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 10 tricks to kick start your creativity and inkjet new life into your content:
One
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 at, you might find inspiration in your genuine input.
Two
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 your tools set in place to measure content, and give them more of what they’d like to read!
Three
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.
Four
Interview someone. 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.
Five
Local journalists have this 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!
Six
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.
Seven
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.
Eight
Curate content. List 10 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.
Nine
Put it out there that you need ideas. Let your coworkers know you’re out of ideas. 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.
Ten
Create themes and stick to them! Often times, 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 my marketing team and their “Marketing Minutes.” Every month we send out a video featuring a member from marketing, discussing something they do that they’re passionate about. We call them “Marketing Minutes” because each video is only 60 seconds.
Producing strong content is a skill, one you can improve on 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.
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John Foley Jr. is the CEO of interlinkONE and Grow Socially. John and his team help printers get on a strong path to marketing success. Their approach includes software solutions, consulting, Website development, marketing audits, and strategic marketing plans. interlinkONE’s software solutions for the print industry include their marketing automation platform, MAX, and ilinkONE V8. Learn more about MAX: Marketing Automation. Executed. by visiting MarketWithMAX.com, John at JohnFoleyJr.com, and his companies at interlinkONE.com and GrowSocially.com.