We’re in an interesting position over here in ClearVoice blogland; week in and week out, we’re aiming to create useful and engaging content about how brands can create useful and engaging content. Some of your pain points are our pain points. We get it.
We especially know how challenging it is to consistently come up with compelling ideas for the company blog. In fact, 60 percent of B2B marketers surveyed for the 2016 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends study from Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs said producing engaging content was a top challenge.
That’s where Content Studio — and this post — comes in.
We explained what Content Studio is and how to use it back in August. For this post, we used this tool to deliver real results based on the current content sharing landscape across 11 industries.
Here’s what that process looked like:
We performed and saved more than 50 Content Studio searches
Our content strategy team identified the most compelling results and used them as inspiration to create compelling content ideas
And now you can use these ideas for your own blog
One hundred and two unique publishers are cited here, including leading newspapers, publications and personal blogs. All results were published in the past year.
Now let’s get down to results.
(Note: Click on a link to jump to a section.)
Small business
Enterprise business
Career & interviewing
Home & garden & crafts
Parenting & mom blogging
Health & fitness
Education
Finance
Enterprise tech & IT
Tech & gadgets
Travel
Small business
Best Results:
3 Critical Reasons You Need Mobile Marketing For Your Small Business – business2community.com
Mom-and-pop shops get Facebook’s e-commerce message – San Francisco Gate
This search unveils how the mobile takeover has expanded beyond enterprise businesses. Mom-and-pop shops now have to think about mobile ecommerce and customer service.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Ways SMBs are Utilizing Mobile Marketing, and Why You Should Too
Best Results:
5 Reasons to Respond to Customer Reviews – business2community.com
How Online Reviews Can Help Grow Your Small Business – freshbooks.com
Power to the People: Small Business Marketing Shifts to the Crowd – business.com
This search brings you the latest in how businesses use customer reviews. The results advise you on how to respond to a review and how to use them for lead generation.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How to Use Online Reviews to Your SMB’s Advantage
Best Results:
Case study: Small business content marketing success – businessgrow.com
A case study of a Black Friday retail campaign – smartinsights.com
Use “case study” searches to find data-driven analysis and long-form posts.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Small Businesses Can Create & Learn From Marketing Campaigns
Best Results:
What Your Small Business Should Do To Look Like A Social Media Pro – Forbes
Why Your Small Business Must Start a Blog – entrepreneur.com
This is The Best Infographic for Small Business Websites [50 Features] – shoutmeloud.com
A “title:(keyword)” search narrows results, so they’re relevant. Marketing resources for social media, blogging and website design are all discovered here.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How to Build a Digital Presence for Your SMB
Best Results:
How to Run a Successful Small Business in Your First Year – co-opcreditunions.com
9 Things Every Small Business Owner Must Do The First 30 Days of 2016 – Smallbiztechnology.com
US small business confidence hits new two-year low – CNBC
Here we’re able to combine a highly discussed topic — “surviving the first year in business” — with a timely element, such as the economy.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Must-Know Small Business Tips to Overcome a Slow Economy
Enterprise business
Best Results:
10 Ways to Bridge the CMO-CIO Gap to Drive Business Growth – marketingprofs.com
Why Should CIOs Invest in Network Virtualization with NSX? – vmware.com
Both of these articles present tips for CIOs to be successful, so an article with additional tips makes sense.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Traits of Successful Enterprise CIOs
Best Results:
[Case Study] How Stephen Built 4 Income Streams in 4 Months with a New Business – bloggingyourpassion.com
How to 2x a Seven Figure Business in 3 Months: Long Tail Pro Case Study – wiredinvestors.com
Another example of how a “case study” search quickly identifies in-depth sources.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips to Grow Your Online Startup Exponentially
Best Results:
Post Holdings Recently Held Talks to Combine With ConAgra’s Lamb Weston – Wall Street Journal
BMO expands U.S. capital markets business with acquisition: Reuters – pehub.com
Top Merger and Acquisition Tips for In-House Lawyers – findlaw.com
If you’re looking to discuss mergers, Content Studio brings you news stories about the impactful mergers and acquisitions as well as actionable tips for those involved.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Merger Hurdles Faced by Enterprise CEOs
Best Results:
How to Turn Big Data into Insights and Action – data-informed.com
Wharton M.B.A.s Get More Training in Data and Decision-Making – Wall Street Journal
10 ways big data, analytics, and sensors are helping behind the scenes – techrepublic.com
Content Studio gives you insights from all types of publications. Here there’s a WSJ article and a blog post from Data Informed which focuses on big data and analytics.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips for Turning Big Data Into Big Decisions
Best Results:
Study: Firms with More Women in the C-Suite Are More Profitable – Harvard Business Review
A 10-Year Study Reveals What Great Executives Know and Do – Harvard Business Review
Employees Leave Good Bosses Nearly as Often as Bad Ones – Harvard Business Review
A site search scans a website for the most-shared content. These studies will provide a bounty of information on successful executives.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Studies That Show What to Look for in an Executive
Career & interviewing
Best Results:
6 Types of Stories You Should Have on Hand for Job Interviews – themuse.com
4 Nosy Interview Questions You’re Allowed to Ask (Because the Answers Matter) – themuse.com
Another example of using site search to easily identify the best resources on an industry-leading publication.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Sound the Part: X Conversation Tips for Impressing at Your Interview
Best Results:
3 Ways to Sell Yourself in Your Executive Resume – recruiter.com
5 Important Skills You’ll See on Every Great Resume – Huffington Post
What are the best skills to have on a resume? – Quora
Here’s a great example of getting the best out of different publications: Quora, HuffPost and Recruiting.com all have very different content objectives. Reviewing all sources helps you separate biased vs. unbiased information.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Tips for Balancing Hard and Soft Skills on a Resume
Best Results:
Fresh graduates face challenging job search ahead – todayonline.com
The Most Lucrative Careers For Millennials – thezoereport.com
Content Studio can help you find both sides of the story. Here are examples of lucrative careers vs. a report about the challenges millennials face in the job market.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X College Majors That Will Ensure Millennial Job Security
Best Results:
Tony Robbins shares the best career advice he’s ever been given – businessinsider.com
Tom Hanks Just Revealed the Single Word That Led to His Great Success – inc.com
Here’s an example of a generic search providing useful results. Use it to come up with a new angle, such as career tips from successful people, celebrities, etc.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Career Tips From Extremely Successful Men
Best Results:
10 of The Hardest Interview Questions & How to Answer Them – theundercoverrecruiter.com
10 of the Toughest Apple Interview Questions in Tech — and How to Answer Them – entreprenuer.com
70 top banking interview questions and how to answer them – efinancialcareers.com
Content Studio Powered Concept: The Toughest Job Interviews in America and How to Crush Them
Home & garden & crafts
Best Results:
DIY Decor Projects Worth Tackling in 2016 – popsugar.com
10 DIY Furniture & Decor Projects You Can Make for Your Wedding (Then Use at Home Later) – Apartment Therapy – apartmenttherapy.com
There’s an unlimited amount of DIY project lists out there. Content Studio helps you identify which ones are the best and which audiences you can target, such has newlyweds.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X DIY Projects for Newlyweds
Best Results:
Raised Beds – How to build raised garden beds for $35 – queenbeecoupons.com
How to Make a Stone Birdhouse – empressofdirt.com
An Insanely Chic (and Simple!) Garden Trellis DIY – onekingslane.com
Take the best information from the best results to support your content. For example, a raised garden bed, birdhouse and garden trellis completes a chic garden.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How to Start Your Own Chic Garden Without Spending a Fortune
Best Results:
16 Struggles Only DIYers Will Truly Understand – buzzfeed.com
16 Totally Doable DIY Projects That All Solve More Than One Problem – buzzfeed.com
Content Studio Powered Concept: X DIY Projects Even DIY Veterans Struggle With
Best Result:
16 Totally Doable DIY Projects That All Solve More Than One Problem – nobiggie.net
50 Things to Make with a Pallet – instructables.com
35+ Very Cool Things To Make With A Paper Bag – happyhooligans.com
As with Google search, using “*” tells Content Studio, “input relevant words here.” This is a great way to develop new ideas.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Don’t Throw That Away: X DIY Projects You Didn’t Know You Could Make
Best Results:
Lavender Sage All-purpose Spray Cleaner – helloglow.com
Natural Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner (That Works!) – wellnessmama.com
Diy Naturally Antibacterial All-purpose Cleaner – helloglow.com
Searches with quality results but not quantity can be improved by using “OR” and adding a similar term.
Content Studio Powered Concept: DIY: Which Homemade Cleaning Product Works Best?
Parenting & mom blogging
Best Results:
10 times Ryan Reynolds used Twitter jokes to teach valuable, yet dark, parenting lessons. – upworthy.com
5 great parenting lessons from presidential dads – Washington Post
Parenting lessons from Sir Elton and Dave: ‘If you want that Picasso, you’re going to have to earn it’ – The Guardian
A similar approach to #14. Discussing famous people is a good idea in our celebrity-obsessed society.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Parenting Advice From X Famous Dads
Best Results:
How game theory can help you do a better job of parenting – aeon.co
CMU associate prof’s book plugs game theory into parenting – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Here’s the reasoning behind this one: If multiple publications discuss how game theory can help parents, other psychology factors are worth discussing as well.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How Parents can Use Psychology to be a Better Parent
Best Results:
A Celebrity Baby Blog: ‘Parenting at its Finest’ – blackcelebkids.com
16 Celebrity Exes Who Do Co-Parenting Right – thestir.cafemom.com
Searching for multiple words in a title is effective when you have a basic idea in your head and want to make sure there’s enough information out there to run with it.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Celebrity Parents who Put Their Kids First
Best Results:
Table hammocks, a snakes and ladders place mat and a cardboard slide: Clever parenting hacks that will change your life – Daily Mail
4 parenting tricks from the French, who are great at raising kids – businessinsider.com
These Are the 10 Game-Changing Hacks For Dads (video) – popsugar
Hacks, tricks and tips are all great searches for finding highly shared listicles.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Parenting Hacks That Will Make Your Kids Happy and Life Easier
Best Results:
4 Reasons Why Co-Parenting Post Divorce Matters More Than Ever – Huffington Post
5 Co-Parenting Tips for Newly Divorced Parents – goodtherapy.com
Here we found the phrase “co-parenting” from a more generic search term. Now you can conceptualize a post around that.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Reasons Co-Parenting Is Best for You and Your Kids
Best Results:
One in three special-needs children faces insensitive treatment: Survey – todayonline.com
Parenting an intellectually disabled child: life forever on duty – stuff.co.nz
You should make content that speaks to both small and large target audiences. Here’s an idea that fits a niche.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Ways Parents Can Prepare Their Children With Disabilities for School
Health & fitness
Best Results:
Why Nose Breathing Is so Important for Optimal Health and Fitness – articles.mercola.com
16 Health And Fitness Myths You Should Definitely Stop Believing – buzzfeed.com
The 3 absolute worst health and fitness goals you must avoid. – precisionnutrition.com
As mentioned, a title search is one of the best ways to quickly access relevant results.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Fitness Myths: The True, The False, and the Crazy
Best Results:
These Are the Best Exercises for Anxiety and Depression – Huffington Post
Really, Really Short Workouts – New York Times
As mentioned in No. 19, using “*” is a great way to develop new ideas.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Fitness Tips for Working Women to Reduce Anxiety and Improve Efficiency
Best Results:
Celebrity Diet Tips: The Exact Meals & Workouts From Britney Spears, Demi Lovato & More – hollywoodlife.com
Even Ronda Rousey ‘Got Her Butt Kicked’ by Celebrity Trainer Ky Evans’ ‘Extremely Intense’ Pilates Workout – People
As you can tell, celebrity themes work across industries.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Fit Females: How Hollywood’s Hottest Stay in Shape
Best Results:
Can Summer Grilling Cause Cancer? 10 Tips to Reduce Toxic Exposures – drfranklipman.com
CDC: 104,000 quit smoking due to ‘Tips from Former Smokers’ campaign – Atlanta Business Chronicle
Content Studio can help you formulate entire campaigns around weighty topics, such as cancer.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Health Tips for Men With a Family History of Cancer
Best Results:
Fitbit Charge Hr Vs Garmin Vívosmart Hr – androidauthority.com
Gear Fit 2 Review – Can Samsung Get Fitness Tracking Right? – androidauthority.com
We Tried Fitbit’s New Smartphone-Friendly Fitness Trackers – buzzfeed.com
Using “vs.” in a search or title search helps you find comparison articles.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Which Fitness Tracker is Right for me: Fitbit vs Samsung vs Garmin
Education
Best Results:
Gamification, personalization and continued education are trending in edtech – Tech Crunch
The Psychology Of Gamification In Education: Why Rewards Matter For Learner Engagement. – paradisosolutions.com
Content Studio Powered Concept: The Gamification of Education: How to Make Learning Addictive
Best Results:
Google updates Classroom with new tools for students, parents and teachers – Tech Crunch
Children with special needs given the tools to succeed with Windows 10 – Microsoft
Here Content Studio is able to connect two themes you wouldn’t normally associate together: tech companies and education.
Content Studio Powered Concept: How the Biggest Tech Companies Are Helping Students
Best Results:
MOOCs: Course Completion is the Wrong Measure of Course Success – class-central.com
How Do Online Learners Overcome Challenges in MOOCs? [New Publication] – techknowtools.wordpress.com/
Content Studio can help you tackle two audiences at once — these same results could be used for a teacher-oriented concept.
Content Studio Powered Concept: X Tips for Success When Logging in to Your First MOOC
Best Results:
Free Lesson Plans – scholastic.com
DIY Math Camp – whatdowedoallday.com
Amazon Unveils Online Education Service for Teachers
In addition to blog and article content, great resources such as lesson plan templates are crawled as well.
Content Studio Powered Concept: Teacher Tips: How to Find Free Lesson Plans
Finance
Best Results:
10 Overlooked Tax Deductions That Will Save You Money