Archive for category: idea sources for blogs

I love “reading around and learning around”, as I call it, and advise all blog content writers to do the same. Ideas are all over the place, all of the time, but we’ve got to see and hear those ideas, learning everywhere and from everyone, making connections between our own experience and knowledge and Other People’s Wisdom. 

“What if?” is the question posed by author Randall Munroe in the book “Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions”. Now, this book is nothing if not off-beat, but that’s a good thing for freelance content creators, I think. After all, we face the challenge of churning out creative writing over extended periods of time, and we need fresh ways of looking at things.

Here’s one of Munroe’s serious scientific answer to an absurd question:
“If every person on earth aimed a laser pointer at the moon at the same time, would it change color?’  Answer: Not if you used regular laser pointers. Not everyone can see the moon at once, but 75% of the world’s population lives between 0 degrees E and 120 degrees E, we should try this while the Moon is somewhere over the Arabian Sea.
The typical red laser pointer is 5 milliwatts, and good one would have enough power to hit the Moon, but the light would have no effect compared to the much more powerful light of the sun.” 

So how might this gem be useful in business blogging? For one thing, like any piece of trivia, it can be used to spark curiosity. But, once having brought in the question and answer, you might continue by pointing out that the red laser is extremely useful for

• Astronomers
• Outdoor sporting
• Teaching
• Business presentations

Then, depending on what business or practice you’re marketing, the post might continue with a story about how a laser printer proved useful in a certain situation.

“What if a glass of water was, all of a sudden, literally half empty?” is another of those absurd hypothetical questions with a lot of wisdom to offer if you’re willing to search a bit.  Here’s part of the Munroe commentary:
When people say “glass half empty”, they usually mean a glass containing equal parts water and air.

What follows in the book is a serious discussion of what happens when there’s a vacuum, but I’d challenge writers of blog content for psychology practices, motivational speakers (you know, “glass half full thinking), and private schools stressing STEM courses (emphasis on understanding our physical environment) to make use of that material in their blog marketing strategy.

Nothing like an offbeat book filled with truths and trivia to spark ideas for business blogs!

This week, I’m devoting my Say It For You blog posts to trivia mentioned in Albert Jack’s book, Red Herrings & White Elephants, which traces the origins of phrases we use every day. With the fall season setting in, it’s a good time to stock up provisions for the winter business blogging ahead.

Trivia of all types, I remind newbie freelance content writers, make for good “foodstuff”, and can be used in business blogs for defining basic terminology, sparking curiosity about the subject, putting modern-day practices and beliefs into perspective, and for explaining why the business owner or practitioner chooses to operate in a certain way.

Here are three more interesting “red herrings” that might come in handy for days when content writers find themselves running out of ideas for blog posts:

• A plum job – In the 1600s, the slang term for £1,000 was “plum”.  Back then, of course, that was a serious amount of money and happened also to be the fixed amount of payment for certain government jobs. The average layman considered that to be a huge pay for doing very little.
  What kind of business might make use of this tidbit of information?  How about an employment agency?  Clients of a financial advisor or of a bank might also find that piece of trivia interesting.

• As fit as a fiddle – That expression indicates a person or animal who is in good physical condition. Back in the days of medieval court, it seems, the people considered most energetic and fit were the fiddlers, who would scamper about playing their music throughout the crowds.
  For what types of business might this piece of trivia add interest to the blog? A fitness facility comes to mind, as does any health-related professional practice.

• The information about the origin of “as fit as a fiddle” makes for the perfect   jumping-off point for a discussion about the role physical activity plays in our health.
  To sleep tight – We use this expression to connote a good night’s rest. The first beds to be mass-produced in England had straw mattresses held by criss-crossed ropes attached to the bed frames.  As the ropes slackened with use, they needed to be tightened in order for the bed to remain comfortable. “Sleep tight”, therefore, meant “sleep comfortably”.
  This story could make for good blog fodder for a mattress store, a bedding company, or even a sleep clinic.

Stocking up on blog triggers like these can really help blog content writers get through the winter season!