NOTE: I've been writing like a maniac for a bunch of amazing clients. One of my favourite groups to work with is DC Design House here in St. John's. They've been keeping me busy, so I put them to work. Check out this excellent guest post by Melissa Hogan, blogger extraordinaire on trends and how to use 'em to your advantage in content creation.
Trending Now
Your company has a blog because you know that creating informative, shareable content is helpful to your customers and good for your website, right?. But everyone gets struck by writer’s block now and then. It happens to us all. What do you do when you’re stuck for an idea for your next article? Look to trends.
Trending Now
Your company has a blog because you know that creating informative, shareable content is helpful to your customers and good for your website, right?. But everyone gets struck by writer’s block now and then. It happens to us all. What do you do when you’re stuck for an idea for your next article? Look to trends.
Is there a way you can use a current trend for inspiration? For instance, during the World Cup, If you sell laundry detergent, maybe you can write about the best way to get out grass stains from soccer (or is it football) uniforms. If you sell outdoor equipment, you could write about the things you’d need to survive a music festival like Osheaga. Sell insurance? How about an article before a long weekend about whether or not car insurance covers roadside assistance for road trips. The possibilities are almost endless.
Why Use Trends?
Something is trending because people are talking about it. Why not use that momentum to your advantage? People will be more likely to share your content if it’s interesting and timely. Don’t forget, a little humour always helps.
Using trends is also good for your site’s SEO. Topics are trending specifically because people are searching for them. Tap into that search stream. If you’ve got content on your site related to what people are searching for, you’ve got a better shot at getting in front of their eyeballs. Just be sure that when they land on your page, your article is of value to them and not just link bait. What is link bait? Stayed tuned for a future edition of What the FAQ?!
How to Spot the Trend
Google has a great resource called Google Trends to find out what’s hot. Scanning this site will give you an idea of what people are talking about right now. This should get your wheels turning.
There are a few sites out there that will give you Twitter trends, such as TrendsMap. Twitter itself also includes a list that is personalized for you.
Plus, there are always recurring holidays and events in your area. Look a few weeks ahead for your content ideas so that people have time to talk about them before the next big thing happens.
What’s the next trend you’re going to write about? Share it with us by email or in the comments.
Why Use Trends?
Something is trending because people are talking about it. Why not use that momentum to your advantage? People will be more likely to share your content if it’s interesting and timely. Don’t forget, a little humour always helps.
Using trends is also good for your site’s SEO. Topics are trending specifically because people are searching for them. Tap into that search stream. If you’ve got content on your site related to what people are searching for, you’ve got a better shot at getting in front of their eyeballs. Just be sure that when they land on your page, your article is of value to them and not just link bait. What is link bait? Stayed tuned for a future edition of What the FAQ?!
How to Spot the Trend
Google has a great resource called Google Trends to find out what’s hot. Scanning this site will give you an idea of what people are talking about right now. This should get your wheels turning.
There are a few sites out there that will give you Twitter trends, such as TrendsMap. Twitter itself also includes a list that is personalized for you.
Plus, there are always recurring holidays and events in your area. Look a few weeks ahead for your content ideas so that people have time to talk about them before the next big thing happens.
What’s the next trend you’re going to write about? Share it with us by email or in the comments.