If you are going to have a blog on your website or create any kind of videos to engage your customers, you need to have ideas for content. As we sit down with our clients, many do come to the table with a handful of ideas but many do not have much more than that. As the saying goes, we don’t know what we know…And that’s when you need to dig deep to find what your customers want to consume for content.
We have had a lot of small to medium sized companies come to us over the years that just don’t have the time or internal resources to keep their original content up to date. Let alone coming up with fresh ideas. That process can be time consuming. But there are times when the topics your clients are looking for, are right in front of you. You just need to look a little harder to find them.
Here are a few ways to create a content list and even an entire content calendar.
Start inside your company.
The first place you can start is right inside your own organization. That’s everyone…If you have a sales team or customer service reps, that’s a great place to start because they are on the front lines, dealing with your customers every day. They should know what your customers need, what their pain points are and what concerns they need you to address with your expertise.
Brainstorming sessions.
Have a good old-fashioned brainstorming session with your team. Get them in a room for an hour, set a time limit and start throwing ideas out there. Either have someone take notes or write all these ideas up on a whiteboard. You’ll be surprised at how many ideas for content you might come up with. While some might not make the final cut, some ideas from your team may surprise you. But do keep an open mind.
Current events.
Current events are a great way to come up with content. We have had clients in HR create videos about Labor Day and other clients in finance create topics about small business week. Events or holidays are a great way to get more eyes and ears on your content if you are providing value.
Google.
Yes, get on Google. Why? Because despite your creativity and thoughts of originality, most topics may have already been covered in your industry. That doesn’t mean you can’t write about it or shoot a video about it. Take your own angle at the issue and come up with your own thoughts on your topics. It’s also just a great way of getting your creativity flowing. Many fall into a slump when trying to get ideas for content. Getting on Google for 30 minutes can sometimes solve that problem.
When you get all your topics together, get them in one place. We recommend a content calendar that lays out your entire year. It keeps you on track, puts relevant topics at a time of year that makes sense and it can help you organize your content with your team. If you have others in your organization that contribute to content, you’ll need their input. Having a calendar and sharing it lets your team know when they need to be ready for their part.
Want us to help you come up with new ideas? Contact us today!