I love getting content creation ideas from things that seem to have nothing to do with the topic I’m writing about. Getting away from industry news, expert analysis and the technical jargon of one specific topic can really help me think creatively and I tend to produce a more interesting finished product.

One of my favorite out-of-left field sources for content ideas is pop culture. The beauty of using pop culture as an inspirational starting point is that it often makes your content more relatable and accessible. Readers get the feeling that you’re sharing an inside joke together when they get your seemingly obscure reference.

Of course, the trick is to not be too obscure or most people won’t get it. But pulling in other things you have in common with your audience beside your product, service or information niche can make for a richer feeling of connection.

3 Places To Find Pop Culture Content Ideas

Song Lyrics – I’ve read blogs that use a song lyric for every single title. That might be overkill, but using the trick once in a while can add some variety to your web content. Plus, music is famous for evoking powerful emotions. The next time you find yourself with a song stuck in your head, write it down on your running list of campaign ideas. (You have one of those, right?)

Movies - You can draw topic ideas from movie plots, titles or specific quotes. But be careful. Stick with well known classics or current phenomenons. It’s important that your reader will know what you’re talking about even if they haven’t seen the movie. For example, even if you don’t have Team Edward tattooed on your chest, chances are you’d pick up on a general Twilight reference.

TV – The same rules for movies apply to TV. Don’t be obscure. But don’t be afraid to use an idea drawn from TV if you can easily explain the premise that makes your content make sense. For example, I wrote an article about working moms using characters from AMC’s Mad Men. Even if you have never seen or heard of the series, I described the two characters I was contrasting enough to make the article accessible.

The next time you’re struggling to come up with fresh campaign ideas for your content, take a break. Relax, listen to music, or watch TV, and you might just find the inspiration you’ve been looking for.

Britt Reints is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments. WriterAccess is powered by ideaLaunch, a full service content marketing agency serving hundreds of clients and thousands of writers since 2000.

Image from iwatchstuff.com

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 10:00 am and is filed under Content Creation, Content Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.