Content inspiration – 10 great ways to find inspiration for new content
I’m honestly baffled that “content inspiration” isn’t one of the most Googled phrases out there. Today, so many people are working with content in one form or another, and I’m one of them. And I’m certainly willing to agree that it’s not easy to always deliver good content that comes from inspiration. Creating quality content is demanding. Especially over time.
Since I have my fair share of experience in there area, I figured it would be interesting to share my 10 best content inspiration tips. I’m a digital marketing freelancer and underground musician that constantly churns out digital content on various platforms. Content is a large part of my life. Anyway, let’s get on to my 10 content inspiration tips. I hope you will find them useful!
1. Your competitors
Start by checking out your competitors, especially the successful ones. What are they doing that you’re not? Could you improve on a content piece of theme that also fits your audience? Remember that all competitors aren’t business competitors. Some just fight over the same social media crowds or Google keywords.
The best way to do this is to be systematical about it. List the most important competitors and the content topics you find on the go, so you’ll have them written down somewhere.
2. Customers
Turning to our customers or target demographic is always a good after. They’re the ones we’re aiming to attract and please, after all? Therefore, putting ourselves in their shoes as much as possible is very healthy. And also a great source of content inspiration. Their behavior and preferences will reveal a lot, but there are also opportunities to talk to them directly. There are invaluable lessons to be learned.
3. Colleagues
Talking to your colleagues can open up whole new ideas for content. They can offer different perspectives and come with fresh ways to see things. Few things are more welcome for a content person with a constant pressure to produce. It can be informal, but in some cases it could be good to have scheduled meetings with the right people in the company.
Even if you don’t have colleagues in a traditional sense, you can check out your freelance colleagues. Or get in touch with them over social media!
4. Industry and niche sources
Every industry and niche usually has a bunch of good information and news sources. Use those to see what’s trending, and what you might’ve missed to write about. Pages of this kind usually have a lot of depth, so it’s quite easy to find several ideas to boost your content inspiration.
Just don’t forget to improve on what you see, so you will be making content that really has an impact. It’s a good idea to have a list of these as well, and check in regularly for a boost.
5. Repurpose content for different platforms
Working with content usually encompasses several platforms. That’s why it’s always good to have a look at what you’ve previously created for one of them. It’s usually very easy to repurpose quality content from one platform to another with a small amount of work.
One example is taking a blog article like this and using its content and message on Instagram instead. It’s helped me create engaging content numerous times, in a very simple way.
This especially works if you have content in the “xxx ways to do xxx” format. Of course, you’ll have to change the format to fit Instagram instead of the web. Who knows, maybe this article will wind up on social media sooner or later?
6. Keywords and hashtags
Lists of popular keywords and hashtags are great information sources, and not just for working with analytics. On the contrary, researching them can be great for finding content inspiration. When you see them listed, it’s usually quite easy to find something relevant that you’ve neglected to write about.
7. Don’t forget the recurring content (including evergreen)
Every year is filled with opportunities to create recurring and themed content. Don’t miss out on those, it’s one of those that make the life as a content creator much easier. Maybe you have certain holidays or other days that are important to your business? Maybe you released a product or achieved something on a certain date? Reminding yourself of those is a simple source of content inspiration. Mark those recurring things in your content plan.
Don’t forget to use evergreen content, where you re-post or re-purpose old content for new effect. It can make it super easy to come up with new content, and it can also improve your site’s quality, since you have to take a look at old content again.
8. Create routines that inspire you
Our routines and surroundings can really influence our creativity and inspiration. Content inspiration is definitely included. Luckily, there are quite a few things we can do to combat this. Breaking out of the habits and routines and working in another place can do wonders. Inspiration is a very individual thing, so the most important part is daring to experiment and seeing what works and what doesn’t.
9. Plan for content in advance
Nothing kills the content inspiration like the question “what do we post today?”. Fact is, you’re not supposed to think today’s post today. At least not if you want to produce strong content in the long run. Fill your content plan early and make sure to be a few weeks ahead. It just makes it so much easier.
Don’t forget to write down the content inspiration you do get, when you actually get it. It’s easy to forget your good ideas. Then they won’t be available when you need them the post. I use my smartphone’s notepad app to get every idea down before it disappears. Perfect for walking and running, which is when many of my ideas come.
10. Content inspiration doesn’t have to be digital
Last, but not least: remember that content inspiration doesn’t have to come from digital sources. What do I mean? Well, for me it really works to take a walk or a run, and really get far away from all the digital stuff. That could get you started on thinking instead of doing. It’s a very underrated tip, and something that always gets me new content inspiration.
When you leave the computer and enter the real world, you can also see things that give you inspiration. Actually, you don’t even to leave marketing behind – that stuff exists outdoors too!
Do you need help with your digital content?
Are you looking for some help to improve your digital content? Well, then you’re in the right place. I’m a Swedish digital content expert (freelancer) that has helped many companies with digital marketing, both in Swedish and English. Do you want to get in touch? Please add me on LinkedIn or e-mail nordstromstefan86@gmail.com.
Some other blog posts about content:
What is a content manager and what does one do? ->
Why a natural voice reader (text-to-speech) makes a fantastic copywriting tool ->
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