Keep your content creation flowing

One thing that content creators will suffer at some point is a creative block which hinders the momentum and flow of their output. This can be a big problem when your overall marketing strategy, such as SEO or social platforms, depend on regular updates. After all, it’s humans behind publishing the content and we can suffer from creative droughts from time to time, that much is for certain. However, once you change tack and approach the problem from a different angle, you can develop an arsenal of ideas which can be use for improved, regular content creation.

So what can cause this creative block? It usually occurs once you’ve exhausted all other ideas or have just completed another project which you may have enjoyed the output from. I’ve fallen victim to this many times and sat back to observe the results of my work, which is fine and often needed, but can also prevent me from moving onto the next thing, or struggling to find out what the next thing might even be. Perhaps you’re reaching the end of your 3 month content plan and are starting to panic because you need to come up with new ideas for the next quarter.

Working in Ecommerce, I’ve found that generating ideas for content is easier, because you’re given a product. With this product comes market research, demographics, historic data and competitor analysis. These tangible, quantifiable metrics are invaluable for generating creative ideas. It can get a little tougher when you’re developing a brand however, or providing a certain type of service. For example, a chef who runs a blog will find no end of things to share, such as recipes and ingredients they use, however someone providing more complex, abstract services, such as insurance or accounting, might find it difficult to regularly engage with their audience.

Keyword research

Finding the relevant keywords is more than just understanding which have the highest search volumes, it gives an indication of some of the questions people are asking. Short tail keywords offer a broader strategy, but longer tail keywords are great for building content around. To start this off, we could use search modifiers which include query phrases and your target keyword like “How to” + “car”.

Already, we have a load of potential ideas to build our content around, either for your blog or to create specialised landing pages for. I find that this is the best strategy to use when trying to bulk out content plans.

Finding sources of inspiration

Inspiration can arrive at the most unexpected time, but you can also catalyse it. This comes from a variety of sources from music, film, art to the most basic memes and online trends. I’ve shortlisted a few of these, which I regularly refer to for the need of a boost in inspiration.

Pinterest - Probably the most obvious choice to some, but after a few minutes browsing this social platform, I feel inspired with new ideas.

ArtStation - One for the creative people out there, this is a fantastic gallery of thousands of contributors showing off their work, from 3D renders to traditional media. Clicking on what’s trending or the community board each day shows something new and inspiring.

Spotify - Music is amazing for creativity, so no matter what you use to listen to your playlists, it’s a fantastic way to engage the right side of the brain. I often look forward to the start of the week when my Discovery playlist is refreshed.

Epidemic Sound - Another subscription based music sharing platform, but you won’t find any mainstream artists here. Sorted by genres and moods, you can find any soundtrack to suit your style which noone will have likely heard before. Fantastic for that soundtrack you’ve been desperately looking for.

LinkedIn - I always used to think LinkedIn was just a networking platform for professionals, but have found it a treasure trove of new ideas shared by people from different industries and experiences. I log in daily to view new articles and even join webinars.

Workshopping

If you have the team behind you, involve them. Even if they’re not in your department or specialism. I find workshops hugely beneficial and have organised them with fantastic output and results, from web design, content creation, testing and information architecture and other people can provide a different perspective. Especially with content creation or web design, everyone is an audience, so they’re essentially a stakeholder.

Take a break

The best debugger is a good night's sleep. I’ve often found that when I’m burnt out, lingering on the problem is actually counterproductive. Sometimes you have to disengage and force yourself to take a break, whether it be for 20 minutes, an hour or even a day. The solution to the problem can present itself within this time, usually in the most unexpected way or without overthinking it, such as just being on a dog walk, watching TV or simply just laying in bed, falling asleep. I think a lot of people see taking a break as a negative thing, as if it is procrastinating, but actually, this kind of procrastination can be quite productive.