After producing content for a while, your ideas may start to run out. It’s difficult to come up with an idea that will captivate your audience’s attention. Now, content marketing is more popular than ever, which means that you’re generating more content and it’s even harder to come up with new content ideas. If you feel like you’re stuck in this rut, continue reading to discover how to get out of this black hole and discover new content ideas.
1. Take a look at competitors
The best way to look at ideas that are popular with your audience is to examine your competitors. What pieces of content are they producing? Which pieces of those content are most popular with your audience? Once you have the answers to these questions, take your competitor’s ideas and make them better. Generate content about that topic but put your own spin on it that shows the difference in perspective you’re able to bring to the table. Maybe you can expand upon the topic and write a longer post or go more in-depth about the topic than your competitor did. Either way, show your audience that you’re paying attention to what interests them and you want to tailor your content to their needs.
2. Have a talk
The most direct way to figure out what ideas are important to your audience is to go ahead and ask them, one-on-one. Reach out to a diverse group of customers – choose some who have been loyal to your business since the beginning and some who you feel are slipping away. Ask them about their personal opinions in regards to your business, your product and/or service, and the industry as well. What problems are they having? What are they interested in reading? It’s more than likely that the problems and interests this select group of people have transfers to the other members of your target audience as well.
3. Write about the future
It’ll become boring for your audience members if they constantly read content about the same trends and updates from all their sources – including you and your competitors. If everyone in your industry looks at the same research, you’ll all be writing about the same thing. Yet, content marketing is supposed to position you and your business as a thought leader in your industry, someone who knows more than everyone else. With this title comes the ability to predict upcoming trends and new ideas that no one else has thought about yet. Utilize this knowledge and experience to your advantage and write about what you think is next in your industry.
The original content idea is what allows you to establish connections with your audience and truly show that you want to answer any questions they might have and solve any problems they might face. By creating content that fits their exact needs, you differentiate your business from your competitors. If you’re struggling with developing content ideas, try some of the tips in this article or contact ContentBacon for some content brainstorming!