Earlier this year, we asked our creative team what websites and resources they consult when they’re short on design ideas, but what about our content team? Yes, writers sometimes need a creative spark too. See how some of our wordsmiths get inspired to produce killer content.
Kent Beal, Copywriter
“I always find my way on the Ads of the World site to get my advertising fix. It’s literally what you think it is. There are ads from Brazil, the UK, the U.S., and…well, all around the world. A lot are produced by agencies, but there are some pretty interesting student ads as well. For fun, I always play a game of “Will the comment section like it, or will they think it’s been done before?” Not the catchiest name for a game, but a fun one nonetheless.
As a writer, I follow a guy named Ryan Wallman (@Dr_Draper) on Twitter. His tweets generally consist of him tearing apart the bad writing that he comes across. It’s a good incentive to always try hard and write well. I never want to end up being the subject of his scrutiny.
And as an ad person in general, I subscribe to AAF SmartBrief’s daily emails. It’s an easy way to stay up to date on industry news.”
John Jordan, Digital Marketing Strategist
“Probably the first place I go to when I need a good crack of creativity is The One Club’s page. Always a great resource of top-notch ideas and copy that smack me upside the head and help me think lateral. Not many ad award annuals give online access like The One Show. I may use its search function (which could be improved) or dive right in and let the randomness gods take over. Ads of the World is good, too (thanks, Kent!).
Twitter is also a fantastic resource. I’ve curated a couple of lists that I refer back to and scroll through, mainly consisting of other copywriters (@LeeClowsBeard, @davetrott, @neilfrench), but it also includes ad compilations (@brilliantads) and companies that nail it with their copy and their social — @EAT24 and @innocent to name a couple. I’ve also included some agency feeds, ad publications, and others that feature great writing of any kind (@LettersOfNote, for example).
I’m always on the lookout for companies that send killer email, too. One example is Urban Daddy. A couple times a week, they send about 230 words of brilliance. Definitely digital marketing copywriting on the level of Woot! and J. Peterman.”
Vince Mancuso, Content Strategist
“I like to keep an eye on popular social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter to take a general pulse of who I follow. I like to see what content is driving people to react; as in what news story or dumb (and perhaps funny) video is being reposted. Seeing the same content from different people allows me some insight as to what people find entertaining or relevant to daily life.
Imgur is a rising outlet that also lets me know what people are into these days and what trends are emerging. What I find impressive about the sites like Imgur is how popularity drives the top content. Most commercial accounts are instantly “downvoted to oblivion,” but some, such as Old Spice, have made the front page through knowing how to appeal to the Imgurians — mostly with high levels of authentic interaction and random GIFs.
The dreaded downvote serves as a reminder that today’s consumers demand to interact with brands on a social level, not just through sales. This is why most stuff I write has a conversational tone. The critical part of it is winning someone into a conversation before winning them into the brand.”
Christian Andrew, Social Media Strategist
“To stay on top of the ad world I read Adweek and Advertising Age daily. Adweek is usually one of the first outlets to share changes in platforms, and each week they publish significant stats on digital advertising like spending trends, usage numbers, and platforms to look out for. AdAge is similar, but has more inter-agency news, like which accounts are up for review and who lands them.
If I’m ever stuck while writing, I go to the Onion websites (The Onion, AV Club, Clickhole, and the new StarWipe). It’s a completely different type of writing from what I’m doing, so it helps me to step aside, laugh, and get back to work. I also frequent Grantland and FiveThirtyEight for specialized articles and statistics on everything from basketball to the economy to pizza.”
Gretchen Pille, Content Strategist
“When I’m working on a writing project and hit a wall, I put some of the keywords I’m using into SEM Rush and Google Trends to see some of the related keyword phrases and see what has the highest volume, CPC, etc. I may not even use those keywords or phrases, but I let those give me some insight into what people are actually looking for. From there I can usually find some direction or point of interest on a project.
It’s especially helpful when I’m writing on particularly ‘unsexy’ topics that I don’t know much about — for example, RV storage.”
Aaron Mackel, Content Director
“I really like growthhackers.com, especially the case study-type content that they have around content marketing and SEO. It’s just a hub for posts from other sites, but they have a solid collection. I typically use it as a place to find different tactics and strategies that can help increase the reach of whichever site I’m working on.
Other than that, I do a lot of looking at brands, posts, and pages that are already doing a great job for the topic we’re going to cover. I do that not to copy what they’ve done, but to identify what makes their work successful, and to find ways we can go beyond what they did. When it comes to content marketing, there’s not a whole lot that hasn’t been done, but being able to see what has made others successful, and then build a piece at an even higher quality is something we strive to do.”
Tori Grdina, Digital Marketing Strategist
“I think most writers will say reading often keeps creativity levels up, and that’s definitely true for me. Whatever I’m reading — whether it’s a novel, news article, or magazine — doesn’t even need to be remotely related to work or what I’m writing. The consistent exposure to more words, new ideas, and different writing styles and techniques keeps me from getting rusty. It’s sort of like working out and keeping the creative part of my brain in shape, and I notice a difference when I get busy (or lazy) and slack off for a week. Reading frequently even helps me rely less on autocorrect when typing and makes it much easier to come up with good content ideas quickly when I’m running short on time.
I also like to keep a few tools handy all the time: dictionary and Wikipedia apps for when I run into a word or pop culture reference I’m not familiar with or sure about, and a thesaurus app for when the only word I can come up with doesn’t quite fit. Notes is a must too, since I always seem to have my best ideas when I’m nowhere near a pen and paper.”
Sam Placzek, Content Strategist
“Adweek is my go-to. Any time I want to get caught up on the latest advertising and branding, I head over and check out a featured campaign or an interview from an industry professional. The great work inspires me, and the crap work gets a big reaction out of me. I find value in both the good and the ugly.
Every time I hit the keyboard on an assignment, I’m arguing for a brand, so I stay sharp by reading the work of persuasive writers. The Atlantic is loaded with great arguers; it’s my go-to site for thought leadership. But, more than anything, I gravitate toward writers that argue a point with gifted writing, solid research, and confidence, regardless of who they work for or what industry they’re in.
I browse #SixWordStory on Twitter from time to time, too. Most of the lines are sappy, but I usually stumble upon a few clever ones. I love concise writing.”
Ruth Oliver, Social Media Manager
“Looking for a common thread in anything and everything is a giant kick in the brain for me when it comes to writing. For example, I wrote a personal blog post on the stress that comes from living by numbers — credit scores, checking account balances, follower counts, etc. The idea came to me after I started thinking about how numbers rule nearly all details of my life, which led me to the source of my stress, and then to the solution to my stress — writing about it.”
Christine Scalora, Social Media Strategist
“When I need inspiration, I turn to my coworkers. Our brainstorming sessions produce great ideas for both social media and blog posts. Hearing others’ ideas sparks my creativity. Spending even 30 minutes as a group helps me be more imaginative as an individual. Also, whenever I need help making sure my copy has proper grammar or style, I know my coworkers have the expertise to help me.”
Nick Beaulieu, Digital Content Intern
“As an intern, a good starting resource that I have used has been Adweek. They seem to cover most of the news for the digital marketing industry, as well as being on top of everything else in advertising and marketing. I also really take advantage of the Google News function, typing in any topic or word I’m doing research on and seeing what comes up.
As for general writing inspiration, I like to monitor the @AdviceToWriters Twitter account. This Twitter feed, run by writer and editor Jon Winokur, aggregates quotes from journalists, novelists, screenwriters, and other writers across all forms. The posts are quotes about everything from the writing process to industry-specific nuggets of information. Many of the quotes are inspirational for me because they often embrace the struggles of writing. The reminder that professionals endure hardships too can be comforting. I also follow several media critics on Twitter, one being @RichardDeitsch. This way, many good writing recommendations appear on my timeline.”
Got a great website you visit when you’re short on inspiration? Share it with us in the comments.
Hurrdat is a Lincoln, Nebraska, digital marketing agency specializing in social media and content marketing. The company was founded in 2010 and merged with B² Interactive of Omaha, Nebraska, in 2014 bringing even more digital marketing specialties to both firms’ clients. Together they provide a full range of social media, SEO, and website development services to both national brands and local clients. The companies employ more than 80 people in Nebraska and have won multiple awards for their business efforts, company culture, and clients’ campaigns.
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