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.

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

Confirm the objective, audience, and context needed to run this skill well.
Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
Read files in references/ only when the body points to them or when you need the deeper framework, examples, or evidence.
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:

docs/en/company-profile.md (and all enabled language versions)
docs/en/services.md — service offerings, target customers
docs/en/pages.md — existing website pages and content
docs/sector-brief.md — industry context (if present)
docs/style-brief.md — brand voice and tone
docs/blogs/topics.md — existing topics (avoid duplicates)
src/pages/en/blog/ — existing articles (avoid overlap)
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):

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

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 |

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]."

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 |

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

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.

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].

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

Blog Idea Generator

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

Confirm the objective, audience, and context needed to run this skill well.
Follow the section order and decision rules in this SKILL.md; do not skip mandatory steps or required fields.
Read files in references/ only when the body points to them or when you need the deeper framework, examples, or evidence.
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:

docs/en/company-profile.md (and all enabled language versions)
docs/en/services.md — service offerings, target customers
docs/en/pages.md — existing website pages and content
docs/sector-brief.md — industry context (if present)
docs/style-brief.md — brand voice and tone
docs/blogs/topics.md — existing topics (avoid duplicates)
src/pages/en/blog/ — existing articles (avoid overlap)
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):

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

Step 2: Assess Available Information

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

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

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

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:

Tier Classification

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

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.

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].

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

Adoption

peterbamuhigire/blog-idea-generator

$ install --global

Security Scan Results

SKILL.md

Blog Idea Generator

Use when

Do not use when

Workflow

Anti-Patterns

Outputs

References

Required Input

Step 1: Gather Context

Read client docs (mandatory)

Guided interview (3-5 questions)

Step 2: Assess Available Information

Step 3: Select Ideation Methods

Selection Matrix

Step 4: Generate Ideas

Quality Filters

Tier Classification

Step 5: Create 200-Word Hybrid Summaries

Summary Quality Rules

Step 6: Present and Refine

Present to the User

Step 7: Save Output

Quality Checklist

Related Skills

peterbamuhigire/training-social-media-fundamentals

peterbamuhigire/training-smartphone-video-production

peterbamuhigire/training-diy-content

peterbamuhigire/training-client-team

peterbamuhigire/blog-idea-generator

$ install --global

Security Scan Results

SKILL.md

Blog Idea Generator

Use when

Do not use when

Workflow

Anti-Patterns

Outputs

References

Required Input

Step 1: Gather Context

Read client docs (mandatory)

Guided interview (3-5 questions)

Step 2: Assess Available Information

Step 3: Select Ideation Methods

Selection Matrix

Step 4: Generate Ideas

Quality Filters

Tier Classification

Step 5: Create 200-Word Hybrid Summaries

Summary Quality Rules

Step 6: Present and Refine

Present to the User

Step 7: Save Output

Quality Checklist

Related Skills

peterbamuhigire/training-social-media-fundamentals

peterbamuhigire/training-smartphone-video-production

peterbamuhigire/training-diy-content

peterbamuhigire/training-client-team