it! Just don't start anything until you've taken the time to let go. After you recharge, you'll see your ideas more clearly 💡. You might even want to change some of them.

Letting go can mean different things to different people, but know that in our context it doesn't mean anything special. Just live your life, spend a "normal" day (but without working). You'll see, everything you do can become an inspiration (difficulties, discoveries, meetings...).

Phase 5: Peaufine🎀

Most of the work is finally done, so congratulations! Now, polish up the idea and the details.

At this stage, I do a final sorting of my ideas. I keep the best ideas, and I don't forget to delete the ones I don't like anymore. In reality, there is no exact science, it's all a matter of feeling. For me, the best ideas are the ones that make me feel I'm on the right track!

Conclusion

At some point in your reading, you might have wondered why I put so much emphasis on finding content ideas.

To answer this: it is because

• Google loves animated sites, that is to say, updated regularly. And one of the best ways to do this is to create content on an ongoing basis!
• You need to engage readers, subscribers and potential customers, and producing original content is a good way to do that.

So, if you too want to increase your site's chances of appearing in the top search results on Google, and you want to create an engaging community, but are struggling to find inspiration to produce original content, you know what you have to do:

1. Take with you something to write down all the ideas that come out of nowhere, at any time in your life.
2. Take the time to be inspired by what your colleagues, partners and even competitors are doing.
3. Don't necessarily look far. Sometimes content ideas can be found in existing content you already have.
4. Don't put pressure on yourself and don't need to reinvent the wheel.
5. Finally, take the time to let go in order to recharge your batteries!

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