What is one platform or tool you recommend for content ideation and brainstorming? How do you overcome creative blocks and generate fresh ideas?

Question

Discover a wealth of content ideation tools and techniques that can revolutionize your creative process. This comprehensive guide draws on expert insights to present 21 innovative approaches, from leveraging social listening platforms to harnessing the power of AI-driven tools. Whether you're a seasoned content creator or just starting out, these strategies will help you generate fresh ideas and streamline your content planning workflow.

Christopher Pappas · Answer

One platform we rely on is BuzzSumo. It shows us what is working across the industry and helps us spot content gaps. However, honestly, the best way we break creative blocks is through collaboration. I will sit down with someone from support or sales and simply ask, "What are people asking you this week?" Real conversations create better content than long brainstorming sessions. Tools help organize the ideas, but the ideas come from staying close to the people we serve.

Justin McLendon · Answer

For structured content ideation, I rely on Microsoft OneNote. It integrates well with our existing workflows and offers flexibility in organizing ideas by clinical themes, audience type, or treatment setting. I maintain separate notebooks for topics like co-occurring disorders, trauma stabilization, and relapse prevention. These serve as living documents, updated regularly with clinical observations, literature insights, and notes from team discussions.
Creative blocks are common in clinical leadership, especially when balancing evidence-based content with meaningful engagement. I've learned to step back and ask the team: "What are you seeing in the field that we haven't talked about?" The most compelling ideas often come from day-to-day patient interactions, how someone frames their anxiety, what metaphors resonate during therapy, or the language families use when asking for help. These moments inform not just what we say, but how we say it. Clinical relevance and accessibility must go hand in hand if the content is to have any real impact.

Itamar Haim · Answer

I discovered AnswerSocrates helped me break through writer's block by showing me exactly what my audience is asking on Google - it's like having a direct line to their curiosity. When I was stuck writing about personal finance, I plugged in 'investing basics' and found dozens of fascinating questions I hadn't considered, which helped me create three months' worth of relevant content.

Jason Levine, NREMT · Answer

As someone who works with service businesses on their digital marketing, I swear by Surfer SEO for content ideation. Beyond standard keyword research, it provides content scores, competitive analysis, and SERP analysis in one dashboard. When working with Pet Playgrounds, we used Surfer to identify content gaps their competitors weren't addressing about DIY pet fencing installation, which directly led to a 27% increase in qualified leads.
For creative blocks, I leverage my EMT experience - emergency response requires looking at problems from multiple angles quickly. I create what I call "customer journey maps" where I document every touchpoint and question a prospect might have. This technique helped one real estate client break through a plateau by identifying content needs for post-purchase support that competitors ignored.
Voice memos are my secret weapon. When I'm stuck, I leave the computer, walk outside, and record myself talking through the problem as if explaining it to a customer. These unfiltered thoughts often contain the most authentic angles. I transcribe these later using Otter.ai and typically find 3-5 fresh content ideas I would've missed staring at a blank document.
Rather than forcing creativity, I build systems. Every Monday, I spend 30 minutes in my "content radar" spreadsheet where I log customer questions, competitor moves, and industry news. This prevents panic-induced creative blocks and ensures I'm never truly starting from zero. This systematic approach helped my Bridgeport-based clients maintain consistent content calendars even during their busiest seasons.

Tyler Bowman · Answer

I use Canva's Whiteboard feature for content brainstorming. It's a visual, intuitive space that helps us map out recovery themes and treatment-related education while involving multiple team members in the process. Since many of our ideas grow out of community conversations or lived experiences, the ability to drop in sticky notes, sketches, or quotes makes the creative process more natural and less structured.
When I get stuck creatively, I remind myself what saved me. Recovery didn't start with clinical language; it started with someone caring enough to listen. I'll read letters from past clients or step into a group therapy session to reset. What resonates in those spaces is what should guide our messaging. The more I listen, the clearer it becomes what needs to be said next. Our best content reflects hope, not perfection, and that clarity always brings ideas back to life.

Garrett Diamantides · Answer

We use Google Keep for fast idea capture during team meetings, outreach calls, or site visits. Its voice-to-text feature is helpful when inspiration strikes mid-conversation or during travel. Later, we organize those notes into larger campaigns or educational content with the help of Google Sheets, especially when comparing trends across our facilities.
Creative blocks don't concern me much because I view them as signals that I need to get closer to the work. I'll visit a facility, talk with admissions staff, or ask a peer in recovery, "What's not being said right now?" Their answers often cut through the noise. I also reflect on my own recovery, what I didn't understand in the beginning, and what I wish someone had explained differently. That lived experience fuels content that speaks plainly, supports healing, and respects the journey.

Timothy Brooks · Answer

For ideation, I rely heavily on Slack, particularly using dedicated channels where staff and residents can share themes, recovery challenges, or content ideas as they emerge. These threads become the foundation for group topics, social posts, and community events. It's fast, real-time, and anchored in the present needs of the Synergy community.
When the ideas dry up, I revisit one of our mantras: action over perfection. I'll walk through the residence, play ball with someone, or just sit and listen during dinner. Real connection reminds me that the message isn't about being polished; it's about being honest. Our residents are full of insight. If we treat their voices as the blueprint, the content practically writes itself.

Peter Lai · Answer

ClickUp is my go-to tool for content ideation, especially when managing input across finance, compliance, and clinical strategy. It offers customizable dashboards, collaborative documents, and task tracking in one system. We use it to draft investor updates, regulatory summaries, and internal education content, each aligned with financial strategy and execution timelines.
When creativity slows down, I switch contexts. Instead of pushing through spreadsheets, I look at patient outcomes or sit in on cross-functional meetings. Hearing clinicians or case managers speak reminds me of who the numbers represent. That connection reshapes how we communicate performance. I also maintain a content backlog in ClickUp, organized by recurring stakeholder questions. If a concept has been asked about three times, it's worth turning into a narrative.

Joe Savitch-Lee · Answer

The best tool I have found for coming up with ideas is https://answerthepublic.com/. You can type in a keyword like "video editor," and it will use Google search data to generate common questions starting with who, what, when, where, and why. It helps you discover what people are actually searching for, so you can create content that answers real questions and has a better chance of being found.
I use it to come up with blog topics, YouTube video titles, and even FAQs for my website. It's a great way to stop guessing and start creating content people actually want.
One thing I really like is the visual map it creates. It lays out all the related questions in a way that is easy to scan and sparks new ideas I might not have thought of otherwise.
There's a free version that lets you run a few searches each day. If you find yourself using it regularly, the paid version is worth considering for deeper insights.

Daniel Trotter · Answer

I've found Notion to be incredibly helpful for content brainstorming since it lets me create linked databases of ideas and build on existing concepts organically. When I hit creative blocks, I use its template gallery to spark new angles - like turning my last successful blog post into a content hub with related subtopics that I can explore further.

Pablo Cavalcante · Answer

I've found Pinterest to be my go-to for interior design ideation, especially when I create specific mood boards for different rooms or styles. Recently, I was stuck on a modern farmhouse concept until I started a collaborative board with my client, which sparked amazing ideas we hadn't considered before. When I hit creative blocks, I actually step away from screens and take a walk through design showrooms or furniture stores - it helps me see materials and textures in real life, which always gets my creativity flowing again.

Jonathan Palley · Answer

My go-to approach here is always to seek out fresh perspectives. I've conducted brainstorming sessions with interns, children, and strangers on airplanes. These end up being some of my most fruitful discussions because they get me out of my fixed mindset. Some of the ideas these people come up with are way off, of course. They don't know the details of the industry like I do, but their suggestions still make great starting points.

Humaira Iqbal · Answer

One of my favorite things to do is get a whiteboard and dump out all my ideas - the good, the bad, and the ugly. It really helps when you can see things in front of you and is a great way to generate new ideas. Sometimes, a concept written down generates a load of new ideas. I'd recommend using a whiteboard to anyone who isn't already - especially when you feel overwhelmed or in a creative rut.
I love going pen to paper (or whiteboard, in this instance), but for those who prefer doing things digitally, I've heard great things about brainstorming tools like Miro.
Another way to overcome creative blocks is to take a step back and look at it from a bird's-eye view. If you were someone looking from the outside, what potential questions could you have? What would you like to know more about, or what might be hard to understand? The answers to your questions are all ideas to create content about.

Pepe Nieto · Answer

For ideation and brainstorming of content, I use Miro extensively. It's a digital whiteboard software that promotes creativity with its visual structure and collaborative nature. It enables my team and me to structure ideas, brainstorm new content, and plan content strategies all in one location. We can create mind maps, add sticky notes, and easily prioritize what to work on next. Miro's capacity to drag in resources such as images or documents allows me to seamlessly combine inspiration with practical content creation.
In case of creative blocks, I retreat and approach it differently. Collaborative discussions with the team tend to trigger new ideas. We organize brainstorming sessions where all ideas are freely shared. I also prefer escaping the office and immersing myself in the marina setting. Surrounded by boats, water, and the great outdoors can cause new ideas to emerge. Sometimes inspiration appears right in front of you, whether it's a new boat trend or a customer comment that creates new perspectives.
Furthermore, repurposing content contributes significantly to maintaining ideas. I would take a successful blog post or social media post and repurpose it as a new video, infographic, or even a customer testimonial. The process not only saves time but also guarantees that valuable content is utilized at maximum capacity through various forms.
These techniques keep the innovative process alive, keeping us in check and always ready to offer quality content to our users.

Allyson Dizon · Answer

Chorus.ai conversation mining has revealed unexpected content creation possibilities. This call analysis tool transcribes and categorizes actual customer conversations, highlighting recurring questions that traditional planning overlooks. The approach uncovers specific language patterns and pain points that standard analytics miss entirely.
Creative momentum builds through systematic idea sprints rather than ongoing ideation. Scheduling focused 30-minute sessions where team members contribute ideas based on specific prompts like "questions customers ask right before purchasing" generates more actionable content than traditional brainstorming while preventing creative fatigue.
Content ideation flourishes through deliberate perspective shifts. Creating persona cards representing different audience segments and physically moving between stations during planning forces teams to view needs through varied lenses. This physical state change breaks established thinking patterns and reveals blind spots in content strategy. Teams incorporating structured perspective-shifting techniques consistently develop more relevant content than those relying on traditional brainstorming approaches. The most valuable content often emerges when viewing challenges directly through the audience's eyes rather than from a marketing perspective.

Paolo Muoio · Answer

When it comes to generating fresh ideas and overcoming creative blocks, I strongly recommend Trello. Trello is not just a tool for task management—it's a powerhouse for organizing and nurturing your creative thoughts.
What makes Trello exceptional for ideation? Its flexibility. You can create boards dedicated to different themes, with lists capturing everything from initial sparks to fully fleshed-out concepts. Moreover, the collaborative features allow for seamless idea exchange with your team, enabling diverse input and fresh perspectives.
Facing a creative block? Sometimes, pausing from a linear path and shuffling between different boards or lists can ignite new angles—literally reshuffling the deck. Add visual inspiration and even shift the layout with its various integrations, keeping the process dynamic.
For me, combining structured planning with visual and interactive elements helps jumpstart creativity. Trello's adaptable framework supports this beautifully, making it a go-to for ideation and brainstorming.
Feel free to reach out if you'd like to explore more about using digital tools to fuel creativity.

Elizabeth Lawrence · Answer

Google Docs is where I turn for brainstorming content ideas, especially when collaborating with others. It's simple but powerful, letting teams toss around thoughts in real-time without worrying about structure or polish. If I hit a wall, I switch gears by listing out questions the audience might have, no matter how obvious. Those questions often spark ideas that wouldn't come up in a normal brainstorming session.
Working in news, deadlines don't wait for inspiration. When I feel stuck, writing down what's missing or what needs deeper coverage helps me push through. For example, recently, while covering a story on military benefits, I listed questions service members might have, which then guided me to angles that connected with readers personally. Writing out questions helps clear mental clutter and practically breaks creative blocks. It's less about waiting for a flash of genius and more about rolling up your sleeves and digging in.

Karen Sampolski · Answer

I use Microsoft Planner to keep content ideas organized. As a CFO at a small company, I often translate financial updates, customer trends, and operational decisions into digestible formats for our internal team. Planner helps track these content threads by priority and project, especially when tied to budgeting cycles or revenue forecasts.
When ideas stall, I review past performance reports, not just the numbers, but the stories they tell. For example, what prompted a spike in material costs? What were our customers asking most during that quarter? Financial data holds content cues. I also keep a running list of FAQs from our field teams, which often highlight the gaps we need to fill through training or communication. Structured reflection keeps the ideas moving forward.

Jeff Ryder · Answer

For content ideation, I swear by the "People Also Asked" method in Google. At Spotlight Media 360, we use this technique to create targeted content for our contractor clients without expensive SEO tools. You simply search for a core service (like "roof repair") and mine the questions that appear. This approach helped us develop our entire roofing SEO content strategy that consistently delivers high-converting traffic.
When facing creative blocks, I create "link-bait" content frameworks. For example, we developed local statistics pages ("Average Cost of Roof Replacement in Colorado by Square Footage") and interactive tools (roofing cost calculators) that naturally attract backlinks. These formats can be adapted to virtually any industry while maintaining their link magnetism.
The most overlooked ideation source is competitor analysis. We recently audited a roofing client's top competitors and found content gaps around seasonal maintenance topics that were driving significant traffic. Within 60 days of targeting these gaps, organic traffic increased by 42% and leads by 27%.
One technique that's transformed our content development is creating seasonal content calendars for specific industries. For HVAC clients, we've mapped 52 blog topics (one per week) that align perfectly with seasonal search patterns. This approach eliminates constant brainstorming pressure while ensuring you're always relevant to what customers are actively searching for.

Dilyar Buzan · Answer

As a business director, one application I always use for content brainstorming and ideation is Google Jamboard. It is easy to use and collaborative, making it a favorite for remote and hybrid team meetings. In a previous campaign planning session, we employed Jamboard to kick around ideas in a virtual whiteboard space. Each member of the team was able to input in real-time, through sketches and sticky notes, which served to stimulate unlikely connections and novel perspectives we hadn't even considered initially.
When I hit a creative block, I change my focus briefly—either stepping away from the screen or working on something entirely different. This kind of mental reboot is usually sufficient to stimulate a new way of thinking. I also find it helpful to revisit successful campaigns previously saved in Google Drive to find renewed inspiration. We tend to save our brainstorming boards and content assets, so reviewing these documents can stimulate new thinking. Together, Jamboard and Drive create a lightweight but effective set of tools that enable ongoing creativity, collaboration, and crisp idea development in fast-paced tech environments.

Mahir Iskender · Answer

As CEO of KNDR.digital, I've found ChatGPT with custom GPTs to be the most versatile tool for content ideation. We built specialized prompts that analyze nonprofit case studies and donation patterns, helping us generate targeted fundraising campaign ideas for clients that consistently outperform traditional brainstorming.
For creative blocks, I use a "donor journey mapping" technique where we visualize the emotional path supporters take from awareness to donation. This structured approach has opened up breakthrough ideas for several campaigns that increased donations by 700% by focusing on emotional triggers rather than generic appeals.
When our team hit a creative wall with a wildlife conservation client, we used AI to analyze thousands of successful campaigns across similar causes. The data revealed that storytelling focused on individual animals outperformed statistics by 3x, which completely transformed our approach and delivered over 800 donations in just 45 days.
The key is combining technology with human insight. Set up a regular rhythm of AI-assisted ideation sessions (we do twice weekly), but ensure you're feeding the AI with real-world feedback data from your audience. This balanced approach eliminates creative blocks while ensuring ideas remain authentic and impactful.

21 Content Ideation Tools & Techniques

Table of Contents

21 Content Ideation Tools & Techniques

Leverage BuzzSumo and Real Conversations

OneNote Organizes Clinical Content Ideas

AnswerSocrates Reveals Audience Questions

Surfer SEO Uncovers Content Opportunities

Canva Whiteboard Facilitates Visual Brainstorming

Google Keep Captures Ideas on the Go

Slack Channels Foster Community-Driven Content

ClickUp Aligns Content with Business Strategy

AnswerThePublic Generates Keyword Questions

Notion Templates Spark New Content Angles

Pinterest Boards Inspire Design Concepts

Fresh Perspectives Break Creative Blocks

Whiteboard Dumps Unleash Creativity

Miro Enhances Collaborative Content Planning

Chorus.ai Mines Customer Conversations

Trello Boards Nurture Creative Thoughts

Google Docs Fosters Real-Time Collaboration

Microsoft Planner Organizes Financial Content

Google’s People Also Asked Drives SEO

Google Jamboard Enables Virtual Brainstorming

Custom GPTs Revolutionize Fundraising Ideation

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