Blog Idea Generator

Generate 15-25 targeted blog post ideas, each presented as a 200-word hybrid summary with narrative brief + structured specs. The system adapts its ideation methods to the specific client and available information.

Read references/ideation-frameworks.md for the full 20-method library and selection logic. Read references/content-formats.md for 20 content formats with structural templates. Read sales-copywriting/references/headline-mastery.md for headline formulas and 4 U's scoring.

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Use when

• Generate 15-25 targeted blog post ideas with 200-word summaries for any client website. Reads website content, assesses available information, adaptively selects from 20 ideation methods, and conducts a guided interview. Each idea includes a narrative brief + structured specs. Use when the user says "generate blog ideas", "what should I blog about", "blog topic ideas", "content ideas", or wants to populate docs/blogs/topics.md.
• Use this skill when it is the closest match to the requested deliverable or workflow.

Do not use when

• Do not use this skill for graphic design, video production, software development, or legal advice beyond the repository's stated scope.
• Do not use it when another skill in this repository is clearly more specific to the requested deliverable.

Workflow

1. Confirm the objective, audience, and context needed to run this skill well.
2. Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
3. Read files in references/ only when the body points to them or when you need the deeper framework, examples, or evidence.
4. Review the draft against the quality criteria, then deliver the final output in markdown unless the skill specifies another format.

Anti-Patterns

• Do not invent client facts, performance data, budgets, or approvals that were not provided or clearly inferred from evidence.
• Do not skip required inputs, mandatory sections, or quality checks just to make the output shorter.
• Do not drift into out-of-scope work such as code implementation, design production, or unsupported legal conclusions.

Outputs

• The requested copy asset or idea set in markdown, written to publish, review, or adapt without major rework.

References

• Read references/content-formats.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/ideation-frameworks.md when you need the deeper framework, examples, or supporting material it contains.
• Read references/idea-sources-and-series.md when the brief needs cluster planning, source-bucket logic, or repeatable series instead of isolated titles.

Required Input

Read the client files listed in Step 1, then collect any missing audience, pain-point, and content-goal context before generating ideas.

Step 1: Gather Context

Read client docs (mandatory)

Read every available file to build a complete picture:

1. docs/en/company-profile.md (and all enabled language versions)
2. docs/en/services.md — service offerings, target customers
3. docs/en/pages.md — existing website pages and content
4. docs/sector-brief.md — industry context (if present)
5. docs/style-brief.md — brand voice and tone
6. docs/blogs/topics.md — existing topics (avoid duplicates)
7. src/pages/en/blog/ — existing articles (avoid overlap)
8. All other docs/en/ files — testimonials, FAQ, portfolio, about-story

Extract and note:

• What the business does (core services, products)
• Who they serve (audience segments, industries, company sizes)
• Where they operate (geographic focus, markets)
• What makes them different (competitive advantage, methodology)
• What expertise the author has (experience, credentials, stories)
• What problems customers face (pain points, challenges)
• What content already exists (published articles, covered topics)

Guided interview (3-5 questions)

After reading docs, ask targeted questions to fill gaps. Ask one at a time. Skip questions already answered by docs.

Core questions (ask what's missing):

1. Audience specifics — "Who is your ideal reader? (Job title, company size, industry, location)"
2. Top pain points — "What are the top 3 problems your customers face that your business solves?"
3. Content goals — "What should readers DO after reading? (Contact you, book a demo, understand a concept?)"
4. Competitor landscape — "Name 2-3 competitors. What topics do they cover?"
5. Unique knowledge — "What do you know that competitors don't? What's your unfair advantage?"
6. Customer questions — "What questions do customers ask most before buying?"
7. Content gaps — "Topics you've wanted to write about but haven't?"
8. Context/audience — any additional context the user provides (specific themes, campaigns, seasonal needs)

If the user provides additional context (audience details, campaign goals, seasonal focus), incorporate it into the assessment.

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Step 2: Assess Available Information

Score each dimension to determine which ideation methods will work best:

Dimension	Rich (3)	Moderate (2)	Sparse (1)
Client docs	Detailed company-profile, services, testimonials, stories	Basic company-profile and services	Minimal — just a business name and description
Competitor visibility	Named competitors with active blogs	Competitors named but blogs unknown	No competitor info
Audience specificity	Named segments with pain points	General audience description	Vague ("businesses")
Industry dynamism	Active news cycle, regulations, trends	Moderate change rate	Stable/static industry
Existing content	5+ published articles to spin off	1-4 articles	No existing content
Customer interaction	Direct customer questions available	Some FAQ data	No customer feedback

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Step 3: Select Ideation Methods

Based on the assessment, select 5-7 methods from the 20-method library. Always include Methods 1 and 2 as foundation.

Selection Matrix

Method	Best When	Min Score
1. Category Drilldown	Always	— (always include)
2. Buyer Awareness Stages	Always	— (always include)
3. Pain Point Mining	Client docs ≥ 2 or customer interaction ≥ 2	—
4. Competitor Gap Analysis	Competitor visibility ≥ 2	Competitor 2+
5. Customer Question Mapping	Customer interaction ≥ 2	Customer 2+
6. They Ask, You Answer	Customer interaction = 3	Customer 3
7. Amazon/Review Mining	Product-based business	Client docs 2+
8. Spin-Off Posts	Existing content ≥ 2	Content 2+
9. Media Mashup	Brand voice is informal/creative	Client docs 2+
10. Highlight Good/Bad	Industry has notable examples	Industry 2+
11. How-To/Tutorial Mining	Product/service has teachable processes	Client docs 2+
12. Success/Failure Stories	Client has real project stories	Client docs 3
13. Holiday/Event Mapping	Content calendar needs seasonal hooks	Any
14. Newsjacking/Trends	Industry dynamism = 3	Industry 3
15. Use Any Object	Need creative/lateral ideas	Any (creative fallback)
16. Curated Roundups	Industry has notable resources	Industry 2+
17. Prediction Posts	Industry dynamism ≥ 2	Industry 2+
18. Jargon/Glossary	Technical niche with newcomer audience	Audience 2+
19. Contrarian/Negative	Audience is sophisticated	Audience 3
20. Topic-Category Matrix	Need high volume quickly	Any (volume fallback)

Announce: "Based on available information, I'm using methods: [list]. Here's why: [brief rationale]."

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Step 4: Generate Ideas

Run selected methods sequentially. Aim for 25-35 raw ideas, then filter to the best 15-25.

For each method, consult references/ideation-frameworks.md for detailed instructions and examples.

Quality Filters

Remove any idea that fails:

Filter	Test
High-value goal	Does this help the reader make/save money, reduce risk, save time, or gain advantage?
Unique angle	Does this require knowledge that isn't commonly available?
So-what test	Would the target reader care enough to click?
Longevity	Will this still be relevant in 12 months?
No overlap	Not already published or in existing docs/blogs/topics.md?
Searchable	Would someone type this into a search engine?

Tier Classification

Tier	Purpose	Target Count
Tier 1: SEO drivers	Attract organic traffic via long-tail keywords	6-8 ideas
Tier 2: Authority builders	Establish expertise with deep guides and analysis	5-7 ideas
Tier 3: Thought leadership	Build brand with opinions, predictions, stories	4-5 ideas

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Step 5: Create 200-Word Hybrid Summaries

For each approved idea, produce a summary in this exact format:

### [Number]. [Working Title]

[3-4 sentence narrative brief: What this article is about, who it serves,
why it matters now, and the unique angle that makes it worth reading. This
paragraph should make someone want to write — and read — this article. It
captures the creative direction and emotional tone.]

- **Audience:** [specific reader segment — job title, industry, company size]
- **Buyer Stage:** [Awareness / Consideration / Decision]
- **Format:** [How-to / Case study / List / Opinion / Guide / Story / Comparison / Interview / Roundup / FAQ]
- **Angle:** [the specific twist that differentiates from competitors — 1 sentence]
- **Key Points:**
  1. [what the article must cover — specific enough to outline from]
  2. [second key point]
  3. [third key point]
  4. [fourth key point — optional]
  5. [fifth key point — optional]
- **CTA Goal:** [what action the reader should take after reading]
- **SEO Keywords:** [primary keyword], [secondary keyword]
- **Tier:** [1: SEO driver / 2: Authority builder / 3: Thought leadership]
- **Est. Words:** [1,500-2,500]

Summary Quality Rules

• The narrative must read like a creative brief — not a dry description
• Key points must be specific enough to outline section headings from
• Keywords must be realistic long-tail phrases someone would search
• The angle must be genuinely different from what a Google search would surface
• Every title must pass the 4 U's test (see sales-copywriting/references/headline-mastery.md): Useful, Unique, Urgent, Ultra-specific — score 3+ on at least 3 dimensions

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Step 6: Present and Refine

Present to the User

Show ideas grouped by tier with full summaries. After presenting, ask:

• Which ideas excite you most?
• Any ideas to remove or modify?
• Any topics you expected but don't see?
• Any specific campaigns or seasonal needs to address?

Refine based on feedback. The user's input overrides the assessment.

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Step 7: Save Output

Save the final approved list to docs/blogs/topics.md:

# Blog Topic Ideas — [Client Name]

Generated: YYYY-MM-DD
Methods used: [list of methods applied]
Target audience: [summary]
Content categories: [list]

## Tier 1: SEO Drivers

### 1. [Title]
[Full 200-word hybrid summary as above]

## Tier 2: Authority Builders
...

## Tier 3: Thought Leadership
...

## Content Calendar Suggestion

| Month | Article 1 (Tier) | Article 2 (Tier) |
|-------|-------------------|-------------------|
| Month 1 | [title] (T1) | [title] (T2) |
...

If the file already exists, merge new ideas — don't overwrite existing topics. Mark previously written topics as [PUBLISHED].

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Quality Checklist

Before finalising:

• At least 15 ideas across all 3 tiers
• Each idea has a complete 200-word hybrid summary
• No duplicate angles (each idea is distinct)
• At least 2 ideas per buyer awareness stage
• Ideas span at least 3 content categories
• Every title passes the 4 U's test (3+ dimensions at 3+)
• No overlap with existing published articles
• Mix of content formats (not all lists, not all how-tos)
• At least 3 ideas that showcase the author's unique expertise
• At least 2 ideas based on real customer questions (if data available)
• Content calendar covers at least 6 months at 2 articles/month
• All SEO keywords are realistic long-tail phrases
• Narrative briefs are compelling — they make you want to write the article

After writing, verify line count is under 500: wc -l blog-idea-generator/SKILL.md