:-) The answer is always a new meta-heuristic? I would not bet on that.
What I would bet on works better is to inform others about what you do, and why, in a variety of media, in a language that is easier to understand than the formal language of a journal paper - be it a blog (I bet science blogs are multiplying, while too few actually are visible enough), or actually apply something that might interest more than just your colleagues.
Increase the volume of your dissemination by writing more. Also allow your research to evolve with your field. If you are still working in the same area you dis as a PhD student, you need to ask yourself if there are any contributions left to made.