Digital Products

Article Ideas Software

Need Article Ideas?

Writer's block...need I say more? Every writer experiences writer's block at one time or another. For a writer using the marketing with articles technique the block often starts with trying to generate a new article idea. There are many creative ways to discover article ideas no matter what your topic and we'll cover several of them below.

Your first step in finding article ideas should be to create a "swipe file." Copywriters initially used swipe files for collecting examples of outstanding copywriting techniques. Swipe files included clippings from magazines, direct mail pieces, copies of e-mails, web site copy, etc. For the marketing with article techniques our swipe file consists of a file in your favorite word processing program. In this swipe file you will collect article ideas for future articles. Begin by typing in any article ideas that you may have already. Then build your swipe file using the following suggestions:

Chat Rooms - Participate in these online forums where you can chat with others by typing messages, which are instantly displayed. Choose a chat room in your topic area that is frequented by your target audience and discover the hot topics everyone is discussing. You can find chat rooms by visiting:

http://chat.yahoo.com/
http://web.icq.com/icqchat/
http://chat.msn.com/

Forums/Message Boards - Users communicate with each other in these web based message centers by posting text messages that can be viewed using a web browser. Some forums and message boards allow you to follow a topic by asking for e-mail notification when a new posting is made. Find threaded conversations on hot topics in your niche by visiting:

http://messages.yahoo.com/index.html
http://www.ivillage.com/boards/
http://www.delphiforums.com/

Newsgroups/Discussion Lists - Classified by subject matter these communication driven groups are categorized by topic and can be read on-line or via an e-mail newsreader (often included in your e-mail software). Hot newsgroups and discussion lists can be found at:

http://groups.google.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/
http://www.topica.com

Article Directories - Sites that archive article submissions by topic are gold mines of ideas for article writers. Read articles written for your target audience to obtain ideas but never plagiarize the actual articles. Ideas can be gleaned from the list of the most popular or newest articles (if offered). My favorite article directories are at:

http://www.opportunityupdate.com
http://www.goarticles.com
http://www.articlecity.com.

Newspapers - You can obtain a wealth of article ideas by reading your daily newspaper. Keep a notepad with you while you read and jot down topic ideas. Many newspapers offer on-line versions that can be found by visiting:

http://www.allyoucanread.com/newspapers/
http://broadcast-live.com/newspapers/
http://www.localfreepress.com/
 
Calendars - There are hundreds of holidays and special occasions every year. Search through:

http://www.holidays.net/dailys.htm
http://www.earthcalendar.net/_php/countrysearch.php
http://www.madmanmike.com/us_events_dates.html

Using holidays tied to your niche will impress your readers and show that you are current and up-to-date with your article topics.

Surveys - Conduct surveys with your web site visitors or newsletter readers. Ask them what topics they would like you to cover and always have a field asking for questions. Surveys can provide you with a wealth of topics that are sure to please your audience. Use free survey generators such as:

http://www.ezquestionnaire.com/
http://www.surveymonkey.com/

Hoaxes - There are enough hoaxes and old wives tales in just about any topic that can give you plenty of article ideas. Explain or dispute the hoax or tale and relate the story to your topic area. You can find hoaxes and old wives tales at:

http://www.snopes.com
http://www.stiller.com/hoaxes.htm

Conferences - Meeting planners are charged with the task of bringing in speakers and arranging roundtables on the hottest topics for their target audience. You can take advantage of their hard work by checking out conferences in your field and making note of the workshop and keynote topics. You can find conference listings organized by topic at:

http://www.tsnn.com
http://www.allconferences.com
and by searching http://www.Google.com.

Get started today building your swipe file and add to it on a daily basis. This will help you become more organized and will ensure that you never run out of article ideas!

About the Author

Bonnie Jo Davis is the webmaster of the Articles That Sell Center. The ATSC site offers free articles, newsletter and e-books. Visit http://www.ArticlesThatSell.com/newsletter.htm to sign-up for your free subscription to the Articles That Sell Update monthly newsletter.. Article on article, ideas by Bonnie Jo Davis

Article Ideas News

Bing: article ideas site:msnbc.msn.com
Search results

Got a great idea? Here's how to market it - Money - TODAYshow.com
"Today" financial editor Jean Chatzky offers pointers on how to get your business or product idea off the ground successfully.
Fired by Trump, she's hired by Microsoft - Business - Small ...
?It takes a big idea to create a big business,? Kepcher said. ?And I?ve seen some ideas before.? The winner of the Redmond, Wash.-based company?s "Ultimate ...
NYT: Old ideas spur new tactics in cancer fight - Health - Cancer ...
More and more researchers are plunging into murky depths, studying tumors in their cellular environments. The new focus on a cancer?s surroundings, researchers say, is ...
First Read - Bennett says GOP is lacking ideas
Discuss this article ... He's dead and buried, and most of those ideas are still zombies that need to be put out ...
Father's Day gadget gift ideas - Technology & science - Tech and ...
If you think your dad loves tech toys ? MSNBC.com has come up with a list of gadgets that are worth consideration. -- By MSNBC.com's Gary Krakow.
Cosmic Log - Give us geeky gift ideas
John Brecher / msnbc.com Night-vision goggles can teach kids important scientific lessons about, um, the electromagnetic spectrum? Plenty of gift guides point you to high ...
8.7 ideas in earthquake prediction - Technology & science - msnbc.com
Researchers are trying to improve earthquake probability forecasts and are working toward predicting and perhaps preventing earthquakes like the one that happened in Italy.
Is a ?gap year? before college a good idea? - Parenting ...
Some of the most prestigious universities in the nation are urging students to consider something that would make most parents cringe: The idea of putting off college for a year in ...
Honeymoon ideas for adventurous newlyweds - Travel - Luxury Travel ...
After the months of planning and stress that go into pulling off that perfect wedding fete, nothing?s sweeter than boarding the plane en route to the long-awaited ...
First Read - Health care: Sticking points and flip flops
It's an idea likely to be met with howls of opposition if it makes it into the final ... First of all, this article, which quotes no one, says that President Obama may have ...

Newsfeed display by CaRP