If you look up the Internet, you will find plenty of places where you can find tips about different content ideas. While these blogs are helpful, they make you limited to writing only a few types of content such as – how-to’s, lists, comparisons, news, case studies, etc.

So, with this post I decided to compile a list of sources you can use to get content ideas. Be sure to keep this list handy always. I do too!

Source # 1 Google.com

Search engines are undeniably the best places to start your content idea search. While I have mentioned Google here considering its popularity and coverage, you must use other search engines too like Yahoo Bing, Duck Duck Go, etc. The search engines provide you results based on your keywords. So, the more accurate your keywords are, the broader range of ideas you will discover. Search engines also suggest you sites based on your intent. Search results lead you to different useful websites, but search results themselves can also give you ideas.

Source # 2 Competitors

If you are not the content leader in your niche, then some of your competitors are. So, if they are being successful by creating and publishing certain types of content, then you should too. You can set up Google Alerts for your competitors’ blogs, so every time they publish a new piece of content, you will get a notification. More importantly, keep a close eye on their blogs and newsletters. You are sure to find a lot of ideas from there.

Source # 3 Good ol’ books

The industry experts keep publishing their books regularly. They publish books because they know what type of content is more in demand out there. So you should buy such bestselling books, read them and then identify different types of content ideas that your own audience will appreciate.

Source # 4 eBooks

Just like the physical books, the industry experts also publish ebooks. Such ebooks are either paid or free. They are again great content idea mines. You can download such ebooks and repurpose them according to the tastes and preferences of your audiences. eBooks often contain statistics, case studies, quotes, examples, that make it easier for you to generate different types of content.

Source # 5 Magazines

Every industry has a certain set of magazines. With the increasing penetration of the Internet, the number of online magazines has increased drastically. You can subscribe to those magazines at special annual rates. And you don’t have to read to cover-to-cover. Just browse through the main stories and you will find a variety of ideas for your own content.

Source # 6 Industry research

Every now and then you will find a new research paper being published. Not only the independent research agencies publish them, nowadays even the private businesses do so. You can join the mailing list of leading industry research websites and keep getting newer content ideas.

Source # 7 Online courses

Every industry has specific set of online courses. They are either paid or free on websites like Lynda.com and Udemy. These courses have their syllabus published online for the general public. You can get many content ideas from there on.

Source # 8 Industry Conferences

Conferences are great for networking. But, they are also great for searching for content ideas. You should make sure that you attend a certain number of conferences every year, and when you do, you should make the most of the keynotes, speeches, sessions, presentations and workshops there. Conferences also publish their agenda on their websites. At such conferences, many industry experts express their views and opinions on the latest trends. Therefore, you can find a great number of content ideas from such conferences.

Source # 9 Podcasts

Podcasts are slowly becoming popular among the masses like the main stream news media. You should subscribe to all the leading podcasts within your niche. You can find a wide variety of content ideas from such podcasts.

Source # 10 YouTube

You don’t have to necessarily limit your search only to textual sources. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. With the web content increasingly becoming visual, you are sure to come across an ocean full of content ideas on YouTube. You can also search on other popular video search engines like Vimeo.

Source # 11 Social Media

You simply cannot ignore the social media platforms. They are no longer just for entertainment and connecting with friends and families. The brands increasingly use social media to establish meaningful rapport with their customers. In order to do so, they ensure that they provide meaningful and useful content to their audiences. Facebook has its own unique search engine. Twitter and LinkedIn are also becoming advanced sources of information and content. Therefore, you should make the most of all the social media platforms relevant to your niche in order to find newer content ideas at all times.

Source # 12 Buzzsumo

You can use Buzzsumo to search for specific topics, URLs or authors. The website provides you with a summary of posts and pages based on your query. I often use Buzzsumo to identify the influencers in my niche and see what type of content they are publishing.

Source # 13 Quora

Quora is the most popular question and answer forum website. Here you can find almost all types of questions being answered, partially if not fully. People keep asking about things that are the latest in their niches or the lease explored. Either ways, the website offers some great content ideas to all types of businesses alike.

Source # 14 Wikipedia

You just cannot ignore Wikipedia. It is the world’s go-to place when looking for information on practically anything you can think of. And the website is being updated on a regular basis. You will find many great content ideas on Wikipedia.

Source # 15 Blog comments

Other than looking at the blog posts being published on your industry’s leading blog sites, you should also carefully review the comments posted by users on these blogs. In such comments, they either offer additional insights or ask questions that can provide you with newer content angles.

Source # 16 Emails

Almost all businesses these days indulge into email marketing. They want to keep in touch with their old and potential customers through newsletters. And in these emails, they provide unique andoriginal content relevant and useful to their audiences. So, make sure that you subscribe to all the important emails in your niche and also subscribe to your competitors’ emails in order to spy on their content initiatives.

Source # 17 SlideShare

SlideShare is a website where people upload their presentations and reports. It is seen as a content hub for almost all industries. You should really make the most of this website in order to find newer content ideas for your business.

Source # 18 Google Alerts

Google Alerts helps in bringing search alerts to you. At no cost! You get to choose the interval at which you wish to receive alerts. Google then sends you emails about content published on the websites, news sites and blogs which you have shown interest into.

Source # 19 Sales team

Your sales team keeps talking to customers and prospects every day. Therefore, they know the pain points of the businesses and marketers in your niche. They are your in-house content data mines. Make the most of your conversations with your sales team in order to find new content ideas.

Source # 20 Interviews

The influencers in your niche often appear in different types of interviews, podcasts, webcasts, blogs, etc. These interviews are everywhere, in all types of media on the Web. In such interviews, some of the most pertinent questions are addressed and the newer insights are revealed. You can find many new content ideas from such interviews.

And finally, you can talk to your friends and family members to find the content ideas. I do that and I find a lot of content ideas from my conversations with them!

Do you have more sources to find content ideas? Do share them with me by leaving a comment below.