One question I get asked a lot at industry events is, “How do come up with more interesting content?”
First, it’s important to remember that you are an expert on the details of your industry. What is obvious to you, may very well be new and exciting for your audience. That’s one reason it’s important to map your buyer’s journey – to have a form of checks and balance as to whether that blog that feels “boring” is actually important.
At the same time, the longer you’ve been immersed in something, the more challenging it can be to feel creative. You may even find yourself running out of ideas.
Not only is it hard to come up with good ideas, it starts to feel like an Everest-sized task to come up with an idea that’s truly unique.
Whether your well is running dry after years of content creation, or you just need a fresh perspective, there are a lot of tactics you can use get more creative with your content. And some of these even have an instant effect.
Use these six tips to generate better content ideas.
1. Communicate with Your Audience Regularly
The most obvious answer is often the best.
Many marketers interview their customers when they first start a new job or project. But this should definitely not be a one-and-done activity.
It’s important to identify multiple communication channels to collect regular feedback and insights from your audience.
- Set up social media listening tools.
- Use surveys to collect responses.
- Pick up the phone and make some calls.
- Have call tracking in place? Set aside some time to listen to the recordings from your customer service or sales lines. Or better yet, ask them to send you the highlights from the month.
Your audience is your best resource for ideas. They have questions – a lot of them – and if you take the time to ask them, you will come up with new ideas for conversion-driven content.
Jacob Spencer 