It should not be shocking that content is critical for online marketing. To attract and retain customers, you must regularly produce high-quality, original content that provides value to your target audience. However, idea generation for content can be challenging, especially if you’re running a business and don’t have a dedicated marketing team. How do you never run out of content ideas? Is it even possible?
Here are the six do’s and don’ts to never running out of content ideas:
Do: Keep a running list of content ideas
As a business owner, you are constantly generating new ideas. These may be great ideas for blog posts, articles, or even books. Keep a running list of these ideas so that when you’re ready to sit down and write, you have a wealth of possibilities to choose from.
Do: Brainstorm with others
If you’re feeling stuck, reach out to a colleague, friend, or family member and brainstorm ideas together. Working with others is always better. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how your conversations with others take you in unique directions.
Do: Take inspiration from other sources
If you’re stuck and can’t seem to produce new ideas on your own, look to other sources for inspiration. This could be anything from reading articles in your industry to watching TED Talks. By exposing yourself to new ideas, you’ll start generating content ideas of your own.
Do: Get out and about
In order to write about something, you need to have experience with it. If you’re striving to come up with ideas, get out and about. Get out of your rut. Do new things. Talk to new people, visit new places, do new stuff. Expanding your horizons gives you plenty of material to write about.
Don’t: Be afraid to experiment
Experimentation with new formats, angles, and directions is an effective way to overcome any blocks you have. For example, try writing in a new structure or tackling a topic you’ve never written about before. Of course, it might not work out. But if it does, you’ll have opened up a whole new world of possibilities. If it doesn’t, you’ll have stats that will take you in the right direction.
Don’t: Get caught up in perfectionism
It’s easy to get caught up in need for perfection when you’re writing. But the reality is that there’s no such thing as perfection. So don’t let the pursuit of perfectionism keep you from putting your ideas out there.
Don’t: Be afraid to share your ideas
If you’re anxious about someone stealing your ideas, don’t be. The truth is, most people are too busy to steal your ideas. The truth is, they will not likely do anything with them. So go ahead and share your ideas freely. The more you share information, the better your chances of coming up with a winner.
Don’t: Ignore your gut
If you have a thought in your gut about a piece of content but are unsure if it’s worth pursuing, trust your gut. If you feel strongly about an idea, it’s probably worth pursuing.
The bottom line is that coming up with content ideas doesn’t have to be complicated. You’ll always have many ideas to choose from with these dos and don’ts.
This is part of a 10 Day Email Challenge – Using Content Marketing in Your Marketing Strategy
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