As a blogger, I am always looking for new, fresh, and interesting content. Finding said content can be a little more difficult. However, Twitter can be a great place to harvest new ideas and untapped information. Below I have outlined 5 ways I gather fresh content from Twitter:
1 — Create or Follow a List
The first place to get your thought juices flowing is by creating a list based on topics that interest you or that you would like to write about. Some of my Twitter lists include the topics of Blogging, WordPress, and Productivity. I add people to these lists that I feel are good sources of information about those topics. I also follow lists that other people have created, like Tentbloggers (by John Saddington), Top Church Bloggers (by Kent Shaffer), and Ministry (by Brandon Cox).
2 — Search by Topic
A second place you can gather ideas is by searching by topic. Twitter has an easy to find search tool right at the top of the site. Just type in your topic, click the search icon, and you’re good to go. As an example, I searched for “blogging” and got this result:
3 — Search By Hashtag
A third place to go when looking for something new to write about is the ever present hashtag. You know what I’m talking about. Every good tweeter knows that hashtags are must use tools when getting your tweets noticed. So, why not use them for that which they were intended? Following up from #2, here’s the #blogging hashtag search:
4 — Ask an Open-Ended Question
Fourthly, you can always ask your followers an open ended question. You can then use the question as the blog post title with the responses in the body of the post. Or, you can use the responses as a spring board for one or more follow up posts. Ah, there are so many options. An example of this type of question would be “Which blogging platform do you use and why?”
5 — Ask a Closed-Ended Question
And lastly, you can ask your followers a closed ended question. In my mind this could be like a multiple choice or poll question. Once the responses are in, you can again simply use them for a single blog post or as ideas to generate a series of posts. The choice is completely up to you. An example of this type of question would be “Which blogging expert do you like better: Danny Brown or Chris Brogan?”
All good tips, and searching for hashtags on Twitter is great because you can one click follow people who are participating in those hashtags.
Hey Justin, Thanks for stopping by. I agree with you — hashtag search is one of my favorite ways to find new people to follow.
Good tips. I’ve tried asking questions and sometimes have received a good response, but other times nothing. Do you have any tips on best times to post?
Hi Andrew — Thanks for stopping by! As far as posting times are concerned, it depends on your blog’s traffic. However, that is a great topic for a blog post! -Tom
Hi Tom Jamicson,
I agree that using Hashtags in twitter plays a vital role in finding exact phase. Thanks for commenting of my blog spatme. com
Hi Mohammed Abdullah Khan,
Thanks for visiting my blog. As Justin pointed out in an earlier comment, hashtag searches are nice because you can search for a specific keyword and then follow people with a single click.
-Tom
Hi Tom……
Very practical and valid points shared by you……i am struggling in getting traffic from twitter but after reading your article I would like to give it another try.
Hi Kumar! Glad to help. Just like anything else, it takes some work, but can be very valuable in the long run. Thanks for reading!
Great Idea Tom, I found your blog through your listing at All Things Pondered.
It’s always great to have a way that can give you instant fresh ideas. That way, you never run out of things to blog about.
I like twitter anyway so it is a smart move to use the search functions there.
Hi Dave! I agree, Twitter can be a never-ending source of new and fresh ideas. Using the search functions just helps narrow down the list, if only a little. Thanks for reading!