Sometimes the hardest part of writing an article, blog post or report is coming up with the topic and title. However, there is a free online tool that can help you the next time you need to write something and you are fresh out of ideas.
Watch this video to see how it works:
Portent’s Content Idea Generator takes any subject and generates random topic ideas. Let’s say your subject is “cooking.” Enter it in the generator and the first result I get is “If You Read One Article About Cooking, Read This One.” Hit the refresh button, and I get “14 Ways Cooking is a Dying Art.” Let’s keep going. Here are a few more:
- “Shocking Ways Cooking Will Make You Better in Bed” (That will get attention!)
- “How Hollywood Got Cooking All Wrong”
- “15 Ways to Become the MacGyver of Cooking”
- “19 Great Articles About Cooking”
- “How Cooking Changed How We Think About Death” (Maybe you don’t want to use “death” in a post about cooking. What about “How Cooking Changes How We Think About Family” or some other topic?)
- “17 Problems with Cooking”
- “Unbelievable Cooking Success Stories” (Or turn it on its head with “Unbelievable Cooking Disasters.”)
Those are not all winners, but most of them could work. Watch the video for some of my ideas on how to modify these titles to make them work for you. Change the number, change a word, turn it around. Use what the generator shows you as inspiration for something that works better for you. With a little fudging, just about any of the titles you get could work.
Give it a try the next time you need to create a blog post or other content.
Cathy, you made me really laugh out loud with that video.
Shocking Ways Cooking Will Make You Better in Bed, “Patience, Attention to detail, Basting.” Classic.
Very funny, but a very useful tool for getting the old brain running in creative mode!
Steve Rendell recently posted…Configure Automatic Daily Backups for FREE
Thanks, Steve. I have found that using the generator really does help get my mind going. A few minutes spent generating ideas gives me brain food to create lots of posts.
Happy blogging! (And basting?)
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Free Newsletter
Hey, I run a cooking blog and cookware ecommerce store. These a great ideas — thanks!
Tim R. recently posted…Complete Valentine’s Dinner In Under One Hour
Heh. Glad I could do your research for you. I’ll be sending an invoice. :o)
Thanks for the comment!
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Create an Infographic and Go Viral!
Hello Cathy,
It’s great helpful tool i found. Surely it will hep bloggers like me to write more crazy & interesting articles or blogs to attract more potential readers.
Thanks for sharing!
Ashley Rose recently posted…What to wear: Valentine’s Day Special Flirty Dresses
Absolutely! In my opinion, one of the things that draws people to Copyblogger.com is that they use such creative and intriguing titles. Of course, the title helps to get people there, and you have to deliver quality content to keep them there and get them to come back! That is the next challenge…
Happy blogging!
Cathy Stucker recently posted…How to Break Out of a Creative Rut
Thanks Cathy,
Great tool, will try it.
I usually make a long list of titles and let writers select the ones they prefer to write to. That way I get quality content because the writer has an interest in that particular category.
Muna, great idea when hiring writers or recruiting guest posters. I also keep a list of article ideas on hand for myself, for those days when nothing comes to mind.
Thanks for the comment!
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Get Paid Faster
Not only laugh tired ooo because i wonder how cooking will be better on bed but all the i gain many things from this post.
Olayinka recently posted…Valentine’s Gifts Ideas For Men and Women
Making a creative connection is one way to get people’s attention. That is why a title like “Shocking Ways Cooking Will Make You Better in Bed” will arouse their…curiosity. (Um, maybe “arouse” wasn’t the best word to use there…)
Thanks for the comment!
Cathy Stucker recently posted…How to Break Out of a Creative Rut
Thanks a lot for sharing this tool, Kathy! More than five years of talking about fashion and the job started to feel mundane, very routine. I´ve been wondering how to keep myself interested with the subject and opening your email today felt like an answered prayer. I found the tool able to wake up the creative in me. Thanks again!
Glee recently posted…Free People´s February Catalog: “Spark” for Hopeful Romantics
Good point–we need to awaken the interest in ourselves as well as our readers. That is one of the things I like about the Generator. I find myself thinking, “Yeah, I’d like to read that article!”
Thanks for the comment!
Cathy
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Knowing When to Outsource
Thank you so much for writing about this tool. I love it.
Margaret Reece recently posted…Medical Language Translation
That’s what I’m here for. :o)
Thanks for the comment!
Cathy
Cathy Stucker recently posted…How to Register A Domain Name for Your Website
Cathy,
You are AWESOME!!
You have no idea how much time it takes me sometimes to come with a solid and yet interesting topic to write about, something that’s not overly written.
I was just thinking, more like wishing really, of something like this program just the other day… And here you are.
Thanks a lot
Have a great one.
Vincent
Thanks for the comment, Vincent. I will be doing more of these quick-tip style tutorials in the future–watch for them!
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Guest Posting the Right Way
Oh, this is fabulous! You know you have a winning title when YOU want to read the article before it’s even written!
I find it’s a bit of a tricky balance, sometimes, though, between having kick-butt headlines that really grab readers, and having content that really delivers on those headlines. I’d rather have my headlines be a little more boring but have happy readers than have really AMAZING headlines and then have readers feel like they got played with a hype-y headline. Just something for folks to think about as we choose which of our generated titles to write about.
Rachel R. recently posted…PERK Vent Wrap – Innovative Car Air Freshener {review}
One more idea. My first topic hasn’t generated any good headlines in the first handful of clicks. (“How Unit Studies Will Stop North Korea”??? Yeah; I don’t think that big.) But the way they break the headline up into pieces allows for easy substitution. So I could substitute one or more of those words/phrases and get some much more workable options. (Some of the not-quite-so-insane headlines it generated worked even better with a little bit of substitution.)
“How | Unit Studies | Helped Us Understand | North Korea”
“Why | Unit Studies | Won’t Stop | North Korea” (Just the “why would they?” factor might make me curious enough to read that. It’s still pretty “out there,” though!)
“How | Unit Studies | Will Stop | Your Kids’ Whining” (Now *there’s* an article worth reading!)
Two good comments, Rachel! Yes, the content has to deliver on what the title promises. Being a little “out there” is okay, as long as you provide solid ideas in the text.
And I agree that the titles are sort of modular. You can mix and match pieces to come up with the ones that work. Also, just keep trying and you may get better titles. I ended up shooting the video twice. The first time my dog kept barking, so I finally gave up and started over. I think the titles I got in this version of the video are more interesting than the ones I got the first time around, although there were some good ones there, too.
Thanks for the comments!
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Improve Your Leadership Skills
This software is gold in the hand! Thank you for sharing Cathy!
Rahim recently posted…Guest Post – Health Benefits Of Vitamin C
You’re welcome! Thanks for the comment.
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Guest Posting the Right Way
Thank You for the informative post. I look forward to more of these quick-tip style tutorials.
Teresa Berners recently posted…Children’s Sports Injuries
There are more coming. I have several planned showing some of the tools I use in my business for research, writing and lots more.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Cathy Stucker recently posted…How to Register A Domain Name for Your Website
Thank you so much for sharing this Cathy.
Susan Johns recently posted…A Fresh Start: Flooring Trends for 2014
You’re welcome! Thanks for commenting.
Cathy Stucker recently posted…New Year’s Resolutions and Goals
this is great cathy! ive already found some quick ideas for my comedy writing blog. Thanks so much for sharing it! you are the best and I love your tips email.
Jan, I think the generator would be perfect for comedy writing! Good luck with it and thanks for taking the time to comment.
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Make Your Workspace Your “Happy Place”
It is indeed great to learn how to make great topics. As a freelance blogger, I will run out of words sometimes especially if I am into certain niche that I have been writing for a while. I will easily get into mental block but having some kind of quick topic suggestions, things will certainly be much easier.
Laney, sometimes coming up with the idea is the hardest part. Having a tool to help with that makes it easier to create content.
Thanks for the comment!
Cathy Stucker recently posted…Conquer the Fear of Public Speaking