Like many other companies, Cyberimpact’s marketing strategy relies on the regular production of content. On social networks, in emails, and to rank high on Google, content is king!
As many entrepreneurs and marketing pros do, I dedicate a lot of my time to content creation. Although it comes in many forms (articles, videos, infographics, etc.), written content remains a pillar.
It’s not always easy to find the inspiration to write a new piece. Especially when you’ve been working in the same industry for a long time. You may feel like you’ve already covered everything. And yet, you need fresh content!
Here are some tips I’ve tried firsthand to find ideas for inspiring blog posts, and a few ways to reignite the spark.
Keep tabs on your competitors
I always get new ideas from visiting the websites and blogs of my competitors. Obviously, I’m not telling you to copy exactly what your competitors are doing. But if one of them approaches a subject from an angle you hadn’t thought of, use it as inspiration.
Put your spin on it, use your voice, your colour and context. That will probably be enough to turn the idea into an original blog post.
Ask your audience for help
Interacting with your customers is one of the best sources to find ideas for content creation. After all, they are your target audience!
Just recently, I was in the process of organizing an advanced training session for our users, and found myself contemplating the points to cover. I simply asked them to send me their questions in advance, adding that I would provide answers during the training. Lo and behold, I was able to turn the content from the training into a few blog posts!
Ask your customers and followers what questions they need answered or what they would like to learn, by email or by posting on social media. Ask and you shall receive!
Turn your existing content into blog posts
Have you ever given a lecture, or a webinar? If so, you can turn your PowerPoint presentation into a blog post. Personally, I like this approach. If I take the time to prepare a lecture, as an added bonus, I get a blog post out of it.
If you’ve ever produced educational videos, you can do the same thing and turn the scripts into blog posts. The idea is to take a subject, an idea, existing content and multiply the ways in which it’s delivered.
Change it up by talking about your journey
Not long ago I was asked to find a new webinar topic for an audience made up of small Canadian business owners. I felt challenged since I had already given several trainings about email marketing to the same audience, and I didn’t want to repeat myself.
Instead of speaking about the usual subject, I decided to touch on the realities of our business instead: competing with American titans of industry. I put a presentation together called “How to compete with titans of industry”. This topic is relevant to a large number of entrepreneurs, and it allows me to introduce Cyberimpact to a new pool of potential customers.
Can you also take a break from your usual topic and share stories, lessons learned, journeys, etc.? Absolutely!
Look at what’s trending
Get inspired by looking at the content that is popular at the moment, either in your industry or about your subject of choice. You don’t want to copy, of course. The idea is to spark inspiration.
- Do some research on Buzzsumo
- Find Reddit forums about your topic
- Do a Google News search
- See what questions people are asking on Quora
- Monitor what makes up the most popular blogs and magazines in your industry
You are sure to find an idea!
Vary the type of post you are writing
Even if the general subject essentially remains the same, you can find many different ways to write about it. Here are some ideas:
- Studies based on facts
- Interviews with major players in the industry
- Educational articles
- Listicles (5 Tips for…)
- Case studies
- Book reviews
- Opinion pieces
Hopefully this helps you kick writer’s block to the curb for good. Happy writing!