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Good question!
Someone asked the purpose of the Idea Motivator in one of the comments here, so I wrote an About Robin Nobles, Martin Preece, and the Idea Motivator page.
After all, it’s not fair for you to listen to what I have to say without knowing my qualifications.
This page explains the purpose of the Idea Motivator, and it explains who I am and who Martin Preece is.
I hope this helps.
Robin
As you can see in the graphics on this blog, the Idea Motivator is where creativity explodes into content and link popularity.
In fact, since I started this blog back in October of 2006, I’ve given you content ideas that cover over 30 different industries. Those industries include:
weight loss (in more than one area)
and more.
We’ve also discussed different types of content, such as myths, nostalgia, questions with high KEIs, fascinating facts, trivia, and even how to enrich your content by using the five senses.
We’ve had several brainstorming sessions and even some brain stretching exercises. Like with anything else, in order to learn how to think more creatively, you have to exercise those “right-brain” muscles.
Because I’m a search engine optimizer and SEO educator, I’ve tossed in some SEO tips. I’ve also written some posts on how to pay more attention to things happening in your everyday life and apply them to your online business. And tossed throughout, I’ve tried to give you some inspiration, because inspiration is something we all need.
Read the blog frequently, because I toss in ideas everywhere.
I think it’s an appropriate time to give newcomers a walk through of the best way to use this blog, because it’s different from most blogs.
First, begin by reading our Introductory posts. Learn what this blog is all about.
Second, take the 12-Step Creativity Program. I firmly believe that you need to be in the right (literally) mindset in order to work creatively, and this 12-Step Program will help you. Have fun with it, and let it inspire you.
Third, join in with our discussions. This will help “train” your creative mind.
Fourth, though we do have a regular grammar post, this blog isn’t about grammar. Don’t worry about making your posts “perfect.” We’re not editing anything here. We want open discussions on creativity. Grammar issues stop us cold, so forget about them. I toss in grammar tips because whether we like it or not, grammar is important when it comes to content. However, editors are a dime a dozen. Content writers and creative minds are much more valuable!
Enjoy your time with us. We’re delighted to have you.
Robin
Yesterday we discussed starting an idea journal and writing down every single idea we could think of related to our Web site, no matter how outrageous that idea might be.
I asked you to give yourself permission to dream, that it’s important not to set any parameters on your idea generation. Any idea you thought of, you were told to write it down. The more outrageous, the better. I hope you did the exercise, and I hope you had fun.
It’s important to think big, because if you think too small, those will be your “dreams.”
So many times in my business, we’ve dreamed big . . . really big. Those ideas would have seemed outrageous to most people. But we went after them and didn’t give up. In most cases, we saw those ideas become a reality. In other cases, with a twist or two, we made them a reality. In still other cases, we had to wait a while to make them a reality, or we had to bring in other people, or whatever the case might be. But we didn’t give up.
Not all ideas are good–don’t get me wrong. I’m not taking a Pollyanna approach to life. Think everything through carefully, especially if it requires large expenditures.
Also, don’t think you have to do everything at once. You don’t! Take your time. Implement one idea here, and the next idea there. Do it as you can. Just move forward and don’t quit. TAKE ACTION.
Now you have your list of ideas. Your assignment today is to categorize your list.
Study your list carefully. What are the things on your list that you can do now? Put a red number 1 in a circle beside each of those ideas. Remember that I don’t mean for you to do those things today! I just mean that these ideas are doable at the present time.
Now, go through the list again. Consider these items closely. Could you add a twist to any of them to make them doable? In other words, could the more outrageous ones be toned down a little to where you could afford them now? If you wanted to put a full-page ad in the New York Times, could you put a classified ad in some of the big newspapers instead? Or, put a free classified ad in Craig’s List or Google Base?
After reviewing the list again, could you make any of these a red number 1?
If not, go back and put a blue number 2 in a circle beside those that might be doable within the next year. It may take some creativity on your part to make them doable, but that’s what this blog is all about.
Go through the list a third time. Would these items fit into a five-year plan? Or, are they so outrageous that you can’t decide where to put them? In that case, it will just require some creativity and twists to place them into a category. You may want to buy a blimp and advertise across the country. You may have to settle for advertising with an airplane over an important football game, or whatever.
For any ideas that would fit into a five-year plan, put a green number 3 in a circle beside them.
Don’t cross off any ideas. Leave them on your list. You may have some ideas that aren’t categorized, and that’s okay.
Rewrite your list so you can easily see the number 1s in order, followed on the next page with number 2s, and so forth. You may even want to leave a blank page between the different numbers so you can add more ideas.
Study your number 1s. Which one do you want to implement first? Go for it! What’s taking you so long? 
If you want to tell me about your ideas, please do. I’m here to listen.
Remember: if you don’t implement your ideas, no one else will! It’s up to YOU to get your Web site headed in the right direction. Begin putting those ideas into action NOW!
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about what makes YOU different than everyone else in your industry by looking at those lists.
Robin
For those of you just beginning with this blog, please go back and read through the Introduction. It’s important to understand what I’m trying to achieve here: allowing creativity to explode into content ideas and link popularity. I cover two pioneers in creativity, one a modern-day pioneer (Google) and the other a pioneer of many, many years (Walt Disney).
I also cover some guidelines when it comes to brainstorming and using the right side of your brain, such as no ideas are wrong or bad. Write down all ideas. You never know when you’ll be able to use those ideas if you add a twist to them or use them in the future.
The worst thing you can do is put up road blocks to ideas. You need idea partners who will help you brainstorm, or you can brainstorm with me here to exercise your creative side. The last thing you need is a negative idea partner who “puts down” all of your ideas. Your ideas will quickly dry up in that environment. I know–I’ve been there.
My goal is to help you learn how to tap into the right side of your brain on your own so you’ll be able to generate new content ideas for your Web site–content that your visitors will love and come back to again and again. They’ll bookmark your site, link to it, and tell their friends about it. You’ll be able to incorporate links to your products or services into the content to increase your sales, because after all, it’s all about the bottom line. Link popularity will come quite naturally.
Did I say anything about the search engines? No. Don’t create content for the search engines. They’re not your target audience. Create content for the audience that really matters: your BUYERS. What a novel thought.
Anyway, your assignment (YES, assignment–remember, I am an instructor!) is to buy a notebook or journal. Start thinking of ideas you’d like to incorporate on your Web site. Read through our brainstorming session on fishing. Could you use any of those ideas on your site by modifying them slightly? Do any of those ideas give you other ideas? Write them down.
Write down ANY ideas, as outlandish as they may sound. Do you want a celebrity to promote your Web site? Write it down. Do you want a major authority Web site to link to you? Write it down. Do you want to create an online service for viral marketing purposes? Do you want to advertise during the Super Bowl? Write it down.
Don’t be afraid to dream . . . to create. Don’t worry about money or anything else. You’re just writing down ideas as they come to you. If you allow the left side of your brain to sneak in, your creativity will shut down. Write down ALL ideas, no matter how outrageous they may sound.
In fact, the more outrageous . . . the better. You need to give yourself permission to come up with every idea you can think of.
Tomorrow, we’ll talk about what to do with those ideas.
Robin
Image Courtesy of
www.dogloverdesigns.com
As we make the switch from talking about grammar to getting into the real topic of this Web site . . . creativity and idea generation to build content and link popularity for our Web sites . . . we need to switch from the left side of our brains to the right.
What does this mean?
We need to quit worrying about grammar issues and how we talk ON THIS BLOG and focus on the topic at hand: building content and link pop through creativity. The last thing I want you to be is crippled with fear about typing something because you’re scared it will be wrong grammar wise.
Rule #1: When you write content, don’t worry about grammar. You shouldn’t even edit as you write. Wait until you’ve finished before you start editing. If you worry about grammar while you’re writing, or if you edit as you go along, you may never quit editing, and you’ll never get your content finished and up online.
That’s why some people never finish their work. I see the same problem with search engine optimizers. They optimize their Web pages to DEATH! Instead, optimize your page and put it online. Then move to the next page. Don’t spend hours optimizing a page. If you spend hours, you’re doing something wrong. Trust me on this. You should be spending more time creating quality content for your visitors than you do optimizing.
Unless we drift back into the left brain to discuss grammar or editing, we’re going to relax on this blog and have FUN. You can’t be creative if you can’t relax. If you’re worrying about grammar, you won’t relax.
So from now on, misspellings are fine, grammar errors are fine, everything is fine EXCEPT negativity. Negativity is not allowed. (It’s even fine to use “fine” four times in the same paragraph.)
We’ll take left brainers if you keep your arms uncrossed and if you have a learning spirit. We’re here to help everyone.
Hope you’re having a great weekend. On Monday, we’ll have our first brainstorming session.
Robin
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