Generating content marketing topics doesn’t have to be daunting. Sometimes you can pick a theme and riff on it.
Content marketing is the act of creating content, publishing it, and promoting it with the aim of attracting, engaging, and retaining customers. Content marketing is often paired with search engine optimization to help bring potential customers to a business’s website.
Each month since 2014 I have created a list of content ideas to inspire merchants. For August 2022, I’m showing how a single concept or theme can generate many more ideas.
As I sat down to write, something about the year 2022 attracted me. It was all the number twos, especially the 22 at the end. So I started thinking about content ideas not only for August but, more specifically, for August 22, 2022. This date gave me a path to follow, making it easy to generate this list.
I hope you find these topic suggestions — and the notion of running down a concept — helpful.
1. August 22: Loch Ness Monster Sighted
The Loch Ness Monster — often called Nessie — is a creature said to live in a relatively large lake (Loch Ness) in the north of Scotland. Loch Ness is about 23 miles long and as much as 788 feet deep.
The first sighting of this sea monster goes back to the year 564 and the 22nd day of August.
Saint Columba was a monk, missionary, and abbot credited with spreading Christianity in Scotland. He was born in 521 AD in Ireland, and, after training, he set out to convert the pagans.
A biography of Saint Columba written while he was alive claimed Nessie was about to attack another when Columba shouted for the beast to stop and ordered it back into the water.
There have been numerous sightings of the monster since Columba, but there is no definitive proof that it exists. Some believe Nessie is a myth, while others think it could be real.
For your company’s content marketing efforts this August, consider using Nessie as inspiration. You could write about the Loch Ness Monster itself — fitting for an online store that sells travel guides or luggage. A photography or camera shop might write an article about the various Nessie photos or films — or even create one of its own.
Or you might find other myths that make sense for your business or customers.
2. August 22: Eat a Peach Day
To a botanist, peaches are a stone fruit related to plums, apricots, and nectarines. To an economist, peaches are a popular food commodity grown worldwide, with China, Italy, Spain, and the U.S. being the top producers.
A nutritionist might say that peaches are a good source of dietary fiber and vitamins A and C and that peaches can be eaten fresh, canned, or baked.
But for everyone else, peaches simply taste good.
To incorporate peaches and National Eat a Peach Day into your company’s content marketing, write about recipes that feature this fruit, describe its health benefits, or discuss storage and preservation tips.
You could also write about the history of peaches and their different varieties.
While they are a natural topic for culinary stores, peaches might be a refreshing content idea for many other businesses.
3. August 22: Tooth Fairy Day
The tooth fairy is a mythical creature — not unlike Nessie — who leaves money under a child’s pillow when that little fellow or misses loses a tooth.
Some argue that the tooth fairy tale originated in Europe and was brought to America by immigrants. There are many different versions of the story, but they all share the same premise: a creature comes to collect teeth in exchange for a reward.
Others suggest that the story is a sort of health education propaganda created in the early 20th century to help promote good dental hygiene. The American Dental Association, for example, recommends that we all get at least two teeth cleanings per year. For this reason, there are two national Tooth Fairy Days in the United States, February 28 and August 22.
Content marketers could tell the origin of the tooth fairy (a factual version or a new made-up one), focus on advice for parents, or feature dental products. The topic could work for online stores that sell anything from toys to toothpaste.
4. August 22: Bill Parcells’ Birthday
Bill Parcells is a retired American football coach who worked in the National Football League for more than 30 years, including serving as an NFL head coach for 19 seasons.
Parcells led five teams to the playoffs and won two Super Bowl titles with the Giants in 1987 and 1991. He is considered one of the best coaches in NFL history and in 2013 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
On August 22, 2022, Parcell turns 81.
For content marketers at retail sporting goods or memorabilia shops, Parcells’ birthday is an excellent time to write about his life and career, highlight some of his famous quotes, or discuss his coaching style and how it has influenced others. You could also profile some players he coached who had successful NFL careers.
5. August 22: Liquid Soap Patented
The writers and video creators responsible for content marketing at soap manufacturers and retailers are undoubtedly experts at stain removal, deodorizing, and general household maintenance.
But the concept of cleaning extends beyond soap. For example, removing the smell of smoke or sweat from clothes can be challenging. Three popular tips do not involve traditional detergent.
- Use white vinegar.
- Soak in baking soda and water.
- Add lemon juice to your load of laundry.
The first U.S. patent for liquid soap (No. 49,561) was awarded on August 22, 1865, to one William Sheppard of New York.
Hence marketers could create content about Sheppard’s original invention or expand into non-traditional cleaning alternatives.