How to Make Your Online Content Earn You Money and Recognition. Part 3: How to Keep the Ideas Coming

Keeping ideas fresh

Ideas can sometimes evade us, especially if we’re doing this as a full time job, on a constant basis. The best ideas come from real life. Why? Because even though it may not be the first time someone has thought of that topic, it may be the very thing the market needs revived at the moment.  As we all know, many times we’re injected with a sudden brainstorm about something which we think is fantastically original, only to find that someone has already given the idea a good scouring and airing in the internet, way before our mind gave birth to it.  At the risk of sounding cynical, there is hardly anything we can come up with these days, that’s not already been beaten to death on the internet. Our job is to make sure that our version is unique.  The only way to do that is to put our individual spin on it. Copying and pasting makes our work the same as everyone else’s. Putting their individuality into their pieces, is what makes some people’s work stand head and shoulders above the rest.

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Is it possible to produce new content

Yes.

If you always make sure that you research thoroughly, i.e don’t let the total sum of your research be one page of Wikipedia (we know that Wikipedia, useful as it is, is not a dictionary, it’s a site that anyone can add anything to, by nature of this, there are many inaccuracies on there), but at least eight or nine other sources as well. Why so many? The answer to this is easy. One page gives you one person’s viewpoint. Looking at a case from all angles, gives you a total picture of what the nucleus of the story is (like the four gospels give you all-round viewpoints of the same story, because it comes from four different writers). This is the only way your product will stand out above the rest of the grit on the internet. We’ve already said that there aren’t many new projects you can think about doing, but your content will always be fresh and new, if it’s coming from you. The world has already heard the lies and the facts from other people.  Copying and pasting means that your article will be old news, expressing the very same ideals and, worst of all, other people’s views. Putting yourself and your opinions into an old story is making it new again. It becomes your story, your spin. That’s what makes content stand out – its individuality (we’ve looked at this from a different angle in the last article in this series).

How do I get ideas to keep churning out the content

The best and most ‘original’ ideas come from real life. Always carry a note book with you. Little things create a spark in the minds of creative people, when other people just let them pass them by. If you are truly creative, you do not need to have this explained to you.  My daughter once had a note which said, ‘my book of evil plans’ in which she laid out nasty (funny) things that she would like to do, including chucking a piece of carrot at my head when I’m telling her off. I found this hilarious, and immediately set out to write an article of the same title, outlining the evil things that I would like to do, and get away with. That article was an overnight success, and made me a substantial amount of money. Another time I was sitting behind someone on a bus, who was carrying on a very interesting conversation on her mobile phone. The thought struck me to write a short story, comprised of just a one sided phone conversation, so the reader had to guess what was happening on the other side of the phone.

(There! This article is now different from all of the others you will read on the internet about using your online content to gain you recognition, and to make you money. Why?  because I’ve just illustrated my point by telling you a personal story, a story which I can guarantee that you will not find anywhere else).

Read, Read, Read

Every year when my present subscription runs out, I subscribe to different magazine. Why? Reading gives you ideas, and shows you what works in the current writing arena. If you write about cars or internet games, you should be subscribing to a magazine which deals with those subjects. This is not so that you could copy their content, because that would be stupid and wrong. Besides, if you get caught, you could be sued for plagiarism. Reading within your subject of expertise makes you more of an expert (reading and studying material in their field, is what makes experts, experts) and it gives you genuine ideas for articles of your own.

Look for what’s ‘coming next month’ in your magazines. They’ve done the expensive surveys to find out popular trends, (Viola! You’ve had a free survey done on your behalf) so do your own article, before they’ve come out with theirs. Having said that, it’s not completely free, since you’re paying your subscription and are entitled to read and devour anything they’ve printed. Notice I said, ‘read and devour’ and not ‘copy and write-up.’

A piece on a wedding for example, could give you an idea about vows that people make. Your research on this topic would reveal quite extraordinary and humorous information on various kinds of vows that are made in the world around us.

Reading also gives a vital boost to those who’re less versed in English language rules and correct punctuation. These are vital writing knowledge which are lacking in many internet articles.

Radio and Television

As an online creator of content, you are no longer allowed the privilege of watching TV and listening to the radio, just for the pleasure of it. You’re now doing these activities as part of your job as well. Keep your eyes open for subjects being researched, and news and reviews about the weird and wonderful. Ask yourself what spin you can put on stories in the news. What ideas do they give you? Does a piece about a plane crash give you an idea about natural disasters? Does a story about a murder in your area give you an idea about unsolved crimes?

As an aside, do not make the mistake of following the popular trend on the internet which makes fun of the dead, the dying, or the sick. Always treat these subjects with respect. Remember that no matter what the dead were like, they’ve got living relatives who should be considered. Once your projects are published, they go out into the world, where anyone, and indeed, everyone can view them. Your handling of a story, no matter how despised the subject or individual covered, reflects on you – the creator – not them. Remember to make use of your humanity and pay respect to the people about whom you write. You are not the paparazzi.

Let your day job work for you

Many people do not remember that they have at least one hundred unwritten articles under their sleeves. Do you have a day job? What is it? Are you a mother taking care of children? There’s your hundred articles covering something about which you have a remarkable amount of knowledge. Are you a gardener? Give your fans advice about plants. Are you a fantastic cook? What about teachers? Do you give your students topics to research? Are they studying Winston Churchill this month? Why not do your own research and write about him. You must have tons of advice on how to study. Your colleagues on the website for which you write, may not need that particular advice, but they know a good, well-written article when they see one. They will put your work out there for the hundreds of thousands of people who do need it.  I’ve beaten this one to death so I’ll move on.

Become an expert in your hobby

Your hobby, by definition is something you spend a lot of time doing. This can offer you at least another hundred articles. Do you like redecorating? Are you a dab hand at fixing up old cars? Do you take a run every morning? How about TV? Do you love watching TV? Why not choose a few of your favourite shows and do weekly reviews of them. Now we’re talking not about 100 articles, but about a lot more than that.

You need to be a brilliant writer to stay on top, and in addition to the other factors we’ve discussed in making your online content earn you money and recognition, you also need to have the ideas coming and coming. You’ve made some good friends and you keep them well, you’ve secured the fans and you know how to keep them coming back, but it’s very important to show them that you’re not a one-time wonder. You can actually keep up the pace.

Revision

• Add a bit of myself to everything I create. This is the only way to make it original.
• Various sources have to be used, for my research to be thorough.
• Real life throws up the most original ideas, but I always have to be on the look-out.
•  Prolific reading gives me great ideas.
• I must not discard the stories I watch and listen to in the media. If I think long and hard enough about them, they’ll open up new ideas for me.
• I have a vast amount of knowledge about my day job. I should use this wealth of knowledge to become an expert in my field.
• My hobby can provide me with lots of ideas.

I won’t, or can’t link everything that I’ve ever written, but to get the overall picture of this article it is advisable to read the rest of this series. Find more on writing and publishing at A Blogger’s Books.com

Part one – Why add friends

Part two – How to keep people reading your work

Part four – Developing skill and technique

Part five – Setting out your article for internet skimming