Get Creative With Content Management
According to Social Media expert John Foley 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?
Sure, 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.
Foley suggests the following 10 tricks to kick start your creativity and inkjet new life into your content:
(1) 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.
(2) 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!
(3) Take a look at a viral piece of industry content and review an article. 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.
(4) 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.
(5) Take a news story and make it relevant to your audience. This can also be something going on in pop culture, as long as you find a way to make it applicable. It will capture their attention and keep them wanting more!
(6) 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.
(7) Explain a past mistake of others or maybe even your own, and share a lesson you've learned. Sharing this kind of information is a brave step that when done right, as it 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.
(8) 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.
(9) Put it out there and let people know that you need ideas. Let your coworkers know you're out of content 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.
(10) Create themes and stick to them! Often times it's easier to come up with a post or an idea for a piece of content if it fits into a category. This can be a "How To" chain on the blog or a print video series on YouTube - the possibilities are endless!
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.
