You’ve heard content marketing is a surefire way to grow your business, and, it’s true! Investing in content marketing is the same as investing in:
- Yourself as an industry leader
- Your audience as your loyal followers
- Your company by boosting sales
You know content is king, but there’s a problem… You’ve been staring at a blank page and blinking cursor for the past three days, wondering what the heck you’re going to write about. 😰
If this describes you, don’t worry. You’re not alone.
Finding new ideas for content is one of the top three challenges content marketers face, according to HubSpot.
To help you out, here are some proven ways to get those creative juices flowing. 🧃
1️⃣ Steal
“Good writers borrow, great writers steal.” -Oscar Wilde
Struggling to come up with a topic? Look at what other high-performing content is doing and steal. 🚔
Now, let’s get one thing straight: This does not mean copying. This does not mean plagiarizing.
It means you take trending topics and add your unique take, voice, expertise, and thoughts on the topic.
It means you bring value to the conversation in a way that only you and your brand can. 💭
2️⃣ Research
Brilliant writing doesn’t typically happen by getting struck by lightning or having your muse bring you ideas in a dream. ⚡️
Most excellent writing is a byproduct of deep dives into the research.
For DTC marketers, research can mean:
- Evaluating current trends and adding your insight
- Combing through keyword research to identify opportunities to rank
- Interviewing industry experts and commenting on their experience and projections
When you need inspiration for new articles, shift your focus to the research part of the process, and comment on what you find.
3️⃣ Social media
Social media isn’t only a place to catch up with friends and promote your DTC business. It’s also a largely untapped treasure trove of information from subject matter experts.
Start with the thought-leadership platforms, LinkedIn and Twitter. 🐦
Look for the subject matter experts in your industry and follow their accounts. Then, read their most popular posts, and read all the comments.
You’ll find supporting ideas and opposing opinions galore!
The comments section might not be the best place for a celebrity to linger – but it’s the perfect place for writers to get information.
4️⃣ Repurposing other creative projects
Here’s a wild statement: Writing doesn’t have to be completely original. You can *and should* repurpose your other creative and business projects into written content. ✍️
If you have a popular podcast, you can turn the podcast episode into a blog post. If you made a popular YouTube or TikTok video, find a way to take the topic and write about it in your newsletter.
Your creativity can stretch beyond the bounds of a single platform. Wherever you create content, think about how you can repackage it for other platforms – especially where you’re doing content marketing.
5️⃣ Hire a writer
Not all of us were born to be writers. 🤷♀️ We all have different talents and different strengths. Sometimes the opportunity cost of writing your own content is greater than if you were to hire someone else to do it for you…
If you’re constantly struggling to come up with content, don’t.
Hire a professional writer.
(You can even hire them to ghostwrite for you, so people think you wrote it. It’s a win-win.)
🔥 Use these tips to fuel your creative inspo for your brand. When you get stuck in a creative rut, what’s your process? Reply to this email and we’ll share our favorites! 💌
