Here are ten ideas to kickstart your creativity
Boring, wordy blog posts and repetitive social media updates are a surefire way to get your content passed over. If your content is stale and redundant, why would customers and prospects come back for more? Trust me, I understand that coming up with great, image-rich content when there’s so much going on is no easy task, especially when it feels like you’re aimlessly staring at a blank screen scratching to come up with anything for the next blog post or newsletter. So the next time you find yourself out of ideas, try these ten tricks to kickstart your creativity and inject new life into your content:
Monitor social media
I know this may seem redundant, but hang out on social media. Find out what your audience is talking about – what are their worries or concerns? Once you know where the conversation is, you might find inspiration for your genuine input.
Ask your readers
Ask questions. If you’re not sure what to write next, ask customers or prospects who engage with your content what they’d like to see more of. Review the tools you set in place to measure content, and give them more of what they’d like to read!
Write a review
Review an article or viral piece of industry content. Pointing out what does and doesn’t work can help to not only get you in on the conversation, but also position you and your business as go-to thought leaders.
Interview someone interesting
Interviewing members of your business community, or a person who has insight in the field of a prominent vertical of yours will give you plenty to post about, and provide valuable information to your audience.
Think locally
Local journalists have a practice where they take a national story and relate it to their community, so why can’t you? Take a big story, or something going on in pop culture, and find a way to make it relevant to your audience. It will capture their attention and keep them wanting more!
Brag a little
Go ahead, tell your viewers what you did right! A strong success story with an emphasis on learning new things will not only give them great insight into your business, but also show them what you can do.
Show you’re human
Share a lesson you’ve learned from past mistakes of others, or maybe even your own. Sharing this kind of information is a brave step that, when done right, shows the human side of your business, which is relatable. Just be sure to cover something that was resolved in a positive, productive way. When you talk about past learning experiences, make sure you focus on present and future success.
Curate content
List ten of your favorite blog posts in your industry, five must-see videos, or three books your customers and prospects should really look into. Provide a steady stream of curated content and soon enough your audience will look to you for great ideas.
Crowdsourcing
Put it out there that you need ideas. Let your co-workers know you’re out of ideas and ask them to freely send you over anything that crosses their minds, or ask them for guidelines. You might find their ideas will provide months worth of content, and you might open the door for someone in your office to show off their creativity.
Think themes
Create themes and stick to them! Often, I find it’s easier to come up with a post or an idea for a piece of content if it fits into a category. A great example of this is a themed monthly newsletter. Each month, your newsletter follows the same outline.
Producing strong content is a skill, one you can improve upon with practice. While you’re using these tips to gather ideas, make sure you take note of which ones you want to return to later. Don’t let your ideas get away – and use them to keep your content fresh.