Content marketing is one of the best ways to generate new leads, build customer trust and increase sales. But consistently creating new content for your blog isn't always easy.
A surprising 60% of marketers create one new piece of content every day. After months, and in some cases years, this process can become exhausting. Brainstorming new ideas seems like an impossible feat, and fatigue takes over. If this sounds like a scenario you've experienced, you're not alone. Plenty of business owners and marketers go through this cycle.
Luckily, there are plenty of creative ways to brainstorm topic ideas and write truly breathtaking content for your website. Let's explore six brainstorming tips that will help you break writer's block once and for all.
Host companywide brainstorming sessions.
When you're planning your content calendar, are you working alone? If so, you're missing out on a significant opportunity to come up with some excellent ideas. You can improve the quality and volume of your content ideas by having a companywide brainstorming session.
You could set up a meeting once a quarter for your team to meet via video conferencing software and talk about potential blog topics.
You'll find that your employees have a firm understanding of your target audience, including their pain points and goals. When you're seeking out ideas for new posts, you must focus on what users hope to accomplish. Use what you learn from your team, and you'll have no problem packing your calendar for the next quarter.
Update existing content.
Content repurposing is a useful way to get more value from your existing posts while consistently adding new content to your site. Only 38% of businesses update their existing content, but there's clear evidence that this strategy can yield big results. For instance, updated content can help boost the success of your compounding posts.
Compounding posts are blog entries that continue to generate traffic and leads over time. These posts are responsible for a majority of site views, and users still see the page every day. When you consider that 1 in 10 blog posts are compounding, the benefits of repurposing posts become clear.
When you update old articles, new visitors get the chance to see updated statistics and advice about the topic that brought them to your site. If you can get people engaged with these posts, you may find they subscribe to your email list or buy a product from your online store.
Similarly, people who've read the article before will appreciate your attention to detail and are likely to revisit the page again to see the latest update. I recommend, though, that you update your posts once every year.
Read customer feedback.
You can find plenty of great content ideas by reading through customer feedback. Instead of hopelessly wondering what you'll write about, check to see what your readers have to say.
Checking out reviews, customer surveys, and blog comments can help you develop some ideas that are already popular with your audience. If , for example, you send out a survey form that asks users to talk about their experience with your brand, make sure to ask what your audience hopes to achieve with your product or service. When you see a topic pop up repeatedly, add it to your list, and create content that addresses that specific pain point.
There's an additional benefit to using this strategy: You'll learn more about your target audience, which can help if you're planning out customer personas or looking for more details on the people that spend the most time on your site.
Use discovery tools.
Discovery tools are a great way to come up with new content ideas. There are countless resources available for marketers, depending on their individual needs. I use several free tools when it's time to brainstorm ideas for our blog.
Answer the Public is a resource that takes the guesswork out of brainstorming. You can enter your keyword, and the website populates thousands of potential topic ideas. The tedious part here is sorting through all of the suggestions until you find what you're looking for. Overall, this is a great tool if you're stumped and don't know what to do next.
Another helpful tool is Quora. Quora is a question-and-answer site where users can sign up, ask questions, or provide answers – all for free. I use this resource if I want others' opinions and don't have enough actionable data available in reports.
You can't talk about discovery tools without mentioning social media. While most people don't see platforms like Facebook and Twitter as a place to find new topic ideas, it's actually one of the best free resources you have at your disposal. Over 3 billion people use social media, so you'll find no shortage of opinions and topic ideas.
We suggest joining groups that focus on your industry across all platforms. Look at the discussions taking place, and you'll find plenty of inspiration for your next article.
Practice freewriting.
Freewriting is a strategy used by novelists and bloggers alike to come up with brilliant ideas. There's a theory that sometimes we have thinker's block, which is to say that we spend too much time thinking about individual ideas to come up with a compelling topic.
As a result, we get paralyzed by our ideas instead of empowered. If you've been in this situation, you know how frustrating it is, especially if you have a close deadline.
Instead of focusing solely on one or two ideas, try freewriting for 30 minutes straight. Write down ideas that come to mind and don't stop for editing or breaks. Of course, not everything will pan out, but you can brainstorm some awesome ideas for your blog.
Research keywords.
Finally, you can find blog ideas by doing keyword research. Don't underestimate the importance of SEO. If people can't find your website on Google, you're going to have a rough time generating sales and growing your lead list.
Looking for keywords with tools like Google Keyword Planner helps you discover what people are searching for in your industry. Simply type in some of your prominent short keywords, and look at the long-tail suggestions.
If you see that a subtopic within your industry suddenly surged to the top of the planner, you can write an article about the topic. Don't forget to use the keyword that people are searching for in your new post for more visibility.
As you can see, there are plenty of clever ways you can beat writer's block once and for all. You may have to experiment with several of these strategies depending on your individual needs and where you're getting stuck in the brainstorming process.
We are all capable of creating eye-catching content for our blog. The first step is to break free from mental hurdles and start coming up with topic ideas today.