Eight ways to generate articles

It's the summer of our mis-content. OK. It's a puny headline! - But doesn't the photo make you wonder what we're going to talk about?

We talked a lot about the importance of the content of your newsletters to help you build and maintain relationships with your clients or employees. You know that it's the content that keeps your readers' coming back for more - not what you're selling. Right? Creating content that's relevant and useful can be a major source of stress for a newsletter publisher.

Great stories really don't wait for the writer to appear. Neither do they show up on your desk or in your inbox just when you need them. Sometimes you need to generate a story idea. The trick is to take a general idea from the wide-angle view of topics around you and narrow the focus so that it's directly relevant to your readers.

Observe people and places. Do you see trends in behavior or interesting phrases that could relate to your readers? Have you wondered how a certain practice started? Why do men wear ties and women don't? Why do men make a presentation differently than women? I read an article lately saying that women have certain speaking habits that make them less credible than male speakers.

Talk to people and listen to them. What are they concerned about? What do they find funny? Who are they talking about? I recently attended a classy dinner at an exclusive country club. There a group of high-power executive men - all in their best suits - were sitting around a table eating cake and deep in conversation about the merits of Star Trek. Why they admired Picard more than Kirk. What's that all about?

Examine local and global concerns. This can be tricky. People read newsletters for positive information. If you can translate global trends and events into something relevant to them and their situation, you've got a great story.

Look at the other side. Is there a controversy raging in your field? Look at it from a different point of view. Sometimes presenting the other side of a story that you've already done can be a refreshing way to get some two-way communication going.

Divide and conquer. Is there a story within a story that might be told? Maybe you're doing a story on a boardroom remodel. Was that boardroom the scene of some significant event in the past? Is someone retiring or being hired? Perhaps there's another, related story to bring out.

Pay attention to routines and additions. Have there been goal changes in programs? Has the grumbling around the water cooler increased or changed in attitude? Why? Where did it start? Where is it going?

Personal and classified ads. This can be an interesting place to pick up story ideas. Who is looking to meet who? Are there more men than women? How are they describing themselves? What do you see when you read between the lines? What sort of jobs are being advertised the most? Is it always the same company? What's going on there?

Review your 'interesting' files. OK. So you need to create these files first. But it is totally worth while. Start collecting things that pique your interest and put them into your file. I have an entire drawer of my filing cabinet dedicated to ideas. There are graphic design ideas, unusual color combinations, photos and illustrations, and of course story ideas. Of course, you don't want to copy these things exactly, but they're great for generating angles that you hadn't thought of or putting a different spin on a topic.

Last word: Be sure that whatever your story is about it supports the mission of your newsletter. It must be relevant to your readers. If you're newsletter is about financial planning, you probably shouldn't do a story on laundry and stain removal unless you can make it relate to financial planning.