Content Generation Idea: Phone a Friend!

Content Generation Idea: Phone a Friend!

Okay now I know this one might seem more like a lifeline you would take in classic Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. And I know it might seem rather obvious or even daft on the face of it! But it's that stigma it has attached to it that makes it one of the most least used methods for coming up with content ideas from them all. But it can also be one of the best methods too that much you'll see here!

So if you are getting stuck on content generation ideas and trying to find some inspiration or something that you can write and post about on your blog and or social media sites and that. One way of finding something for sure, is to phone a friend. A knowledgeable and informative friend perhaps. We all have at least one someone we know / are friends with like that right?

Well you can just call them up and say something like (Full pitch coming): Hi mate how's it going? Hey listen [NAME] as you know, I'm a [writer/blogger/affiliate marketer or whatever] and I'm trying to come up with some stuff to write about on my blog. Would it be alright if I just picked your brains for a couple of minutes and asked you a few questions about x [where x is your business/product/industry] yeah?

Chances are they'll just say yeah mate go for it or something. Then you just need to ask them some questions about it, where it is your business/product or industry. So it could be something like "How often do you use it, what do you like/dislike about it, what would you change about it if you could. And would you recommend and if so why?" These sorts of things.

Just from those basic questions alone, they should be able to tell you something new that you didn't really know of or think much about before that many other people might think too. Well that's content gold right there! Mind you, it's possible they don't know much about it and they might just go err, i dunno mate, but that's just some people for you!

Some Basic Questions to Ask

Okay so I've said some basic questions to you which I'll put here that you can ask people. From these answers you should be able to collate enough to make some content from it.

• How often do you use it?
  
• What do you like/dislike about it?
  
• What would you change about it if you could?
  
• Would you recommend and if so why?
  
• What would you like to see more of about it?
  
• How do you think it could be improved?
  

Of course, you don't have to ask them any questions. Just tell them what you're trying to do and why you're calling them and ask them if they know what type of content they would like to read about within the industry your business/website/blog is in. You could just say something to them like for instance and some examples;

• Yes mate, tell me everything you know about it in a condensed way please!
  
• Dude, give me some ideas for content to write about on my site please!
  
• Mate, what sort of things do you want to see and read in my blogs?
  

And just from those alone, they should be able to know what you're on about and what you're asking for and may just be able to tell you enough to find some content ideas from it. Just remember to keep a pen and paper handy so you can write down interesting points and things they've said that you'll be basing your content on.

Of course, they might not be very helpful or tell you much or just not want to help lol. If that happens, always remember, you could always just call up someone else! But if it does, ask them if they know anyone else that does know about it that can help you. Make it sound like you're being sarcastic but only a very small tone of it and it might just guilt them into doing it muhahahaha

Okay folks, that's just another content generation method for you today. Calling or Phoning a Friend!

Is this a content generation method that you use yourself?

Do you phone a friend to pick their brains?

What sort of questions do you like to ask them to fish for info?

Thanks!

Mike.