Where do first-rate B2B Content Marketers get their ideas from?

Business bloggers who are relative amateurs in the field can’t help but take inspiration from seasoned content marketers who are relentless in producing fresh, engaging and entertaining pieces that never fail to capture the interest of the blogosphere. And sometimes they wonder how in the world these veterans are able to come up with ideas each and every time.

Of course, there could be different sources of inspiration forevery writer, and one would always find ways to sustain the flow of ideas to avoid drought. But sometimes, blogging can use up a writer’s reservoir of brain juice up to last drop, and writing just becomes too hard.

If you’re in that state, what you need to do is go back to the basics. You may not know it, but perhaps because of your desperation to conjure an idea from every source you bump into, you tend to forget where all the ideas are abundantly coming from – right in front of you.

News, news, and a lot of news. This is a infallible defense against writer’s block. If there’s something that doesn’t stop producing itself, it’s the news. There’s always a news piece that is relevant to your marketing concept, and you will always have something to say about it. That’s your safety net.

Social media. In the world of social media, sharing uninteresting stuff is a sin. So if you stroll into the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ at least once in a day, you are likely to stumble upon something worth writing about. Or better yet, share it directly on your blog!

Events. Seminars, trade shows, or speaking engagements – any social shindig that holds an opportunity to become a goldmine of industry information. There’s a lot you can write off an event: what you learned, what struck you the most, things you disagree with, or even things you could say about the speaker(s).

Research-based publications. Prestigious blogs always include graphs and research statistics in their article pieces, and there’s a reason for that. Facts lay the groundwork for content, and it establishes both the blogger and the blog as credible sources of information.

Your customers. Do you have a mechanism that allows customer feedback? Do you read some of their comments on your content posts? Do you listen to sales calls and see what their usual rants are about? The best source of ideas is the people you’re writing for.