Thoughts on Writing: Generating ideas for online article writing
As a freelance writer, I often find paying writer’s jobs on the internet, and then I read the submission guidelines, check out what the site or publication has published in the past, and then research
a bit and write a query or article and submit it on spec. It’s relatively easy to decide what to write about when the publication you are writing for has a theme and you know what they expect. However, sometimes I write for sites that accept submissions on just about any theme, such as Associated Content, and that’s when finding ideas for articles becomes a bit more difficult.
Many times, sites that accept content articles will let you write about just about anything they think can bring page views to their site. Because of that, you want to find topics that have a public interest, things you can show will bring readers and a readership to the site and your content.
Keeping content fresh and coming up with new ideas isn’t easy when you write all day. Sometimes you simply run out of original ideas and worry you may be writing about the same things over and over. I’ve seen it asked in many writing forums, “How do you come up with ideas for new articles?”
So I decided to write an article or two about how to come up with freelance writing ideas that will help you get page views, a readership, provide information people are seeking, and with any luck, help you increase your writing income.
#1 Breaking News Sites
MSNBC, Fox News, Yahoo!, Google, and many other websites have a breaking news section where you can see news as it happens, or shortly after it happens. If you frequent these sites or sign up to receive email notifications of breaking news, you can find a wealth of article ideas from breaking news stories.
Generally speaking, when a story first breaks, there is not a lot that has been written about it, but people will start to look for more in depth information. If you are one of the first to write about and publish a breaking news story, you are almost guaranteed page views for your writing, because you won’t be competing for keywords with other sites yet. Get something out there quickly, and then promise your readers a follow up when more information is available.
After you are able to do some more research on a breaking news story, read what other sites have been saying, and see if you can’t find an angle to the story that other sites have not written about yet for your follow up. This way, when your readers are compelled by your promise of a follow up to return to read your articles, they will learn more information, but also learn about it in a way that isn’t available on every website that is now carrying the news story.
#2 Discussion Groups
Join some discussion groups or forums, newsgroups, chat groups, or question and answer groups and read and participate. Notice themes in discussions where it seems the same question is asked over and over again. Read the answers, do a bit of research and write an article about whatever that question is. If people are asking the question repeatedly, across many different forums, it is probably because this is something that is not easily found on the internet but is of interest to many people.
If you do this, you know you have not only written an article about something people have an interest in, but you also know you will not have much competition for page views and keywords for having your article highly ranked in search engines and directories.
Pick forums or newsgroups that have discussions about things you would normally be interested in yourself, and you will enjoy the experience as well as gaining useful article ideas.
#3 If They Are Searching for It, Write It
Yahoo! Buzz, Google Zeitgeist, AOL Hot Searches, DogPile SearchSpy, Google Trends, MSN Search Insider, and many other websites will tell you what the top internet searches are. Some will give you information on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, and others actually allow you to see live search trends as they are happening.
The point here is this: if people are searching for it, they want to know more about it – so write about what people are searching for, and you will likely have readers coming to your article.
#4 Writing Prompts
Sign up for a newsgroup or a forum or a newsletter that sends you writing prompts. Writer’s Digest offers a weekly writing prompt at no cost, and you never know what it might spark in you for an article idea.
Ask your family or friends for writing prompts: “What would you like to read about?” and then research it and write it up, and then be sure to send them a link to let them know you wrote about what they wanted to read.
If you have a blog, ask your blog readers what they’d like to read about and then write about it.
#5 Refresh Existing Articles
If you have articles that are not ‘evergreen’, that is, are dated or have become outdated or obsolete, write a new article about the same information, only updated. Your new article can even link to or feature your old article, and you can compare and contrast the changes that have taken place since the outdated article was written.
Not only will this help update your readers, but it will also help you appear like an expert on the issue, as well as making sure your readership knows that, even though your old article is still available to read, you know it is outdated. In fact, you might even considering going to the old article and leaving a comment or a notation at the end of it stating something such as: “The information in this article has changed. To see the updates, please visit: HERE.” and provide a link to the new, updated article.
#6 Holidays and Special Events
Figure out whatever the next major holiday or next major event, nationally or locally, is, and write about it. Give a history of the holiday, a history of the event, information on where the event or holiday celebrations will take place, hints and tips for party plans for holidays, and more.
#7 If You Had to Look It Up, Someone Else Will Too
Have you ever wondered about something and then set out to look it up on the internet? Perhaps it was more information on a drug you saw advertised on television. Maybe it was the meaning of a word or phrase. Maybe you saw something about a new program and you wanted to know more about it.
If you had to take the time to research something, you might as well put that time to good use other than just having information. Chances are, if you were curious enough about it to want to seek more information, other people will be too.
Whenever something sends you to the internet to do research, jot down the information, and write an article about whatever it is you researched.
#8 Write About Your Passion
What do you really enjoy doing? Are you a coin collector? Do you like to sample fine wines? Perhaps you are an avid cook and recipe collector. Whatever you do for your hobby, for fun, make some money writing about it. If you sew, knit, create things, crafts and the like, write short How-To articles for whatever craft or hobby you have.
Gather your recipes together and type them up and create meal ideas. Instead of writing just one recipe for one dish, create an entire meal, from appetizers to dessert, and offer drink and serving suggestions, and get paid for your recipes.
Do you like to work on cars? Write How-to guides for finding parts, repairing cars, buying tools – you name it.
Whatever your passion, your hobby, and your entertainment is, chances are someone else out there shares your hobby or would be interested in it, so write about it.
#9 Write About What Moves You
If something really makes you angry, upsets you, makes you laugh, makes you cry, or just plain outrages you – write about it! Opinion pieces and editorials don’t usually pay that much, but they surely can bring you page views and give you a lot of feedback and commentary to use as fodder for future writing.
#10 Read
When you are really stuck and don’t know what to write, read! Read everything you can get your hands on. If you write for a site like Associated Content, read other writer’s articles. While you are reading, pay attention to that little voice inside your head that either agrees or disagrees with the author of the piece. If you find yourself wanting to comment by saying, “This was great, but you forgot about…” write your article about whatever it is the author didn’t address in their piece.
Reading other people’s content can really help spur ideas for the content of your own. Just remember though, if you use something someone else said, be sure to properly cite and quote them, and don’t ever steal someone else’s ideas. Make the idea your own, expand on it, go a different direction with it – but let the writings of others inspire your own writing ideas.
*
