Real people are an amazing source for content ideas.
To create an SEO presentation I counted on the support of people who are interested in SEO and on Twitter. My goal was to collect and answer as many of their questions on any SEO topic as possible.
To collect and answer those questions I used Formspring
I collected and answered over 100 questions in one week resulting in 1. a very rich presentation, and 2. a web site with over 100 unique content angles.
I know who asked each question so I answered directly to that person, sending them a link via Twitter and Formspring to the full answer on the web site.
Content Keeps On Giving
One of the questions sent to my Formspring which I transformed into an article, I also turned it into a poll. The poll's results will become another article. Etc.
Now simply apply that to your website audience. It it a music site (T-shirts of bands, lyrics, CDs/DVDs sale, etc.)? Which artist do people want to know more about? If they could ask an artist only one question, what question would that be? Regardless of the website segment, get to your audience and simply ask: "What do you want to know?"
- What is the process of making whiskey?
- Why do cats always land on their feet?
- What is the best mousepad? What specs should I look for?
- How is synthetic leather made?
Listen to your visitors, each one of them, and respond to each one individually. It's a great way to make the audience feel part of your brand and can help you to gather ideas for unique, relevant content.