Article Ideas - 6 Places to Find Them at AC

If you're worried about finding a topic for your next article, you don't need to look any further than Associated Content. Especially if this is the only place you write or contribute to a community, there are innumerable sources of inspiration to be found here. This article will help you navigate the site to find a wealth of interesting (and potentially profitable) ideas.

Article Ideas - Assignment Desk

One of my favorite features on Associated Content is the Assignment Desk. This provides you with article ideas, as well as potential ideas for many other kinds of content. Poetry, short stories, reviews and news coverage are all staples of the assignment desk. The desk is beneficial to writers, and to Associated Content itself - the topics requested there are often under-represented content areas, or timely items that people will be searching for. AC gets to make sure it has lots of content on those subjects, and contributing writers benefit from responding to the site's needs.

Many assignments offered on the desk have an upfront payment attached to them, visible by reading that topic's submission guidelines. My largest upfront payments thus far have come through items on the assignment desk. You don't need to write strictly out of the desk, however. It costs you nothing to look, but you might just find some good ideas there. If you write at AC for money, assignments may give you an idea of trending topics that could be lucrative.

To get to the Assignment Desk, just click "Publish" on the menu bar located near the top of your screen. Make sure to read the details of any submissions you're interested in - guidelines for keywords, word count and titles are all important to pay attention to. You'll be able to get your submission right the first time, making sure it doesn't get returned upon review.

Article Ideas - Your Profile

Why not refer to your own profile to find article ideas? If you've filled out your "Interests" section, you probably have several hobbies or fields of expertise listed. If you haven't taken the time to fill in your profile, now's a good time to do it. The assignments offered to you through the desk may differ based on the categories listed in your profile, and will help readers (and fellow writers) learn more about you. This also gives you a bank of potential ideas anytime you're running dry. For example, my profile will tell you I'm interested in beauty topics. This could mean cosmetics, hair styling, teeth, tanning, skin care and a host of other related topics under the "beauty" heading. Your own fields of interest are probably similarly full of potential topics to write about.

Check out your body of work, too. You can get some great article ideas based on things you've already published. If you've published an op-ed piece about a certain issue, debate the other side. If you reviewed a hot new gadget when it was released 6 months ago, give an update on how you're using it or compare it to the next big thing. If you write for fun, think about which of your pieces brought you the most enjoyment. If you write for profit, click "Content" on the menu bar to see which of your pieces have been the most profitable and let those subjects guide you. Seeing which of your pieces has netted the most comments will help you pick out new article topics too. These can act as a guideline for helping you develop your writing voice or sticking to a successful subject.

Article Ideas - Favorites, Fans and Followers

While you're still looking at your profile, take a peek at your network. Writers whose work you enjoy and you've added to your list of favorites will appear here. Similarly, other contributors who like your writing will become follow you - these are your fans or followers. Both of these lists are hotspots for finding article ideas.

Looking at your favorites will remind you of the kind of work you enjoy reading, which may help you think up some similar content or adopt a new style. Some writers contribute pieces showcasing the work of their favorites, such as interviewing a fellow writer or talking about other people's coverage of a particular topic. Chances are, the writers whose work you enjoy will be happy to be written about. They'll get some additional exposure, you'll have another article under your belt - and other fans of theirs might drop in to see what you've written.

Those people who follow you can also be sources of article topics. Think of them as your audience. If you have 8 followers and 6 of them publish content about video games, odds are they'll want to read about video games too. If you write about a variety of subjects, looking at your followers and their interests will tell you which subjects will be most valuable or interesting to them. A lot of your views are going to come from your fellow AC writers, don't overlook them as an audience.

By all means, check out the writing submissions of your favorites and followers. Don't rip off topics from their published content, however. Even if you're not "technically" plagiarizing their work, nobody likes a vulture. Let them inspire you, but don't steal their ideas.

For additional good karma, if one of their articles inspires you to write one, let them know. You might include a blurb about the inspiring piece in your article (again, extra exposure is generally appreciated) or simply send a message letting them know how much you enjoyed it. Like Mom always said, manners cost you nothing.

Article Ideas - Categories

Another hotbed of article ideas can be found by reviewing different categories. From your Account page, click on "Browse Categories" on the upper right side of the page. A window will expand, offering several categories and sub-categories to choose from. Clicking on any of these will take you to the home page for that category. A few featured contributions will be listed right at eye level - these are a good place to look if you want to find out how to get featured in this category. Featured submissions will often be exceptional, timely examples of that category's content, giving you something to strive for.

Below the block of featured submissions, you'll see a list of the most recently published submissions for that category. Check out the submission dates. If this list goes back a few days (or more), there aren't many articles being published in the category - giving you a chance to fill a potential void in the content list. Looking at recent submissions can also tell you a lot about "trending" topics you might benefit from writing about. If there's a hot story in progress, the page for that subject's category will tell you so.

Article Ideas - Contests

Contests are common at AC. Visit the contests page for information about ongoing competitions, or visit the "Contests and Nominations" section of the forums. Some will vary seasonally or be a one-time thing, while others happen more frequently. If you've joined AC within the last few months, you're eligible to win the monthly "Rising Star" contest for promising new contributors. Check out the winning submissions from the PMAs (People's Media Awards) to see examples of what AC considers outstanding content. Looking also at the people who have won these awards might serve as idea fodder for your next piece.

Each month, 3 categories are selected for the "Best of AC Awards". If you've got a reputation for writing good content in one or more that month's featured categories, you'll be eligible to win. If you win, you'll be rewarded with $100 and a profile badge, plus some extra exposure around the site - helping you pick up more views and fans. Looking into the categories for this month might give you an idea of which categories you'd like to become "known" for, so you can start building your library of content based on that.

Article Ideas - Main Page

Last but certainly not least, the main page can offer you lots of article ideas. Check out the "Spotlight" featured - is it a category you have expertise in? Now look at the "Hot Topics". This will show you what people are searching for. Knowing what people want to read about is valuable for us writers - we want to get read, after all. Sounds mutually beneficial to me! Click on any item listed in "Hot Topics" to see how many search results there are. The fewer there are, the more opportunity there is for you to pull in those readers. Get writing!

Sources:
Personal experience,
AssociatedContent.com