Have you ever tried looking under rocks for frogs?
I have.
In fact, I used to love trudging barefoot through toe-squelching mud at the end of winter in search of a frightened frog or two.
Even if I had to look under 100 rocks just to find one speckled frog, I didn’t mind.
The thrill of finding one of those slimy little critters was enough to spur me on to keep looking.
Kind of reminds me of the thrill of searching out a “killer” article idea.
Here are 6 of the most frequent “rocks” I look under nowadays …
1. Frequently asked questions – especially questions where there is a lot of debate or disagreement about the answer.
It goes without saying that if a question comes up frequently … then … it’s a question based on a hot topic with a lot of interest. Try reading the frequently asked questions on the top websites within your niche and see if you can come up with a better answer for each.
Base an article around each answer you come up with.
2. New legislation effecting your reader.
I saw this recently with a new FTC ruling that will effect everyone using testimonials in advertising literature online.
The moment the legislation was announced the blogosphere was buzzing with questions and answers about its implications. People were looking for a well researched article or news item spelling out the new legislation in clear terms. It’s also a topic that will be debated for months (if not years) to come.
3. A new solution to a problem experienced by readers in the niche.
If you’ve ever had a problem that wouldn’t go away no matter what you tried then, you’ve experienced the kind of frustration that leads you to welcome any new breakthrough (or perceived breakthrough) that just might solve or cure your problem once and for all.
Yeah, I know — that was a loooong sentence. But get this …
Whole industries have been built around people’s need to solve the supposed unsolvable problem.
You see it in books and articles promising new miracle cures for all kinds of diseases. And I’m sure many great cures do exist. But for writers and marketers, the power is not in the cure, it’s in the opportunity to create endless content promising to solve the unsolvable. After all, people dash madly after any resemblance of a cure in the hope that something new is out there that can help.
4. Dispel a commonly believed myth.
For many years it was believed that soy (a product derived from the soy bean) was good from you. Thousands of articles were written in support of its merits. But guess what?
The idea that soy is good for you is a myth! Or is it? When you find a commonly held belief — especially a popular one held by thousands in your niche — you can be sure to get their attention by taking an opposite view and attacking the very belief they hold so dear.
5. Documented evidence proving a view point expressed by a minority in the niche.
This point relates to the last point in that, in any niche, there will always be a group of people who are quite passionate about an alternative — often controversial — point of view.
For example, many people in Australia hold the belief that it’s a good idea to put fluoride in the water system. However, there is a growing number (yet still a minority) of free thinkers who believe there is much evidence to support the opposite view point: That fluoride is, in fact, poisonous to the human body.
Therefore, articles about the dangers of fluoridation of the water system get a lot of attention from both sides — each wanting to see their own view point supported or rebutted so they have more ammunition next time they talk with someone about it face-to-face.
6. Any topic that divides or forces readers to take sides.
Which is better, an Apple Mac … or … a PC? Which would you buy, and why?
Questions like this get a lot of attention and Mac build much of their advertising campaign around this very controversy. A recent blog post on one blog asking the question, “which is better?” saw a record number of comments. All giving their reasons for or against each computer type. Many of the comments expressed a level of passion you don’t normally see from a subject as benign as technology. Or at least, it’s benign to me.
Technology lovers obviously don’t think so. What do you think?
Finding a topic within your niche that divides or forces readers to take sides can be like finding a hidden vein of gold you can mine for months. So look for these kinds of topics within your niche.
One of the best places to find these hidden veins … is … the comment section of popular blogs. Find posts with over 100 comments and you’ve likely stumbled into your own rich gold mine of topics to write about.
Now go write something.
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