9 Resources to Find Quality, Engaging Content

One of the most common things we hear from people is that there is a lack of resources to create content. Most companies don't have dedicated, paid writers on their payrolls, so how do you consistently come up with and generate new and engaging content? We've talked before about how to come up with content when you're suffering from writer's block, but this goes a lot further than just getting your mind flowing!

Resources for Blogging Content

Elance - Elance is a great place to find ghost writers to create content FOR you. There is a cost associated with it, but there is a huge selection of professionals to choose from. All you need to do is sign up for an account, fill out the information for your job(s), set the job value, and then you'll start receiving proposals from interested writers.
Fiverr - If you haven't tried Fiverr, you're missing out on a great way to get jobs done for around $5 a gig. There are designers, song writers, writers, video, programming—the sky's the limit. I've used Fiverr on my personal sites when I needed to have something simple done and have been very pleased. Do you want your company's logo and branding designed by them? Not necessarily, but it's a great resource if you want to get small tasks done. And if you don't like it? Hey—it's only 5 bucks!
Your Staff - You'd be amazed at how many companies don't look to their own departments for content. If you're working with an editorial calendar (which you should be...), look to see if there are areas in your company that you can spotlight. Then go to those departments and find out who has good information to share. Not only does it continue your effort to be an industry leader, it gives your staff the opportunity to shine and share their voices!
Google or WordPress Analytics - Have you looked at your analytics lately to see what terms people are using to get to your site? While not all search terms are given, you should see enough to get an idea of what people are searching for most frequently. For instance, I can look at our analytics and see that the top 6 queries that lead people to our blog are these:
1. Hashtag
2. What is bio in twitter
3. What's a bio in twitter
4. LinkedIn cover photo
5. Bad marketing
6. Tax deduction for website
Existing Materials - I'm sure your company has newsletters, pamphlets, white papers, and other marketing collateral so why not repurpose it into digital content? You don't have to re-create or use the whole thing, but choose different segments of them and use them one at a time. This is also a great way to drive traffic to your site!
Q&A Sites - Wondering what people are asking questions about? Head to sites like Quora, Yahoo Answers, Reddit, and others to see what the most common questions are, then go and answer the ones that are relevant to your business! My point of view is that if there are enough asking on those sites, then there are plenty more asking Google. If you've written a post on relevant topics, then the chances are good that your information could show up in their searches.
Blog Comments - Look to your own blog comment section to see what people are commenting on the most or asking questions about there. You can almost always create new content based on those entries.
FAQ from Customers - I always advise clients who are starting their blogs to develop a list of the top 10 questions they're asked, and then write a blog post answering those questions. Again, if the questions are that frequent, then many others are probably asking the same thing!
Guest Bloggers - Guest bloggers are a great way to generate relevant content that you or your company may not be experts at. For instance, legalities in social media is a relevant topic to our customers and prospects, but there are no attorneys on our staff. So wouldn't it be a good idea for me to find an attorney who IS an expert and willing to share his/her expertise? Absolutely! It's good exposure for him/her, and it gives us content that our clients want and need! Win-win!