Your surefire cure for the "I don't know what to say" blues

Do you struggle to come up with new ideas on the reg?

You’re out there every day, trying to build your fame factor and doing valuable work. Generating a stream of new ideas is one more chore you don’t need.

I hear you.

The grind of creating content can tucker an A Lister out. (“Tuckered out” is a phrase straight from my Granny Nash. Weave it into a conversation today and watch people tilt their head and mouth “awww” at you.)

That’s why I want to let you in on a fun – and free! – tool you can use to spark ideas, create headlines and inject a little humor while you’re sharing your expertise.

It’s called Portent’s Content Idea Generator. You’re going to like this one, people.

Portent is the brainchild of Portent, Inc., a digital marketing agency that’s worked with brands you love, like Kate Spade and Getty Images.

How it works

The way the Portent Content Idea Generator works is dead simple. You just log onto the website and enter your subject into the field. And boom! Out comes a title.

Don’t like the first one you see? Click the reload icon to ditch it and get another one! Let’s look at all the genius ways that you can use this tool:

• Try it for generating speech ideas
• Or presentation titles
• Or blog posts that people actually read
• Or articles (on line and in print)
• Or webinar topics

For fun, I put “public speaking” into Portent. And here’s what I got:

“The 7 biggest public speaking blunders.”
“Who really uses public speaking”
“Why public speaking ain’t as good as it used to be”
“The unconventional guide to public speaking”
“How public speaking can get you your heart’s desire.”

So. Much. Goodness.

Watch Portent in action

Test topic #1 – taxes

If you are a money expert (accountant, business coach, —) and you wanted to offer advice to young people just starting out, you might be tempted to write articles or title your talks things like, “Top 10 Money Mistakes Millennial Women Make.”

And that’s not bad. Not bad at all.

But when I plugged the word “taxes” into Portent,  it spit back this gem, “What Jezebel should write about taxes.”

Now I’ve get something with a bit more sizzle. (If you’re not in the know, Jezebel is a website aimed at women’s interests, under the tagline “Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women. Without Airbrushing.” It’s fun. It’s sassy. It’s snarky.)

By using Jezebel in the title, I’d already capture the target audience’s (Millennial women) interest, along with other readers sucked in by curiosity at the mention of Jezebel.

Topic #2 – Business

I plugged “numbers” into the topic field. (It’s a nice generic term.) Business experts often throw this topic around. It’s the subject of articles, book chapters and speeches.

“When your numbers send you running for cover.”

This topic idea is solid gold! It gives you a framework to lay out what kinds of number problems send you running for cover and WHAT TO DO when your numbers send you running for cover (hint: contact you, the expert for help.)

Just for fun, I clicked the reload button and got this:

“Why small businesses are scarier than Tyra Banks.”

(I had to include this one just for the “Smize, bitches” comment.)

Soooo much good stuff to work with here! Instead of the same ‘ol spouting of stats about how many businesses fail, you can inject humor. Comparing it to a reality TV competition like America’s Next Top Model is the perfect way to make some scary business realities interesting and relatable, not preachy.

Use with caution

Portent’s isn’t foolproof “out of the box” every time. You can get some clunkers, like “How Meditation Changed How We Think About Death.” Meh.

Portent also gives a few pointers for when the words just don’t sound right:

Your fame boosting assignment:

Put this tool to work. Pick a topic that you could write or speak about and come up with a list of five ideas you love. It’s time for you to get found in the crowd!