My latest prompt on generating content ideas got almost 60k views on reddit. But it generates ideas based on customer problems. So i decided to go deeper on it.
We’ve all been there. You open your laptop, ready to create content that will inspire millions (or at least your mom and your LinkedIn network).
And then… nothing.
Your brain feels like Windows 95 trying to load a 4K video.
The problem isn’t that you’re not creative. The problem is that you’re using the same tired idea-hunting techniques. “Brainstorming” alone in a Google Doc is basically medieval torture.
Instead, let’s borrow from proven creativity methods used by advertisers, psychologists, and the occasional mad genius. These will help you turn brain fog into brilliant content ideas, maybe even make you laugh while doing it.
Take two random, unrelated words and smash them together. Example: “Algorithms + Gardening” → “The Algorithm Garden: How to Grow Followers Like Tomatoes.”
It’s dumb. It’s fun. And it works. This is literally a technique from Edward de Bono’s Lateral Thinking — not just me being weird!
Ask: What’s the opposite of this?
Instead of “How to Be More Productive,” write: “How to Waste Time Like a Billionaire.”
Instead of “Growth Hacks,” write: “Why Slow Growth Might Save Your Startup.”
Paradoxes = clicks. People love them.
Rhymes stick. Alliteration sings. There’s a reason ads say “Click, Clack, Moo” and not “Cow Keyboard Noise.”
Try framing your content title with a rhythmic punch:
“Pitch, Panic, Profit”
“Click, Convert, Conquer”
Congratulations, your readers’ brains now remember you forever.
Take a cliché and make it weird:
“Don’t Put All Your Leads in One Funnel”
“Game of Content: Winter Is Coming for Boring Creators”
Why does this work? Because familiarity + surprise = instant engagement.
Start with your topic. Write down the first word that pops into your head. Then another. Keep going until you have a weird chain.
Example: Growth → Plant → Seasons → Cycles → Pruning → Resilience.
Suddenly, you’ve got “Startup Growth Lessons From Gardening.” Boom — a whole metaphor-driven article.
Want to sound like an advertising legend? Build metaphors.
Content marketing isn’t “posting stuff.” It’s cooking: ingredients (keywords), recipe (strategy), plating (design), taste test (analytics).
Metaphors make your content sticky. Also, your readers stop falling asleep halfway through.
Try:
Writing a headline in exactly 5 words.
Explaining your business like you’re writing a children’s book.
Forcing yourself to describe “B2B SaaS” without saying “B2B SaaS.”
Constraints = creative fuel. (Roger von Oech wrote a whole book on this: A Whack on the Side of the Head.)
If you’re a founder or creator, your job isn’t just to run a business. It’s to keep showing up with ideas that spark, resonate, and spread.
That doesn’t happen by staring at a blank doc and hoping divine inspiration strikes.
It happens when you play with words like LEGO bricks, experiment with creative constraints, and let your brain connect weird dots.
The best part? You’ll not only generate ideas, you’ll generate ideas that feel fun, fresh, and uniquely you.
So next time your brain feels like oatmeal, don’t panic. Just mash some words, flip an idiom, or rhyme till it shines.
Your next viral post is probably hiding inside a dumb word game.
You know i wont do that to you!
Here is the prompt that takes your content topic → Execute the word-play techniques on it and gives you fresh, creative content ideas from different angles.
👉 Content Idea Generator Prompt
What’s the weirdest way you’ve ever come up with a content idea?
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.