Woolies’ ‘Mind the Gap’ scheme exposed

WOOLWORTHS is facing legal action over hatching an alleged scheme which reaped $18m in “support” payments from suppliers to plug a profit hole.

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Woolies slammed by watchdog

WOOLIES is getting hit on a number of fronts. This time, by the Australian consumer watchdog which alleged the supermarket engaged in “unconscionable conduct”.

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Elite school kids caught betting in TAB

UNDERAGE Brighton Grammar students have been caught placing illegal bets at a TAB in Brighton after school hours, it has been revealed.

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‘I earned $4.80 on $1000 of shopping’

A FACEBOOK post “ranting” about the new Woolworths Rewards card has gone viral as the backlash against the retailer grows.

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The ABCs of How to Make Money Selling All Your Stuff

A move is one reason to sell your things. But even if you’re not moving, getting rid of things can help you free up space in your garage or closets.

You can also make some extra cash.

When my wife and I moved from Colorado to Florida, we sold almost everything so we could avoid paying for a moving company.

But selling a table isn’t the same as selling a backpack. And what do you do with broken lawn furniture?

Different items should be sold in different ways — especially if you need a fast sale or want to get the best price.

Here’s your “A-to-Z” list of household items and how to sell them.

Appliances

Craigslist is the best place to sell your used appliances.

If you can’t find a buyer, put that old stove or washing machine in the free section — a scrapper will gladly take it.

Or bring it to a recycling center yourself and get paid for that scrap metal.

Backpacking Gear

Backpacking.net has a forum for selling gear — and it’s free to join.

You can also try selling on Craigslist (I sold a bunch of gold prospecting equipment for $50 that way).

Or put your outdoor equipment in your rummage sale (we’ll get to that below).

Bicycles

If you need to sell them quickly, a used bike store might make a cash offer. But you’ll probably get a better price on Craigslist.

Another option is to put a sign on your bike and park in front of your house or where other cyclists might see it. That trick netted me $35 for a bike I bought used for $30.

Books

We previously covered how to make money selling books — especially textbooks.

If you need a quicker sale, find a used bookstore that pays cash, like Hastings. My wife and I once received $15 at Hastings for a bag of books.

Cameras

Digital cameras can be sold at your local pawn shop for fast cash.

But, you might get a better offer from a website like Nextworth.

They’ve partnered with Target, so you can bring your camera to a local store and get a quote — although you’ll get store credit instead of cash.

Cell Phones

WeBuyCellPhones.net will connect you with local buyers.

You can also sell through Swappa, which charges no fee (the buyer pays), or get an instant quote from Gazelle.

To do even better, see our post on how to get the most money for your cell phone.

Clothes

Plato’s Closet or Buffalo Exchange will pay cash if you have popular name-brand clothing.

Otherwise, sell at a local clothing consignment store or at your rummage sale.

Coin Collections

The fastest way to sell old coins is to go to a local coin shop.

But first check values online using a coin price guide. Shops will typically offer 60 to 80% of retail value, according to CoinTrackers. We got 95% of the “spot price” for silver coins at our local coin shop.

You can also sell coins on eBay. It  involves more work and time, but could get you a better price.

DVDs

The fastest way to get cash for old movies is to sell them at a pawn shop.

Expect a dollar or less (a dollar is the most we’ve ever received), and they’ll probably only take a few of your movies.

The rest can go in your rummage sale.

Electronics

Some buyers of cell phones and cameras also buy other electronics.

Otherwise, use the Amazon Trade-In program. You’ll get Amazon credit, not cash.

Best Buy also takes trade-ins for store credit, and you may be able to do this at your local store.

Exercise Equipment

If there is a 2nd Wind store nearby, sell your used exercise equipment there for fast cash.

Otherwise, Craigslist is your best bet.

Furniture

Craigslist is one of the best places to sell furniture, but it can take a while.

You can also sell at a consignment store, as we did when we moved. We even made some profit, because we knew how to make furniture into an investment.

You’ll pay a commission of up to 50%, but you might be able to leave your stuff and have a check sent to your new address once your things sell. We received a surprise check for over $200 several months after we settled into our new home.

Gift Cards

We’ve previously posted suggestions for where to sell your gift cards online — and some sites, like Raise, say many cards sell within hours.

Not fast enough for you? Check your area for a Coinstar machine that pays cash for gift cards.

Jewelry

You can get cash right away for silver or gold jewelry by selling it locally. This post on how to get cash for gold explains how to get the best price.

If an item if worth more than melt-value, sell it to a local jeweler who handles used items. If you made the jewelry yourself (and you have a lot of it), sell it on Etsy.

Junk

Don’t throw out junk if any part of it is metal. Instead, sell it for its scrap metal value.

Copper, brass and aluminum will make you the most money, but just about any metal will have some scrap value.

My trip to the recycling place once netted me $15 for stuff that was otherwise going in the trash.

Lawn Furniture

If it’s in perfect shape, consider selling lawn furniture through a consignment store.

If it’s in decent shape, sell it in your rummage sale.

If it is ready to be thrown out, but is aluminum, sell it for its scrap metal value. I once cashed in two old aluminum chairs for a couple bucks.

Luggage

If you have really nice luggage, sell it on Craigslist.

Otherwise, add it to your rummage sale or to a consignment store. Before we left Colorado, we sold four pieces of luggage to a secondhand store for a few dollars each.

Music CDs

As with DVDs, your options are limited.

Try for a dollar each at a pawn shop, but if your tastes are eclectic, they’ll probably buy only a small portion of what you have.

When we sold our CD collection, we made 50 cents for each of the few they took. Save the rest for your rummage sale.

Sports Equipment

You’ll probably get the best deal selling your sports gear on Craigslist.

If you need a quick sale, try a Play It Again Sports store near you. The store buys everything from used baseball bats to skis.

Tools

Type “sell used tools” plus your city’s name into Google and you’ll probably find some local buyers who pay cash.

If you live near Philadelphia and have a lot of tools, American Tool Buyers will come to you and make an offer.

To get paid right away, sell tools to a pawn shop. I got $10 for a carpet knee-kicker, and a few bucks for other tools this way.

If you have the time, you might make more money selling your tools on Craigslist.

Toys

If there’s a Once Upon a Child store nearby, go and sell your used toys.

Another option is Craigslist, or sell them at your rummage sale.

Video Games

Bring your video games to a local pawn shop for a fast sale. To make more money, sell them online.

For example, on Glyde, you pay 15% of the sales price plus $1 to $6 in shipping charges when you sell.

Glyde sends you a check or direct deposits money into your bank account. Plus, there’s no charge for the listings if your games don’t sell.

Wedding Dresses

Wedding dresses are often unique and may not sell well in a consignment store, especially in a small town.

To get the best price, sell yours online.

On PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com, you can list your dress for $25 and leave it up until it sells. The listing fee is only $5 for other items, like bridesmaid and flower girl dresses.

Yard Tools and Equipment

It’s best to sell riding lawnmowers and other large items on Craigslist.

Rakes, shovels and such can go in your rummage sale.

Zebras and Other Stuffed Animals

Yes, I needed a “z” item for the list.

A previous post on selling used stuffed animals explains some of the ways to get top dollar for sleeping buddies — and there are more ways than you might think.

If all else fails, put your stuffed animals in the rummage sale.

How to Sell Everything Else

Here are four strategies for selling things that don’t fit the categories above — and even things that do.

These are mainly ways to sell a lot of stuff at once — and quickly.

1. Have a Rummage Sale

You can sell almost anything at a rummage sale, especially if you use Kristin Pope’s tips for hosting a successful garage sale.

2. Sell to a Secondhand Store

When we moved, we invited a secondhand store owner to our house. He bought half the stuff in our garage all at once.

Call local junk shops and similar businesses and check if they buy large batches of items.

3. Contact an Estate Buyer

Type “estate buyers” into Google with your city’s name.

Estate buyers normally buy everything left in the house when people pass away. But if you have enough stuff to sell they’ll usually make an offer.

4. Sell at a Flea Market

You can often sell at a flea market for less than the cost of advertising a rummage sale.

Plus, you’ll have a sure stream of possible buyers — especially if it’s a popular market.

Your Turn: Can you add to this list of ways to unload your stuff for a little cash?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Steve Gillman is the author of “101 Weird Ways to Make Money” and creator of EveryWayToMakeMoney.com. He’s been a repo-man, walking stick carver, search engine evaluator, house flipper, tram driver, process server, mock juror and roulette croupier, but of more than 100 ways he has made money, writing is his favorite (so far).

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50 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2016

These steps will help you boost your money in the coming year. 

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Why the Future Is so Bright for Boeing Stock

With a seven-year backlog for new orders, many analysts think BA stock has nowhere to fly but up.

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This Grad Had More Than $50,000 in Student Loans… Until He Did This

Jammie Proctor had made it. After taking more than 10 years off of school, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech.

He was 36 years old. And he had more than $50,000 in student loans.  

Though he had the same goals many of us do — to pay off his house and start investing in his future — he couldn’t move forward with those exorbitant loans hanging over his head.

Neither could John DePrato, who was $65,000 in debt from his bachelor’s and MBA. He was trying to build a house with his wife, but felt crushed by his hefty student loan bill: $850 a month.

Then, one day, things changed. Proctor and DePrato opened their inboxes to find emails from their alumni associations — emails about a new company that could help them refinance their student loans.

With just a few clicks, Proctor saved an estimated $6,000-$7,500 on his loans and will be debt-free in just seven years.  

And DePrato cut his monthly payments in half — from $850 to $400 — freeing up money to continue building his new home.

Becoming debt-free and building a house are things we want for all our readers! And since we know student loan debt is such a burden for many of you, we had to learn more…

How These Graduates Saved So Much on Student Loans

So how did Proctor and DePrato do it? Through a student loan refinancing site called Credible.

Unlike other refinancing companies, which give you one offer — take it or leave it — Credible is an independent student loan marketplace, not a lender.

You answer five questions, and based upon your responses, the eight lenders on its platform create personalized offers — not rate ranges — which you can view on one simple dashboard.

“It’s like a Kayak or a Zillow for student loans,” says Michael Fishel, a Houston attorney who graduated from law school in 2012 with $135,000 in loans. “It’s brilliant.”

When he tried Credible, he “instantaneously got a ton of offers,” he says. As with most businesses, that competition led to savings for the consumer.

Over the lifetime of his loan, Fishel estimates he’ll save $10,000-$15,000 — money he’s putting directly into a 529 plan for his newborn daughter.

And that number isn’t uncommon. The average Credible user has $60,000 of loans and an interest rate of 7%… and once they refinance with Credible, an average savings of $11,668 over the life of their loans.

Though Proctor, the engineer, will likely save less than that — around $7,000 — he appreciates how easy the process was.

“I was very impressed with [the fact] they did the heavy lifting for me,” he explains. “I didn’t have to go out and seek all of these loan providers to do my refinancing. I could just go through, look at all the offers and figure out which one was most suitable for me.”

That customization is important because everyone has different goals. DePrato, for example, wanted to free up cash for the construction of his house — so he refinanced from a 10-year loan to a 20-year loan. Though he’ll pay more in interest over the lifetime of his loan, it was the best option for him and his wife.

“Maybe I’m paying out a little bit more total interest,” he says, “but it made sense for what we’re doing right now.”

Who Can Refinance Student Loans With Credible?  

Whether you want to pay less interest or lower your monthly payments, you might wonder whether Credible’s right for you.

Like any loan, not everyone will receive offers under this program. To help you determine whether you’re a good candidate, here are the factors Credible and their financial partners consider:

1. Do You Have Good Credit?

Lenders use your credit score to determine your risk level; good credit score means low risk, which means lower interest rates.

If your credit is poor or limited, you may want to look into a cosigner (see number four), or work on repairing your credit first.

2. Is Your Debt-to-Income Ratio Low?

Don’t fret if you have a lot of debt — as long as your income is also high. Many successful Credible users are high-earners in deep debt due to expensive graduate degrees.

3. Do You Have Work Experience?

How much real world work experience do you have? The Credible service generally works best for people with a few years of post-bachelor’s work experience, or a graduate degree in an in-demand field.

4. Might You Need a Cosigner?

If you’re recently out of college and your credit history, income or work experience is limited, partnering with a qualified cosigner can reduce your rates.

Should You Give Credible a Shot?

If you’re struggling with your student loan bill each month, we highly recommend you look into refinancing. Because interest rates are so low right now, you could end up saving a bundle of cash.

For the guys we talked to, it has made a huge difference.

“Especially with our generation, it’s tough to save,” says Fishel. “This gives an opportunity for people my age to start saving right away — because the burden of all your other bills, especially student loans, isn’t as bad… There are a lot of people in my shoes who simply don’t know about this and so much money can be saved.”

Want to learn more about Credible? Click here to fill out their five-question quiz or learn more about student loan refinancing with their free refinancing guide.

Your Turn: Would you consider refinancing your student loans?

Sponsorship Disclosure: A huge thanks to Credible for working with us to bring you this content. It’s rare that we have the opportunity to share something so awesome and get paid for it!

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Eight Gifts People Don’t Throw Away

When it comes to giving and receiving gifts, they say it’s the thought that counts. Unfortunately, good intentions can’t drown out the silence that fills a room after someone opens a gift that’s not quite right.

We’ve all been on the giving and receiving end of an awkward, out-of-date, or just-plain-strange gift experience. That scarf you were sure your mother-in-law would love. The baby doll your niece chucked across the room the moment she saw it. Or, the ugly or wrong-sized sweater you were shocked to receive and not exactly graceful about. (When this happened to me, I was not so amused to find my “ugly sweater” wouldn’t even fit over my head.)

Eight Gifts That Are Never Thrown Away

Yes, gifts come in all shapes and sizes, flavors, and denominations. And for every gift that “wows” someone, there are five duds waiting to be opened. Fortunately, there are some gifts that never get thrown away, are never left to decay in a hall closet, and are never re-gifted to someone on the other side of the family.

If you’re hoping to get through the holidays without giving someone their worst gift ever, consider these ideas:

No. 1: Photos and Photo Memories

If you’re dreaming of a gift that won’t make its way into the trash can, break out the family photos and buy some snazzy frames. “There’s nothing more special than receiving a memory in tangible form,” says frugality blogger Michelle Diamond of EveryLittleCent.com. And with digital options easier to come by than ever, some may see the fact that you had pictures printed and think you went the extra mile.

If you want to get fancy, you can even have digital photos made into keepsake photo book. Nowvel.com does this particularly well and even lets you upload photos from your iPhone, Instagram, and Facebook. Prices start at $20.

Other companies, from Shutterfly to SocialPrintStudio to Zazzle, offer a similar range of photo gift ideas. You can even find tutorials online to help you make some gifts yourself, like these Instagram refrigerator magnets.

According to Howard Schaffer, VP of Merchandising and Partner Management for Offers.com, photo books will be kept forever because of the memories they hold and represent.

“Photos can capture countless moments that seem to slip past our memory until reminded again,” he says. “People cherish these gifts because people cherish the ones in the photos.”

People cherish photo gifts, like these DIY fridge magnets, because they cherish the people in the photos. Photo: shedoesthecity.com

No. 2: Experience Gifts

If you buy someone a gift, you have no say in where it ends up. But if you take them somewhere or gift an experience, they might just remember the occasion forever.

“We love to give experiences, family passes to local attractions, and things people wouldn’t buy for themselves,” says professional speaker and blogger Kylie Travers.

Experience gifts can be anything, and you can even tailor them to the recipient. Giving opera or theatre tickets to someone who loves performing arts is a good option, for example. For a family, you could also give zoo passes, entry tickets to a theme park, or tickets to a sporting event.

Movie tickets are another good option, says frugality and budgeting expert Jacob Wade of IHeartBudgets.net. “They don’t expire, and it’s a free date night activity.”

• Related: 10 Heartfelt Holiday Gift Ideas for People Who Don’t Need More Stuff

No. 3: Personalized Gifts

Unless they are especially cruel and callous, most people won’t throw away a gift that has been personalized.

New York-based relationship expert and author April Masini says personalized stationary is the perfect gift. “You can use beautiful personalized stationery in lieu of birthday cards, wedding cards and even anniversary cards,” she says.

Other gifts that are easy to personalize include jewelry, blankets, and home décor. Sites like Shutterfly even let you take photos and create an array of personalized gifts from calendars to pillows. With the entire Internet at your disposal, almost anything can be personalized these days.

No. 4: High-Quality Foods

Sometimes the best gifts are ones people wouldn’t buy for themselves. And since everybody loves delicious and decadent consumables, food makes the perfect gift that almost no one throws away.

“My family is big on food gifts,” says finance blogger Kate Horrell. In her inner circle, popular gifts have included treats like really nice steaks, specialty nuts, and other goodies in the past. “I once gave my uncle a case of individually packaged ahi tuna steaks for his birthday, and the evidence suggests that it was appreciated.”

Since everyone needs to eat something and most people have a favorite food, this gift idea can work for anyone. And if you’re out of ideas, stick to the easy stuff: coffee, chocolate, and desserts.

No. 5: Beer or Wine

Beer is the perfect present, says frugality blogger Steven D. of EvenStevenMoney.com. “I have only given the gift of beer once or twice on special occasions,” he says. “I have yet to hear back that they threw away such a present, unless of course you include the empties.”

An assortment of craft or specialty seasonal beers or a nice bottle of wine are almost always good gift ideas to consider. And that’s true whether your friends or family are frequent drinkers or not; most people could use an extra bottle of wine for a special occasion. (Unless they abstain from alcohol completely, in which case you should opt for some delectible edibles instead.)

Financial planner Katie Brewer of YourRichestLifePlanning.com says wine should be the go-to gift for anyone on your list – that is, as long as they’re 21. “Even if you don’t like the type of wine that you receive, you can always open it up later when friends are over.”

• Related: Cheers to the Holidays: Food, Beer, and Wine Gift Guide

No. 6: Gift Cards or Cash

Still can’t find a gift for that special someone? Consider giving cold, hard cash instead. And if you don’t want to go that route, you can give a cash alternative like gift cards instead. That way, the recipient will have something to “open” and you can tailor the gift by buying the gift card to their favorite store.

“Probably the single most useful gift these days is a gift card, especially to some retailer with wide appeal like Amazon or the iTunes store, or just a general Visa pre-paid gift card,” says Heather Lovett of DealNews.com. While this isn’t a very personalized gift, it’s unlikely to go to waste. “Almost anyone could use these good-as-cash gifts, and if they can’t, gift cards can easily be sold or re-gifted.”

• Related: Guide to the Gift Card Economy

No. 7: Holiday Décor or Ornaments

Buying a holiday gift for someone is especially simple if they decorate their home or put up a tree. Most people break out the seasonal décor when the holidays roll around anyway, and buying them something they can use year after year is one way to give a gift that will live on.

Sustainable living blogger Eliza Cross of Happy Simple Living believes Christmas ornaments are perfect for those who celebrate the holiday.

When she and her family decorated their tree recently, they were reminded of the ornaments they received and the people who gave them. “I think a Christmas ornament is a perfect, simple gift that most will keep and appreciate for many years,” she says.

No. 8: Books or Knowledge

Author Neil Gaiman once said that books “make great gifts because they have whole worlds inside of them. And it’s much cheaper to buy somebody a book than it is to buy them the whole world.”

Whether you want to introduce a friend to a topic or author you love, gift someone your favorite novel or memoir, or simply give the gift of knowledge, a good book is never a bad option.

Of course there are other ways to give knowledge as well. If your loved one isn’t into books, consider giving a course or some kind of tutorial instead. Debt blogger Grayson Bell of Debt Roundup believes in this concept wholeheartedly.

“You can’t throw away something you learn and absorb,” he says. “This is why I give out gifts of online courses for topics that interest my friends and family.”

Grayson says some of his friends have learned to code through courses he has given them, and they have used that skill to earn money in their spare time.

Holiday Gift Giving: Don’t Be That Person

Coming up with creative gift ideas is somewhat of an art form. And just like any other type of art, some of us just aren’t that good at it.

But if you want to avoid the dreaded silence that comes after someone opens the worst gift ever – your gift — put in a little extra effort this year, or at least go for something you’re sure they’ll use. Come up with something new and fun, give a friend their favorite wine or a big, juicy, steak, or gift the world’s most unoriginal yet always welcome standby: cash.

And if you mess up, you’ve always got next year to get it right.

What is the world gift you have ever received? What gifts are you giving this year?

Related Articles: 

• Holiday Gift Ideas for the Frugal People in Your Life
• 25 Gift Ideas Under $10 I’d Be Happy to Receive
• 10 Heartfelt Holiday Gifts for People Who Don’t Need More Stuff
• Need a Frugal Gift for Someone? Relieve Some of Their Pressure

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If You’ve Got One of These Names, Red Robin Will Give You a Free Chicken Burger on Thursday

Do you share a name with Santa Claus? Then you could get a free chicken burger tomorrow at participating Red Robin restaurants nationwide.

On Thursday, Dec. 10, Red Robin will give a free chicken burger to anyone who shares Santa’s name.

How to Get Free Food at Red Robin

Who all does that include?

“All derivatives of Christopher, Christine, Nicole and Nicholas will be accepted,” Red Robin’s website explains. To participate in the promotion, you must present valid photo identification.

The first chicken burger offered by Red Robin, the new #NameThatChicken burger is comprised of an “all-natural seven ounce, fire-grilled chicken breast over arugula, covered with fontina cheese, peppered bacon and oven-roasted tomato aioli on an artisan telera bun.”

Sounds delicious! To find the Red Robin nearest you, click here.

Your Turn: Will you head to Red Robin for a free chicken burger?

Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget. Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.

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7 Tech Advances That Will Change Seniors' Lives

From shoes that prevent you from falling to shirts that perform CPR, these gadgets will make life healthier for future retirees. 

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100 Free Gifts Your Friends and Family Will Actually Want to Receive

The holidays get expensive fast. Checking off everyone on your list can be daunting, especially for your bank account. The average American plans to spend $882 on holiday gifts in 2015, according to the American Research Group.

But we’ve got an early holiday gift for you: a list of 100 free gift ideas.

You’ll probably see at least four or five items you can easily give someone you know and love — which means four or five gifts you don’t have to buy.

Ready to get started? Gifts are divided into categories, so you can easily scroll to find the type of gift you need. Or, read the whole list and get inspired for a frugal, fun and FREE holiday season!

Food and Drink

If your kitchen isn’t well-stocked, you’re going to have to buy ingredients like flour and sugar. But if you already have the supplies, you can make a lot of free gifts from what’s in your pantry.

1. Bread

Bake a delicious loaf of bread (think banana, zucchini and chocolate chip breads), wrap it up in some colorful plastic wrap and you’re good to go.

2. Cookies

Many people wait all year to make their favorite holiday cookies, and many families have traditional holiday recipes. Why not share your favorites with your friends?

3. Cookie Mix in a Jar

You can bake cookies, or you can give people the gift of being able to bake cookies whenever they want.

Put dry ingredients (flour, chocolate chips, etc.) into a glass jar, tape the recipe to the outside of the jar and tie on a festive ribbon.

4. Casseroles

Don’t turn up your nose at the humble casserole. Anything that gives people an excuse to eat Fritos chips smothered with cheese is a hit, in our opinion.

Give it fresh out of the oven, or prepare a frozen casserole for your recipients to heat up on one of those “no-time-to-cook” days.

5. Breakfast Burritos

While we’re on the subject of “no time to cook,” a bulk supply of handmade, frozen breakfast burritos would be very welcome in a lot of our homes!

You do the work, and your recipients will think of you every morning as they eat a healthy, delicious breakfast.

6. Muesli

If breakfast burritos sound like too much work, make muesli instead.

Just fill a glass jar 3/4 full of dry, raw oats, then add nuts and dried fruit. Put a lid on the jar and shake it a few times until the muesli is well mixed. Add a festive ribbon!

7. Other Holiday Treats

We know you’re already thinking of at least one other holiday treat you could make for your friends, from sugarplums to rugelach. You don’t need our permission to make it!

8. Recipe Book

If you love baking, but don’t have enough cash for the ingredients, give people a recipe book.

Write your favorite recipes on index cards, or print your recipes out and tie the pages together with a ribbon. Want to go completely free? Make a PDF version and email it.

9. Regifted Sweets

Even if you aren’t naturally skilled in the kitchen, you can still give people a delicious holiday gift.

Take some of your holiday sweets — like the box of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark you got at your office holiday party — and pass them along to someone else.

10. Wine

Want the easiest possible holiday gift? Put a bow on the unopened bottle of wine you have sitting in the cupboard.

From My Home to Yours

One of the easiest ways to give someone a free gift is to pass along something you already own — whether it’s the package of scented soap from your aunt or the favorite book that’s been on your shelf for a decade.

11. Regift

Take that thing you got last year that’s still in its box, and give it to someone else.

12. Regift This Year’s Gift

Take something you got this year and give it to someone else. We suggest scented soaps or candles.

13. Gift Card

Did your office give employees gift cards this year? Have an old gift card sitting around you haven’t spent? Pass ‘em along.

But check expiration dates and balances first. Gift cards are one present that should never arrive used.

14. Books

Give an old favorite, or wrap up the book you bought a year ago and didn’t read.

15. CD Coasters

Old CDs make great coasters, and you probably have a whole binder full of old ones collecting dust somewhere.

Group them into sets (the Weird Al collection?), add a card explaining the gift and pass them along to a friend that appreciates music and upcycling old technology.

16. CD Art

If you and a friend bonded over a band or album several years ago, dig up the CD and frame the jacket art.

17. Ornaments

If you have adult children or grandchildren, giving them treasured ornaments off your Christmas tree will make them feel very special.

Plus, they’ll think of you every time they place the ornament on a branch.

18. Puzzle

People rarely do the same puzzle twice, so make sure your used puzzle has all the right pieces and then wrap it up.

19. Clothes

To get away with this type of gift, you’ll need to be a mother giving a favorite sweater to a daughter, an older sister giving a favorite T-shirt to a younger sister or a best friend passing along a treasured jacket.

20. Vintage Wear

You might know a teenager or young adult who’d love to wear the outfit you’ve been hanging onto since the early 90s.

Vintage is always in style!

21. Costume Jewelry

If you inherited a pile of costume jewelry from an older relative, share the wealth with the younger generation.

22. Family Heirloom

This is a more serious gift. Pass along the necklace or china set that’s been in the family for generations.

Make sure you give it to someone who will appreciate both its history and value.

23. Childhood Stuffed Animal

Pass along a beloved stuffed animal to make a special memory with a child or grandchild.

24. Pet Rock

Make a very special memory with a niece or nephew — pass along on a beloved pet rock.

Only the coolest aunt or uncle would give out pet rocks.

25. Funky Mug

If you’re one of the people who loves collecting novelty mugs, it’s time to start distributing your collection.

Wash ‘em really well first — we don’t want to see any coffee rings or lipstick stains.

26. Collectible

While we’re on the subject of collectibles — if you know someone who collects owls, trains or snow globes, pass along a respective item from your home.

We all have at least one snow globe in a drawer somewhere, right?

27. Storage Unit Surprise

If you have a storage unit, there’s probably at least one thing in it that you aren’t using and would make an excellent gift.

The Gift of Memory

Now that so many of our photos and videos are stored online, there’s something very special about receiving an actual photograph or home video.

Plus, these are items you probably already have in your closet — which makes them ideal free holiday gifts.

28. Old Photographs

Pass along old photographs of grandparents or great-grandparents to the younger generation.

29. Photographs From Childhood

If you’ve known a friend since childhood, slip an old photo of the two of you into a frame.

30. Old Home Video

Send everyone in the family a copy of old home video footage of children or other relatives.

31. New Home Video

Why not make a new home video this year?

Take video of your children playing the piano or singing holiday songs. Or, get in front of the camera and tell the people you love how much you care about them.

32. Family Tree

If your family doesn’t have an updated family tree, put one together and send it to everyone in its branches.

33. Family History

Interview family members about their history and favorite memories.

Then put the interviews together into a book — or video!

34. Family Trivia Game

The family that plays together, stays together.

Make a trivia game featuring details about your family members and play it over the holidays. It can be as simple as questions and answers on index cards or as complicated as your craft skills allow!

35. Book of Shared Memories

Give your closest friend a book of memories.

Write down as many stories and shared experiences you can remember. Include doodles, photos and anything else you’d like to add.

You’ll give your friend a history of your friendship and a gift to truly cherish.

The Thought That Counts

When you don’t have enough cash for a “real gift,” give something equally thoughtful and memorable.

36. Heartfelt Letter

Tell a friend or relative how much they mean to you in a thoughtful letter.

37. Monthly Letter

Write a friend or relative a dozen thoughtful letters.

Put them in envelopes with instructions about when to open.

38. How Do I Love Thee

Begin with the famous Elizabeth Barrett Browning poem “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” Then count them.

39. Friendship Mad Libs

Remember the time when we went to [PLACE] but we ran out of [ITEM] and we had to [VERB] our way back home?

Give a friend a book of Mad Libs based on shared experiences — see if it sparks any memories!

40. Kid Mad Libs

Here’s another “cool aunt or uncle” gift.

Write up a few Mad Libs. Don’t worry too much about the story — the kids’ll fill all the blanks in with “boogers” and “farts” anyway.

41. Mixtape

The classic mixtape never gets old — especially if it’s on an actual cassette you have lying around.

42. Spotify Playlist

Don’t have a tape? Make and share a Spotify playlist instead.

43. Memory Jar

Fill a jar with strips of paper containing shared memories.

44. Inspiration Jar

Fill a jar with strips of paper containing inspirational quotes or thoughts.

45. Hopes and Dreams Jar

Give an empty jar with a bunch of blank strips of paper and tell your friend to put their hopes and dreams into the jar.

46. Change Jar

Give a kid a cute jar with some loose change inside. You might inspire him to become a future Penny Hoarder!

47. Time Together

Whether it’s an afternoon spent exploring a park or an evening spent knitting and chatting, sometimes the gift of time spent together is what really matters.

48. Binge-Watch a Show

Tell your significant other (or teenager) that yes, you’ll binge-watch a show with them.

You know the one. You’ll probably really like it.

49. Visit the Museum

Many museums have free days. Find out when they are and take someone special.

Something for Nothing

There are many ways to get new or nearly-new items for free. Check out this list for inspiration.

50. Buy Nothing Group

The Buy Nothing Project connects people who want to both give and receive gently used items for free.

See if there’s a Buy Nothing Group in your area, and take a look at what its members are offering. Maybe one of the free items will make a perfect gift!

51. Freecycle

Freecycle is another online group where members give away items for free. Check it out and see if there’s anything that you might want.

52. Craigslist

Search Craigslist for people giving away free clothes, toys, furniture or household items. As always, watch out for scams!

53. Kijiji

If you’re in Canada, check Kijiji for free listings.

54. Ebay Classified Ads

Ebay Classified Ads might also have free items you can claim — it never hurts to check!

55. Reddit

Look at Reddit’s Barter, Recycle and Gift Card Exchange communities for free gifts.

56. Freebie Sites

Use our list of 101 great freebie sites for gift inspiration.

Some of the items are more experiences than gifts — think of them as something you and the recipient can do together.

57. Free Baby Products

If someone on your gift list is a new or expecting parent, here’s how to get free baby products.

58. Retailers Offering Free Gifts

You know the free makeup bag that comes with your cosmetics purchase? Gift it to someone else.

Retailers often offer free gifts around the holidays as an incentive to get you in the door. Buy what you want and pass the free gift to a friend!

59. Gifts Purchased With Gift Cards

We already mentioned regifting gift cards, but what if you kept the gift card and bought five gifts with it instead?

60. Amazon Trade-In

Amazon Trade-In allows you to trade in old items for new ones.

Turn your old stuff into new gifts!

61. Pet

You can almost always find someone giving away free kittens or puppies.

Note: Make sure it’s a gift the recipient wants and the recipient is ready to handle the responsibility of caring for a pet. The kitten may be free, but pets need time, money and love.

Creative Work

Are you skilled with a pen, guitar or paintbrush? Here’s how to turn free holiday gifting into a work of art.

62. Art

Draw it, paint it, sculpt it, gift it.

63. Kid Art

If you have kids, ask them to draw or paint special pictures for their grandparents and other relatives.

64. Original Music

Record yourself performing an original song you wrote for someone you love.

65. Cover Album

Are you more of a musician than a songwriter?

Make a “mixtape” of you playing covers of the recipient’s favorite tunes. Or, gather the whole family to sing holiday favorites.

66. Poetry

The original classic (and free) gift.

67. Audio Poetry

Record yourself reading original poetry or old favorites. (“How do I love thee…”)

68. Audiobook

Read a short story or classic text aloud.

For example, you can read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in just a couple of hours.

69. Audio Goodnight

Far away from grandchildren?

Make them an audio goodnight tape. Tell a story, sing a song, wish them goodnight and send your love.

70. Coloring Book

Get blank paper, a marker and create a coloring book for a friend.

Draw pictures of items you both enjoy (pizza, Netflix) or memories you share.

71. Hand-Drawn Paper Dolls

Here’s how to draw a paper doll — draw the body first. Then, put a sheet of paper over the body (so you can see the drawing underneath) and draw the clothes to fit.

Color the paper doll, or leave the outline for the recipient to fill in!

72. Comic Strip

Draw four panels, then add yourself and your friends enjoying a comic scenario.

73. Crossword Puzzle

Create a crossword puzzle where the majority of the clues are about the recipient.

74. Word Search

If a crossword puzzle sounds too complicated, make a word search!

The Gift of Labor

Trust us, some people will appreciate these gifts more than anything else they receive this year.

75. Handywork

Offer a friend or relative a weekend of your time to do all of their little house projects.

76. Housecleaning

Can you clean a house until it sparkles? Gift your talents.

77. Car Wash

If you have kids or teenagers who need to come up with gift ideas for aunts or uncles, have them offer car washes.

78. Massage

This free gift is classic for a reason. It’s best reserved for significant others and spouses, though.

79. Babysitting

Do you know how much a night of babysitting costs these days? This free gift is actually really, really valuable.

80. Petsitting

Give your friends peace of mind by being their designated pet sitter for a long weekend — or for every vacation they take next year.

81. Other Skills

If you know how to alter clothes, upholster furniture or wallpaper rooms, there’s a free gift idea.

The recipient has to come up with the clothing, the furniture and the wallpaper.

Holiday Crafts

Let’s end this list with a collection of holiday crafts.

As with the food and drink section, these gifts are only free if you already have the supplies — but we bet you’ll have enough to make at least one of these!

82. Soap Bubbles

Have a little dish soap and a cute container? You’re on your way to making a batch of soap bubbles.

Check out Apartment Therapy for a list of soap bubble recipes. Make circle and heart-shaped bubble wands out of pipe cleaners.

83. Playdough

Flour, water, salt, oil and a bit of food coloring are all you need for this classic toy. PBS has the recipe.

84. Bathtub Crayons

Use grated soap and food coloring to make crayons for bathtime fun. Get Rich Slowly has instructions (#94 on their list).

85. Sidewalk Chalk

If you have plaster of Paris and tempera paint, you can easily make sidewalk chalk. Martha Stewart will show you how.

86. Framed Book Illustration

Cut out and frame a page of text or an illustration from a classic book.

87. Secret Compartment Book

Cut a hole in the center pages of a book to form a secret compartment. The Art of Manliness has a how-to guide.

88. Book Into Purse

You can also turn a hardcover book into a purse or clutch. A Beautiful Mess has the instructions.

89. Mason Jar Tea Lights

If you have a mason jar and some tea lights, decorate the outside of the jar with glitter, lace, ribbons, decoupage or plain ole’ permanent marker.

Put the tea light inside and you have a gift to light up anyone’s holiday.

90. Teacup Candle

If you have a half-melted candle and a mismatched teacup, combine them into an attractive gift. Get Rich Slowly has the details (#31 on their list).

91. Scrabble Ornaments

Take your Scrabble game out of the closet and turn the tiles into handmade ornaments. Spell “peace,” “joy,” “love” or anything else you like.

I Heart Naptime has instructions.

92. Scrabble Necklace

Or, turn your old Scrabble tiles into necklaces. Running on Happiness has the tutorial.

93. Hand Warmers

Combine scraps of fabric and uncooked rice to make hand warmers. Just pop ‘em in the microwave, then take them out and warm up those hands!

Rae Ann Kelly has a how-to guide.

94. Sweater Mittens

Turn your old sweater into new mittens! Check out Creme de la Craft to learn more.

95. Sweater Pillow

Old sweaters also transform into soft, fuzzy throw pillows. PopSugar has a no-sewing-required guide.

96. T-Shirt Pillow

Turn old T-shirts into throw pillows.
Take a look at DIY Network’s guide — and if you don’t have pillow batting at hand, use an old throw pillow’s batting!

97. T-Shirt Quilt

If you have a bunch of old T-shirts and an old fleece blanket, stitch them together into a new T-shirt quilt.

Use Wellness Mama’s guide — unlike other T-shirt quilt guides, this one doesn’t require extra batting or material.

98. Sock Monkey

Got a sock, thread, embroidery floss and polyfill stuffing? Make a monkey.

Urban Threads has the instructions. This type of project can be easily adapted. If you don’t have buttons for eyes, stitch on colorful fabric scraps or make the eyes with embroidery floss.

99. Sugar Scrub

Make a simple sugar scrub out of ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

I Heart Naptime’s lemon sugar scrub recipe only requires sugar, coconut or almond oil and a lemon.

100. Handmade Card

Lastly, anyone can make a handmade card with a heartfelt message inside. Use cardstock and fancy materials, or printer paper and crayons.

All that matters is letting the recipient know how much you care about them, and wishing them the happiest of holidays.

Need More Free or Low-Cost Gift Ideas?

Although many of the items on this list are gifts I’ve either given or received myself, I also used the following posts to find great free options:

• 100 Frugal Gifts You Can Give This Christmas The Expanded Great Big List Of Homemade, Creative And Frugal Gifts at Bible Money Matters

• 101+ Inexpensive Handmade Christmas Gifts at I Heart Naptime

• A DIY Budget Christmas 99 Great Gifts to Start Right Now at Get Rich Slowly (which we blogged about earlier this year!)

• Tight Holiday Budget? 10 Free and Low-Cost Christmas Gift Ideas at The Penny Hoarder

Your Turn: What’s your favorite free holiday gift? Will you be using any of these ideas?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Nicole Dieker is a freelance writer focusing on personal finance and personal stories. Her work has appeared in The Billfold, The Toast, The Write Life and Boing Boing.

The post 100 Free Gifts Your Friends and Family Will Actually Want to Receive appeared first on The Penny Hoarder.

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7 Ways to Find Better Content Ideas

The simplest things are often the most difficult.

How hard should it be to come up with a single content idea?

Considering it’s a few words, you’d think it would only take a few seconds.

You and I both know that there’s a lot more that goes into a good content idea than the first few words that come to mind.

As content marketing becomes more popular and properly utilized, marketers will be producing more and more content.

Currently, 91% of B2B marketers have started using content marketing. In addition, 77% of marketers plan to increase their content production over the next year.

A single good idea every now and again is not enough…you need several.

And if you’re working efficiently (in batches), you should be coming up with at least 50 at a time, but then writing about only the best ones.

When you start a new content marketing campaign, ideas are relatively free flowing. You can write about just about anything in your niche.

But once those “easy” ideas are exhausted, most marketers struggle.

They spend hours only to come up with a handful of mediocre content ideas.

Not only is it a huge waste of time, but it is also mentally draining and frustrating. Most content creators struggle more with ideation than they do with the actual content creation.

I don’t want you to be one of them.

In this post, you will learn 7 highly effective ways to find great content ideas—quickly.

While there can be some abstract thinking behind idea generation (which is the hardest part), you can minimize it by sticking to any combination of these tactics.

Let’s dive in… 

1. Take good ideas and make them great

This method is by far the fastest way to come up with solid content ideas.

The basic idea here is to monitor your competitors.

When they publish a piece of content, you want to see if you could improve upon the idea or make it better.

Some might call this stealing, but no one owns an idea. I’m not telling you to copy that article, but you can certainly create content on a similar topic but do it from your own perspective.

If you get an idea to improve upon a Quick Sprout post, then by all means, go ahead and create it. This is innovation, and it’s how most things (including content and education) get better over time.

There is one big limitation to this tactic: you limit yourself on what you write about because you’re relying on competitors to give you ideas.

If they ignore important to your readers topics, you could easily end up missing out on some great content ideas.

That’s why I recommend you use at least a few other content idea generation tactics along with this one.

With that in mind, here’s the step-by-step breakdown of how to use this method.

Making monitoring competitors easy: If you like to do things the hard way, you can just visit all your competitors on a regular basis and see if they’ve published anything new.

But that seems like a big waste of time to me.

A better option is to use an RSS reader such as Feedly. You can check it once in a while and instantly have an easy to browse list of recently published posts by your competitors.

Create an account, and then click the “add content” button in the left sidebar:

You can search by a keyword, use a specific competitor’s URL, or choose from one of the starter kits (organized by category).

The goal is to find all of your top competitors as they’re the ones who are likely producing content around solid ideas already.

I searched for “marketing,” which brought up a list of marketing blogs.

If you’d like to add one to your RSS feed, just click the green “+” button:

It’s up to you how many you add, but around 5-10 will be sufficient for most.

Once you’ve done that, you can click the “all” label in the left side bar (or a category if you have multiple):

This will bring up all the articles published by those sites that you selected with the newest articles at the top.

After that, you can click a title to expand it so that you can see the text. 

For now, start by noting down interesting topic ideas.

For example:

• How to use “story-selling” and modular content to drive sales
• How to repurpose your content correctly

Then, you’ll need to figure out a way to improve upon the idea or look at it from a different angle.

In general, there are 3 common ways for you to add more value to your content…

Way #1 – Make it longer: If you’ve read many of my posts, you know how I feel about length.

In general, longer is better, which is why longer content ranks better in Google.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

Say you find an article such as “7 Tools to Level Up Your Content Promotion Game“.

How could you make it more valuable? Look at more than 7 content promotion tools that your readers could benefit from.

While I haven’t written about that exact topic yet, I’ve created list posts on similar topics, and they often contain a number of items much greater than 7:

If you match the detail provided in the original article about each tool, but double, triple, or quadruple the number of tools reviewed, your article automatically becomes much more valuable.

Way #2 – Make it more in-depth: Sometimes, you’ll find content that is already pretty lengthy. Maybe it’s a list of 30 tools.

However, those articles typically lack any real depth.

They mention the tool name, maybe include a picture, and that’s it.

But there’s no overview of important features, pricing information, or guidance on who would benefit from each tool.

By adding more depth on valuable aspects of each tool, you add a ton of value to the content idea.

Here’s an example:

Marketing Profs published an article “Five Quick Tips for Thinking Like a Marketing Revolutionary.”

And when they say “quick”, they aren’t kidding. Most of the sections have 100-200 words:

This is useful to a very small percentage of marketers.

Most would find the content much more valuable if it was more in-depth.

Adding examples, specific action steps, and even some explanatory pictures to each section would dramatically increase the value of this content.

Way #3 – Make it more practical or readable: Finally, you’ll come across some content that has a lot of value, but only to certain people.

For example, Seth Godin is one of the best known entrepreneurial and marketing writers. He is known for his extremely short, strategic blog posts:

They are often under a few hundred words.

They always contain a good message and something to think about.

But only some marketers want to think or have the background knowledge to make the message useful.

If you catered to a different type of marketer, a beginner marketer, you could write on similar topics as Seth does but make them more accessible.

Spell things out, give as many examples as possible, and make the content as actionable as possible for beginners.

Your content wouldn’t have as much value to his audience, but it would have much more to yours.

You can also make your content more readable by using pictures and formatting (see example in way #2).

2. Content ideas should serve as answers, so find the questions…

The basic purpose for all content is to solve problems for the audience.

People consume content because they’re trying to make their lives better.

What this means is that if you could identify the problems your audience has, you could create content around the solutions to those problems. Your content becomes the answer to their questions.

And you can do this by finding the questions that your audience asks.

There are many ways to find these questions, but I want to point you to two sources in particular.

Source #1 – blog comments: Probably the best source of content ideas is your readers themselves.

If they take the time to express a problem that they are having in a comment or email – listen!

That not only means that it’s a significant problem, but it also means that many other readers in your audience are also having it.

Here’s an example of one that I quickly pulled up from Joel on a Quick Sprout article:

Firstly, he’s expressing that he likes the header pictures I use on Quick Sprout (credit to my designer). This is something I’ve heard many times (but never too many times!).

The most interesting part of his comment is the next sentence/question:

Have you ever thought about doing an article on how to find just the right art?

Boom! Great content idea right there.

Just from that comment, I could easily come up with a few different angles to explore it from:

• The complete guide to creating featured images that WOW your readers
• 10 sources of mind blowing art that will capture your readers’ attention

There’s one potential problem with this source…what if you don’t get many comments?

It takes time to start getting multiple comments on each post on a regular basis, so it’s not your fault. I’d suggest starting by reading my guide to getting more comments on your posts, and then moving on to source #2 for now.

Source #2 – forums/Q&A sites: If you can’t find out what problems your readers are having using comments, the next best thing is to find your target audience on other sites.

You could look at the comments on a competitor’s site for content ideas. More reliably, find a niche forum to browse, which will enable you to come up with hundreds of content ideas quickly.

Start by searching for “(your niche) + forum”:

For 95+% of niches, the top few results will be active forums.

From there, just browse through the thread topics.

From the top garden forum result, I spotted 3 threads that were updated recently:

The content ideas are pretty simple to come up with from there. For example:

• “Do you really need to prune Ficus Lyrata?”
• “The complete guide to pruning: Which plants need and don’t need it”
• The definitive guide to fern identification

The tub one would depend on whether you specifically wrote about gardening or covered other “home” topics as well.

Regardless, you can easily find over 100 good content ideas in under an hour from a good forum.

3. Have just a single 20-minute talk with your target audience member

This tactic might scare you…

Most marketers don’t like talking on the phone, let alone to an actual member of their target audience.

But it’s the single most effective way to not only come up with great content ideas but to create better content as well.

Where do you find someone who will be willing to talk with you for 15-30 minutes?

Here are a few potential ways:

• find a friend who is in your target audience, and ask for a favor
• email your existing email list, and offer free coaching or a product discount in exchange for the talk
• go to a local meeting group (find through Meetup.com) of your target audience. Approach one of the members after, explain your goal/purpose, and offer to buy them lunch if they’ll talk with you

As long as you come off as someone who genuinely is trying to add to your community, you’ll find quite a few people who are willing to help.

This one short interview could make you thousands of dollars in the future.

Once you find someone to talk with, what do you do?

The main thing is to listen. If they’re passionately talking about your topic of interest, don’t stop them.

Ideally, record the interview (ask them if that’s okay) so you don’t miss anything.

Otherwise, write down every single problem they mention. Afterwards, create content ideas that would solve those problems.

If they’re not sure what to talk about, use questions like these to ignite conversation:

• why do you find (topic) interesting?
• what major problems have you faced when it comes to (topic)?
• what are you currently spending your time on when you have time for (topic)?

Anything that gets them talking about your topic or industry will start to reveal problems and frustrations that they’d like to see solved.

Some interviews will obviously be more fruitful than others, which is why I recommend doing these on a regular basis as frequently as possible.

4. Answer the questions that other posts leave readers with

This method picks up where #2 left off.

In case you didn’t read about that tactic, the idea behind it is that most of the best content ideas are the solutions to the problems that your target audience is having.

The tough part is finding those questions.

With this method, we’ll be finding those questions by using your competitors.

And there are 3 basic ways you can do this.

First, you can find strategic posts: In general, posts can either be tactical or strategic.

Strategic content focuses on overall best practices and goals, while tactical content focuses on specific ways to accomplish specific things.

Think of it this way:

You may have a content marketing strategy that encompasses how you’d like to approach content marketing. Inside that strategy, you will have many tactics that you will use to accomplish your strategic goals.

Big problems are typically solved strategically, while small problems can be solved tactically.

The point is to identify writers in your niche who write strategic posts.

These will typically be thought leaders. Seth Godin is the perfect example once again (note that some writers may write both kinds of posts):

His posts are very general and meant to provoke thought. They would help you create better business strategies.

I already showed you that you could simply take the same topic and make it more practical.

But in addition, you can easily pick out parts of a post that might leave readers with questions.

From that above post (read it here), I can quickly find a couple of areas that leave readers wondering:

• how do you make a non-salesy sales pitch?
• how do you come up with your product presentation strategy?
• how do you get your product in front of people in the first place? (the skeptics and customers)
• how do you create something that is above average?

Those are 4 questions (read: problems) that most readers of Seth’s article would be interested in having answered, which means they would make great content ideas.

Just make sure that your competitor’s readers are the same ones you want to attract.

Secondly, you can look at comments: Comments are powerful because they come from real readers. There’s no guesswork about what a reader is thinking.

We already looked at how you can get content ideas from your own content, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t look at your competitor’s comments.

For example, here’s a comment on one of Derek Halpern’s blog posts:

If you created content for entrepreneurs, you could turn that comment into a content idea like:

How you can leverage selling information products to sell more physical products

Thirdly, you can read any article from the reader’s point of view: In the first option, I noted that you could specifically target “strategic” content because it’ll always reveal multiple content ideas.

However, you can get ideas from any piece of content, whether it’s your own or a competitor’s.

Here’s how you do it:

Read through a piece of content from the perspective of your reader. What questions do they have while reading? Can you create content that answers these questions?

Below is part of an article published on the Content Marketing Institute site:

I put a box around an important line.

Some readers might be able to formulate a hypothesis, but I would bet that many  won’t.

For a reader, the question is:

How do I make a good hypothesis?” or “What does a good hypothesis look like?”

You could attempt to create content to answer this question from a few different angles:

• How to come up with a better test hypothesis to get more meaningful results
• 20 Examples of great test hypotheses (that result in more effective content)
• 15 Tools that will help you come up with more informed hypotheses

The better you can get into the head of your typical reader, the more of these questions you’ll spot.

Over time, you will improve, and you’ll be able to get 5-10 solid content ideas from a single post you come across.

5. No two niches are equal, you can learn a lot from others

All niches become their own echo chambers at times.

All the big blogs in your niche will, at  times, seem very similar to each other.

They all cover hot topics, and they market using the same tactics.

It’s hard to be different if all your input is from these sites in your niche. However, this is also easy to solve.

If you analyze how authoritative sites in other niches are doing their content marketing, you can often take ideas from them and adapt them to your own niche.

Let’s go through an example…

Say I really love how The Cat Site creates content. I see that they’re getting a ton of traction with their gift guides:

If you look at any of the top marketing blogs right now, none of them have any content related to gifts.

I could create my own content ideas by adapting this type of content for marketers:

• 10 Marketing themed gifts that will make your coworkers jealous
• 10 Great gifts to give to clients and customers to show your appreciation

These aren’t amazing content ideas, but they’re interesting. More importantly, they’re unique.

This is one way to stand out from all the other sites in your niche. And this technique pairs very well with the very first method of generating ideas that we looked at.

Doing it on your own: It’s very difficult to just pick a random niche and study the effectiveness of the top sites’ content marketing.

Instead, start observing sites in other areas that interest you.

Aside from marketing, you have other interests, right?

Whether it’s entrepreneurship, cooking, decorating, sports, etc., you can learn from the top sites in any niche. 

And since you’re interested in the subject (and are a reader), you have a better feel for which types of ideas those sites are using that are truly being effective.

Be aware that not every single tactic you see a site in another niche using will adapt well to your audience. So if you produce ideas (like the ones I came up with above) that just aren’t quite good enough, don’t hesitate to toss them away.

6. Find questions that no one wants to answer

This tactic won’t reveal a ton of content ideas, but it will reveal ideas of the highest quality.

In every niche, there are difficult questions to answer that many readers have.

These often get asked on forums (if there is one for a topic) but are typically ignored or danced around.

Because of this, no one really has a good answer to those types of questions. And yet, readers still want them answered.

If you can produce a great answer to any one of those questions, it will get a lot of attention and basically promote itself in the future after you’ve done your initial promotion.

There’s a catch: The reason why no other top bloggers answer these types of questions is because they are hard to answer.

You’ll have to create exceptional content to answer any of these questions. Why?

Because other bloggers have probably tried to answer the question but couldn’t do it. They end up with a mediocre post that, again, dances around the question and provides no concrete answer.

How much does a swimming pool cost? The best example I’ve heard of using this technique comes from Marcus Sheridan, a pool installer.

Years ago, if a homeowner wanted a pool, they’d have to get a quote to have any idea of what it would cost.

Typically, this would also come with aggressive sales tactics.

And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that potential customers were not thrilled with this setup.

All they wanted to know was how much a pool would cost.

Marcus published the first of many articles to come that helped answer the questions of his existing customers and potential customers.

This content in particular focused on breaking down the cost of a swimming pool installation in as much detail as possible.

He gave the numbers that he would use when estimating the cost of a job and explained why things cost as much as they did.

Most homeowners looking for an initial estimate found this really helpful, and it wasn’t long before he started to rank for some impressive terms.

Back to you: It didn’t take long for Marcus to write the post that got him much attention, but it did take him years to gain the expertise to be able to answer the question.

Think about areas where you are an expert. Then start paying attention to questions that your readers want the answers to (on your site, competing sites, social media, etc.), but no one will answer.

These are the questions that will form the basis for extraordinary content ideas.

7. Use your expertise to predict the future

The goal for most content creators should be to become a thought leader in their industry.

You can’t do that if you’re always writing about the same topics that everyone else is writing about.

Thought leaders not only produce great content on those topics, but they also pave the way for innovation.

As you become one of the more knowledgeable experts in your niche, you will likely be able to guess how certain aspects of your industry are going to change in the future.

You can’t do these types of posts all the time, but they are another source of great content ideas that you can use to make up 5-20% of your posts.

What if you’re not an expert? That’s okay! You can still use this tactic. However, you’ll have to leverage the knowledge of the true experts in your niche.

For example, an SEO writer, Trond Lyngbø put together a great article on the future of SEO. He got in touch with several experts to get their predictions:

This is probably more valuable than any single expert’s predictions since you can compare them with each other.

I left this idea generation tactic for last because it’s the most difficult. You’ll need to either have an expert level of knowledge or be able to get responses from influencers in your niche.

Even then, you need to be able to know the areas of your niche that your readers are interested in knowing the future of.

For marketing, as an example, readers are interested in the future of:

• SEO
• Link building
• Email outreach
• Effective types of content
• Content marketing tactics
• Product creation
• etc.

I could create multiple articles for the future of every single one of those—spread out over time, of course.

Conclusion

Great content ideas give you the potential to produce great content.

But coming up with enough content ideas isn’t always easy.

That’s why I’ve given you these 7 highly effective tactics.

Start with just one or two of them for now and practice. When you get good with them, try out some of the others.

At first, you will probably struggle a bit. I hope the detail I’ve provided is enough to limit that struggle.

But over time, you will develop your “idea muscle”, and it will get easier and easier to come up with tons of great content topics. Persistence is key, and it will pay off.

If any of these tactics work well for you, or you have any questions at all, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.

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