Building 365, or even 182, days of content can test the most creative and best writers among us. Sometimes, it might feel like no matter what you do, you can't fill the blank spaces on the calendar fast enough. Fret not. Here are some tips to create timely content for your blog, newsletters, contributed articles, infographics, white papers, etc.
1. Celebrate the Holidays!
With built-in themes and dates, holidays are fantastic sources of content inspiration. Centering your content around the anticipated needs of your prospective customers, like including some of your fun gadgets as gift ideas for Mother's Day, is a great way to build content in advance. Some image creators, like Canva, even have holiday templates months ahead of time that you can use for stress-free planning. No big holidays coming up? Look for other opportunities. If you're a security company, you can have a field day with National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
2. Be a Teacher
Notice any of your customers asking the same question over and over? Take it as a learning opportunity and write a blog post or white paper on the subject. Your customers will appreciate both the information and that you listened to them, while you can appreciate the free nudge in the right direction. You can even preemptively answer questions by planning out "lessons" on any new product or service.
3. Be a Thought Leader
The business world moves fast. The more you build yourself and your company as the go-to expert, the more you boost your credibility and mindshare, and the higher you fan your prospective customers' interest in doing business with you. Sharing your perspectives and advice in high-profile media outlets is a foolproof way to become a thought leader. Apogee's Executive Vice President, Matt Loecke, recently provided sound insights and practical tips on collaboration for higher ed administrators in a respected news site, eCampusNews. So, keep your finger on the pulse with news alerts and inspiration for your next contributed article. A content-hungry editor might just happily accept and publish it!
4. Be a Storyteller
Everyone loves a good story. When it comes to content, customers are some of your most significant sources. Their success stories will inspire others who might be going through similar challenges your customers have solved and have emerged stronger from with your help. Ask your clients or customers how they've benefited from your partnership and they'll likely have lots of valuable things to say that you can use in testimonials and case studies. Positive third-party experience builds credibility as well because they are seen as impartial advocates for your brand.
Coming up with new and exciting content is not as difficult as it seems! There are sources of inspiration everywhere, so if you're feeling stuck, just remember these four tips. If you'd like to discuss how content marking can elevate your business, click the button below to sign up for a free consultation.