| By :
Steve Shaw
Want to know how to get a quiet person to talk your ear off? Ask them about something that they are passionate about-- A hobby, their work, their favorite author or musician. When you have the chance to speak about something that you are passionate about, you can talk for hours, and it feels like minutes. I've noticed this with myself--some of my best articles about my niche are the products of spontaneous conversations I've had with people who innocently asked me something that I am very knowledgeable and passionate about. Whenever I find myself in one of these conversations, I think "This would make a great article!" When you are doing article marketing, you are always on the look out for new and compelling article ideas. The ideas listed below will help you generate more conversation oriented topics. 1 - Think of yourself as an ambassador for your niche. Wherever you go, no matter if you're enjoying some leisure time or are officially "at work", always be on the look out for someone who needs more information about your niche. Even if you think that person will never become a customer or buy any of your products, still take the time to give them information that will help them succeed. An ambassador lives to spread truth about his or her niche. This takes you out of the position as sales person (which can be a turn-off to others) and puts you into the amiable position of "the go-to expert". 2 - Plan how you'll answer this question, "What do you do for a living?" This may be a very simple question for most humans, but for those of us who own internet businesses it can be a tricky question to answer outside of the context of the online world. Let's say someone in the offline world asks you this question--what will you say? How can you explain what you do in a way that they will understand? Here are some pointers I've developed: *Instead of rattling off some obscure title or description that no one in the outside world would understand, talk about the type of people who you help and what you do to help them. *Force yourself to avoid technical lingo--use language that your grandmother would understand. *Speak about your general field, rather than about your specific business, at least at first. Remember, you don't want to send any "I want to sell you something" vibes (because you really don't want to sell anything--you're just having a conversation). As an example, I would say that I help business owners market their websites. That is something that someone from the offline world can sink their teeth into, and it will lead to other questions. Many of the conversations that you have about your niche with newbies or folks outside your field are excellent fodder for your articles. If you are going through a writing slump or just want a fresh way to generate article ideas, I have an assignment for you. STEP 1: Turn off your computer and go out where people are. Go to a party, a coffee shop, the gym, the grocery store--anywhere where you can encounter live humans. STEP 2: Put on your ambassador hat. Smile at people, be open and friendly. Engage them in conversations. If someone talks to you, be interested in them and ask them questions. The point is to provide fertile ground for conversations to develop. No pressure here--just be yourself. STEP 3: Did any article topics arise from your conversations? Sometimes you can take the simplest question that someone unfamiliar with your niche asks and turn it into a helpful article. No topic is too simple! Do this, will you? What's the worst that can happen? At worst you will have enjoyed a break from sitting behind your keyboard and staring at your monitor. Sometimes that in itself is enough to jump start your creativity and inspire writing ideas.
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