We’re in an interesting position over here in ClearVoice blogland; week in and week out, we’re aiming to create useful and engaging content about how brands can create useful and engaging content. Some of your pain points are our pain points. We get it.
We especially know how challenging it is to consistently come up with compelling ideas for the company blog. In fact, 60 percent of B2B marketers surveyed for the 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends study from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs said producing engaging content was a top challenge.
That’s where Content Studio — and this post — comes in.
We explained what Content Studio is and how to use it back in August. For this post, we used this tool to deliver real results based on the current content sharing landscape across 11 industries.
Here’s what that process looked like:
We performed and saved more than 50 Content Studio searches
Our content strategy team identified the most compelling results and used them as inspiration to create compelling content ideas
And now you can use these ideas for your own blog
One hundred and two unique publishers are cited here, including leading newspapers, publications and personal blogs. All results were published in the past year.
Now let’s get down to results.
(Note: Click on a link to jump to a section.)
Small business
Best Results:
3 Critical Reasons You Need Mobile Marketing For Your Small Business – business2community.com
Mom-and-pop shops get Facebook’s e-commerce message – San Francisco Gate
This search unveils how the mobile takeover has expanded beyond enterprise businesses. Mom-and-pop shops now have to think about mobile e-commerce and customer service.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Ways SMBs are Utilizing Mobile Marketing, and Why You Should Too
Best Results:
5 Reasons to Respond to Customer Reviews – business2community.com
How Online Reviews Can Help Grow Your Small Business – freshbooks.com
This search brings you the latest in how businesses use customer reviews. The results advise you on how to respond to a review and how to use them for lead generation.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How to Use Online Reviews to Your SMB’s Advantage
Best Results:
Case study: Small business content marketing success – businessgrow.com
A case study of a Black Friday retail campaign – smartinsights.com
Use “case study” searches to find data-driven analysis and long-form posts.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Small Businesses Can Create & Learn From Marketing Campaigns
Best Results:
What Your Small Business Should Do To Look Like A Social Media Pro – Forbes
Why Your Small Business Must Start a Blog – entrepreneur.com
This is The Best Infographic for Small Business Websites [50 Features] – shoutmeloud.com
A “title:(keyword)” search narrows results, so they’re relevant. Marketing resources for social media, blogging and website design are all discovered here.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How to Build a Digital Presence for Your SMB
Best Results:
How to Run a Successful Small Business in Your First Year – co-opcreditunions.com
9 Things Every Small Business Owner Must Do The First 30 Days of 2016 – Smallbiztechnology.com
Here we’re able to combine a highly discussed topic — “surviving the first year in business” — with a timely element, such as the economy.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Must-Know Small Business Tips to Overcome a Slow Economy
Enterprise business
Best Results:
10 Ways to Bridge the CMO-CIO Gap to Drive Business Growth – marketingprofs.com
Why Should CIOs Invest in Network Virtualization with NSX? – vmware.com
Both of these articles present tips for CIOs to be successful, so an article with additional tips makes sense.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Traits of Successful Enterprise CIOs
Best Results:
[Case Study] How Stephen Built 4 Income Streams in 4 Months with a New Business – bloggingyourpassion.com
How to 2x a Seven Figure Business in 3 Months: Long Tail Pro Case Study – wiredinvestors.com
Another example of how a “case study” search quickly identifies in-depth sources.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips to Grow Your Online Startup Exponentially
Best Results:
Post Holdings Recently Held Talks to Combine With ConAgra’s Lamb Weston – Wall Street Journal
Top Merger and Acquisition Tips for In-House Lawyers – findlaw.com
If you’re looking to discuss mergers, Content Studio brings you news stories about the impactful mergers and acquisitions as well as actionable tips for those involved.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Merger Hurdles Faced by Enterprise CEOs
How to Turn Big Data into Insights and Action – data-informed.com
Wharton M.B.A.s Get More Training in Data and Decision-Making – Wall Street Journal
10 ways big data, analytics, and sensors are helping behind the scenes – techrepublic.com
Content Studio gives you insights from all types of publications. Here there’s a WSJ article and a blog post from Data Informed which focuses on big data and analytics.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips for Turning Big Data Into Big Decisions
Best Results:
Study: Firms with More Women in the C-Suite Are More Profitable – Harvard Business Review
A 10-Year Study Reveals What Great Executives Know and Do – Harvard Business Review
Employees Leave Good Bosses Nearly as Often as Bad Ones – Harvard Business Review
A site search scans a website for the most-shared content. These studies will provide a bounty of information on successful executives.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Studies That Show What to Look for in an Executive
Career & interviewing
Best Results:
Another example of using site search to easily identify the best resources on an industry-leading publication.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Sound the Part: X Conversation Tips for Impressing at Your Interview
Best Results:
3 Ways to Sell Yourself in Your Executive Resume – recruiter.com
5 Important Skills You’ll See on Every Great Resume – Huffington Post
Here’s a great example of getting the best out of different publications: Quora, HuffPost and Recruiting.com all have very different content objectives. Reviewing all sources helps you separate biased vs. unbiased information.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Tips for Balancing Hard and Soft Skills on a Resume
Best Results:
Fresh graduates face challenging job search ahead – todayonline.com
The Most Lucrative Careers For Millennials – thezoereport.com
Content Studio can help you find both sides of the story. Here are examples of lucrative careers vs. a report about the challenges millennials face in the job market.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X College Majors That Will Ensure Millennial Job Security
Best Results:
Here’s an example of a generic search providing useful results. Use it to come up with a new angle, such as career tips from successful people, celebrities, etc.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Career Tips From Extremely Successful Men
Best Results:
10 of The Hardest Interview Questions & How to Answer Them – theundercoverrecruiter.com
10 of the Toughest Apple Interview Questions in Tech — and How to Answer Them – entreprenuer.com
70 top banking interview questions and how to answer them – efinancialcareers.com
Content Studio Powered Concept: The Toughest Job Interviews in America and How to Crush Them
Home & garden & crafts
Best Results:
There’s an unlimited amount of DIY project lists out there. Content Studio helps you identify which ones are the best and which audiences you can target, such has newlyweds.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X DIY Projects for Newlyweds
Best Results:
Raised Beds – How to build raised garden beds for $35 – queenbeecoupons.com
How to Make a Stone Birdhouse – empressofdirt.com
An Insanely Chic (and Simple!) Garden Trellis DIY – onekingslane.com
Take the best information from the best results to support your content. For example, a raised garden bed, birdhouse and garden trellis completes a chic garden.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How to Start Your Own Chic Garden Without Spending a Fortune
Best Results:
16 Struggles Only DIYers Will Truly Understand – buzzfeed.com
16 Totally Doable DIY Projects That All Solve More Than One Problem – buzzfeed.com
Content Studio Powered Concept: X DIY Projects Even DIY Veterans Struggle With
Best Result:
16 Totally Doable DIY Projects That All Solve More Than One Problem – nobiggie.net
50 Things to Make with a Pallet – instructables.com
35+ Very Cool Things To Make With A Paper Bag – happyhooligans.com
As with Google search, using “*” tells Content Studio, “input relevant words here.” This is a great way to develop new ideas.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Don’t Throw That Away: X DIY Projects You Didn’t Know You Could Make
Best Results:
Lavender Sage All-purpose Spray Cleaner – helloglow.com
Natural Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner (That Works!) – wellnessmama.com
Diy Naturally Antibacterial All-purpose Cleaner – helloglow.com
Searches with quality results but not quantity can be improved by using “OR” and adding a similar term.
Content Studio Powered Concept: DIY: Which Homemade Cleaning Product Works Best?
Parenting & mom blogging
Best Results:
A similar approach to #14. Discussing famous people is a good idea in our celebrity-obsessed society.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Parenting Advice From X Famous Dads
Best Results:
How game theory can help you do a better job of parenting – aeon.co
CMU associate prof’s book plugs game theory into parenting – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Here’s the reasoning behind this one: If multiple publications discuss how game theory can help parents, other psychology factors are worth discussing as well.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Parents can Use Psychology to be a Better Parent
Best Results:
A Celebrity Baby Blog: ‘Parenting at its Finest’ – blackcelebkids.com
16 Celebrity Exes Who Do Co-Parenting Right – thestir.cafemom.com
Searching for multiple words in a title is effective when you have a basic idea in your head and want to make sure there’s enough information out there to run with it.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Celebrity Parents who Put Their Kids First
Best Results:
Hacks, tricks and tips are all great searches for finding highly shared listicles.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Parenting Hacks That Will Make Your Kids Happy and Life Easier
Best Results:
4 Reasons Why Co-Parenting Post Divorce Matters More Than Ever – Huffington Post
5 Co-Parenting Tips for Newly Divorced Parents – goodtherapy.com
Here we found the phrase “co-parenting” from a more generic search term. Now you can conceptualize a post around that.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Reasons Co-Parenting Is Best for You and Your Kids
Best Results:
You should make content that speaks to both small and large target audiences. Here’s an idea that fits a niche.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Ways Parents Can Prepare Their Children With Disabilities for School
Health & fitness
Best Results:
16 Health And Fitness Myths You Should Definitely Stop Believing – buzzfeed.com
The 3 absolute worst health and fitness goals you must avoid. – precisionnutrition.com
As mentioned, a title search is one of the best ways to quickly access relevant results.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Fitness Myths: The True, The False, and the Crazy
Best Results:
These Are the Best Exercises for Anxiety and Depression – Huffington Post
Really, Really Short Workouts – New York Times
As mentioned in No. 19, using “*” is a great way to develop new ideas.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Fitness Tips for Working Women to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Efficiency
Best Results:
Celebrity Diet Tips: The Exact Meals & Workouts From Britney Spears, Demi Lovato & More – hollywoodlife.com
Even Ronda Rousey ‘Got Her Butt Kicked’ by Celebrity Trainer Ky Evans’ ‘Extremely Intense’ Pilates Workout – People
As you can tell, celebrity themes work across industries.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Fit Females: How Hollywood’s Hottest Stay in Shape
Best Results:
Can Summer Grilling Cause Cancer? 10 Tips to Reduce Toxic Exposures – drfranklipman.com
CDC: 104,000 quit smoking due to ‘Tips from Former Smokers’ campaign – Atlanta Business Chronicle
Content Studio can help you formulate entire campaigns around weighty topics, such as cancer.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Health Tips for Men With a Family History of Cancer
Best Results:
Fitbit Charge Hr Vs Garmin Vívosmart Hr – androidauthority.com
Gear Fit 2 Review – Can Samsung Get Fitness Tracking Right? – androidauthority.com
We Tried Fitbit’s New Smartphone-Friendly Fitness Trackers – buzzfeed.com
Using “vs.” in a search or title search helps you find comparison articles.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Which Fitness Tracker is Right for me: Fitbit vs Samsung vs Garmin
Education
Best Results:
Content Studio Powered Concept: The Gamification of Education: How to Make Learning Addictive
Best Results:
Google updates Classroom with new tools for students, parents and teachers – Tech Crunch
Children with special needs given the tools to succeed with Windows 10 – Microsoft
Here Content Studio is able to connect two themes you wouldn’t normally associate together: tech companies and education.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How the Biggest Tech Companies Are Helping Students
Best Results:
MOOCs: Course Completion is the Wrong Measure of Course Success – class-central.com
How Do Online Learners Overcome Challenges in MOOCs? [New Publication] – techknowtools.wordpress.com/
Content Studio can help you tackle two audiences at once — these same results could be used for a teacher-oriented concept.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips for Success When Logging in to Your First MOOC
Best Results:
Free Lesson Plans – scholastic.com
DIY Math Camp – whatdowedoallday.com
In addition to blog and article content, great resources such as lesson plan templates are crawled as well.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Teacher Tips: How to Find Free Lesson Plans
Finance
Best Results:
10 Overlooked Tax Deductions That Will Save You Money – personalcapital.com
Don’t Miss Out on the 21 Most Overlooked Tax Deductions – popsugar.com
Opening articles and skimming them can lead you to new ideas. Both of these articles detail job hunting costs, which inspired this new concept:
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tax-Saving Tips to Keep in Mind While Job Hunting
Best Results:
A Smarter Plan to Make Retirement Savings Last – New York Times
A 3-step retirement savings plan for 20-somethings – money.cnn.com
New search ideas will come naturally as you vet results. Here we see the obvious but helpful connection between “savings plan” and “retirement.”
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips for Getting a Headstart on Your Retirement Goals
Best Results:
App articles are overdone, but “app” as a search term can lead to compelling stories about innovation and disruption.
Content Studio Powered Concept: The Future of Finance: X Apps That May Change Finance Forever
Best Results:
Budgeting Software Showdown: Mint vs. You Need a Budget – lifehacker.com
The Online Budget Battle: Mint vs. You Need a Budget (YNAB) – makeuseof.com
Using “vs.” in a search or title search helps you find comparison articles.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Does the Free Mint Budgeting App Hold up Against Costly Competitors?
Enterprise tech & IT
Best Results:
Filtering by published date is a powerful tool for staying up to date with trends and industry developments.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Big Business Is Doubling Down on Cloud Technology
Best Results:
What is the blockchain, and is it really about to change the world? – extremetech.com
IBM Set to Launch One of the Largest Blockchain Implementations to Date – Wall Street Journal
Blockchain to become ‘beating heart’ of financial system – finextra.com
Reviewing top results on Content Studio is a great way to understand subject material, thus making you a better content strategist.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Blockchain: How Big Business is Removing the Middle Man From Finance
Best Results:
A Close Look at Eclipse Che – thenewstack.io
Five Things You Need To Know About Microservices – appaccelerator.com
This search and the one below are examples of keywords you might see mentioned in other articles. Use them to uncover a specific aspect of a given topic.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Microservices Help Enterprise Better Serve Customers
Best Results:
How to speed enterprise app development and meet digital transformation demands – information-age.com
Are Low-Code Platforms Fast and Scalable? – bitpipe.com
Here’s a good example of a search that requires technical industry knowledge. Luckily, our content strategy team stacks up knowledge from nearly every industry.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Low-Code Platforms Solve High-End Problems for Big Business
Best Results:
Predictive analytics: science or magic wand? – information-age.com
Why Marketers Should Embrace Predictive Analytics – cmswire.com
Marketplace Tip: When you’re dispatching a complex assignment such as this to the ClearVoice Marketplace, give writers multiple resources and explain what you like about each. This will establish the level of research and detail involved.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Why Traditional Marketers Are Skeptical of Using Predictive Analytics
Travel
Best Results:
The “past month/past 6 months” filters not only help you find trends, but they can also provide you with resources for when planning posts for the upcoming year.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Fitness Travel Experiences to Embark on in 2017
Best Results:
Ultralight Packing List: I Traveled for 3 Weeks with a 12L Handbag – herpackinglist.com
10 Genius Hacks for Packing Your Carry-On Suitcase – momspark.net
This is a great example of how to use resources and messaging to target a specific audience — solo female travelers in this case.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Backpacking Through Europe With Only the Pack on Your Back
Best Results:
How Luxury Travel Is Changing the Fashion Industry – skift.com
Op-Ed | Is Fashion Ready for the Experience Economy? – businessoffashion.com
Here we connected two themes, “luxury travel” and “fashion.” You might miss this connection had you not seen the search results.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Lessons That Luxury Fashion Brands Can Take From the Travel Industry
Best Results:
How To Travel Bora Bora On A Budget: It’s Possible! – neverendingfootsteps.com
How to Track Travel Expenses and Actually Stay On Budget – herpackinglist.com
As you can see, “how to” searches are one of the favorite plays in our content strategy playbook.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Luxury Budgeting: X Ways You Can Afford to Travel Like a Celebrity
Best Results:
Top Destinations for LGBT Travel in 2016 Revealed – travelandleisure.com
How Gay Travel Is Different (And Why It Matters) – nomadicmatt.com
The power of Content Studio is evident by the ability to identify content ideas in different niches for different demographics, such as LGBT-friendly travel.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips for Safe International LGBT Travel
Tech & gadgets
Best Results:
97% of smartphones in India run Android – androidauthority.com
Galaxy S7 Edge is the world’s top-selling Android smartphone so far in 2016 – androidauthority.com
There are lots of variations you can do with “Samsung” and “Apple” — but even the most basic entry still provides good resources.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Samsung Beat Apple in the International Market
Best Results:
10 best iPhone VR apps and games – techradar.com
Android 7.0 Nougat review: an Android version for Android fans – androidauthority.com
For something like VR (virtual reality), use the Past Month filter to find up-to-date insights.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Android is Preparing for the VR Revolution
Best Results:
New ‘Pilot’ Earpiece Translates Languages for You in Real Time – highsnobsociety.com
6 Medical Specialties with the Biggest Potential in the Future – medicalfuturist.com
What’s next for wearable tech – thenextweb.com
A plethora of terms can be paired with “future” effectively, especially in the tech category.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Ways Wearable Tech Will Change Your Everyday Life
Best Results:
New technology could add product placement to old TV programmes – The Guardian
When TV Ads Go Subliminal With a Vengeance, We’ll Be to Blame – New York Times
This search could be applied to TV technology — like the latest and greatest in TV manufacturing — but compelling articles about TV advertising stole the show.
Content Studio Powered Concept: The Future of Advertising on Network Television
There you have it — 53 solid ideas for blog content generated by Content Studio and the brilliant minds of ClearVoice’s own content strategists. To learn more about our software and how it can make your blog better, take a test drive.
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