Come Up With Creative Content Ideas Every Month For Your Online Business
I was going over some kind of boring things for the Studio this weekend, where I found myself counting the amount of custom designs we create for clients on any given month. To my surprise, I came to realize that we currently are designing anywhere over a hundred unique pieces of content for Instagram a month, hundreds of Pinterest pins a month, blog graphics and email newsletter graphics. This isn't also counting all of the hip Instagram stories we design, video cover images, banner images… and the list goes on.
I LOVE designing content. It's quite easily my favorite thing I do. Yet, if you design your own content I am sure you are aware, it takes a lot of thought as well as time! In this article, I'm going to share with you a few of the core things that help me get organized and planned out to create so much content.
As a marketing studio, quality matters far more to us than just mindlessly pumping out content so that we can say we did it. It's wild to me to think that we create the volume of content that we do, and yet it also makes me feel really proud that we have never sacrificed what we stand for in the process. Creativity, innovation, self expression, strategy and sustainability matter to us A LOT. And, all of those things are embedded into how we create.
So let's get into it, shall we?!
How To Come Up With Creative Content Ideas 🧃
Creating any type of content starts with ideation. We all receive ideas in our own unique way. Some of us may be prone to receiving content ideas in opportune times, such as while in the shower or when driving. Whereas others may find it really easy to just sit down at the computer and let the ideas pour.
Consider for a moment how you like to come up with ideas as well as when ideas typically come to you. Are you creating in this way now? Are you documenting the ideas when they come to you?
Many of our client's send us ideas and inspirations when they find them. This helps us tremendously, where we save the ideas they find and then use them as inspiration when we sit down to plan and develop content. Another great way to come up with ideas is to create a hidden Pinterest board or hidden Collection board on Instagram where you save inspirations and ideas.
What this does is designates a spot to store your ideas when you see them. That way, when you go to start setting up content, you can reference your storage space to help you get started!
I mean this with love because I totally get how social media can be a soothing way to disconnect, but: Stop mindlessly scrolling during work hours and start mindfully using social media for a purpose, instead - like coming up with ideas! I do not mindlessly scroll on social media until i'm unplugged and in chill mode at the end of the day. During work hours, when I'm on social media it is for a specific, work related, purpose!
Lists = 🙌
I'm sure you have all heard about “Content Topics” or “Content Pillars” before. If you haven't, you're going to want to focus on defining those for your brand first before applying this next tip. For those who are aware of what your content pillars are, the next step is to start organizing content ideas based on your pillars.
I love having lists for each content topic for a brand that i'm working with, that way I not only can begin creating a big list of content ideas but it is also a space that the client can jot down any ideas they have pertaining to that topic, too!
As well, having a list for each pillar allows you to ensure that, when you go to create content, you are touching on each of the brand pillars that you want to focus on in a balanced way. We use Notion to store all of our lists.
What's your type 😏 ?
Having ideas documented and organized is GREAT, but now let's add in some strategy! Once I have a solid running list of ideas for content, the next thing I focus on is creating a balance in types of content we are developing.
Depending on the type of marketing channel you are creating content for, that marketing channel will have its own unique types of content you can create for. The type of content establishes the formatting for your content.
A few examples:
If you are creating for Instagram, types of content include:
Reels / Videos
Carousels
Static graphics
Static photos
Stories
If you are creating for Pinterest, types of content include:
Static pins
Idea pins
Video pins
Rich pins
Collection pins
If you are creating a blog post, types of content include:
Checklists
Listicles
Tutorials
Thought leadership
How to's
Case studies
Current events
Once you have your ideas defined, you can begin to then determine what format best fits the idea!
Cool Angle, bro 📐
Now that you have your ideas organized and the type of content defined, it's time to get clear on what the content ANGLE is.
Is it informational?
Or is it personal?
Informational content typically comes in the form of education. Educational content is fantastic for helping your target audience while also building brand trust and loyalty.
Personal content, on the other hand, typically comes in the form of storytelling and more intimate shares. This content is great for building relationships and creating more of a genuine connection with your audience.
Both angles are necessary, but it's important to determine what angle your piece of content is taking on so to help guide the copywriting as well as design process.
If you are creating a piece of content that is personal, then chances are you may want to use photos, video, or write copy that is telling a personal story.
If you are creating a piece of content that is informational, then you may find that your idea is better fitted for a carousel, tutorial style video, or infographic.
All in all, by simply taking the time to:
Define how you come up with and document your content ideas
Organize your content ideas to pull from when you begin developing
Determine what type of content you are creating for each content idea you come up with
Determine what angle your content is taking on
…These four steps at the beginning of your content creation process will help you create not only MORE content, but more EFFECTIVE content.
How? Because you are giving yourself a framework and outline to work from! Try some or all of these tips out and let me know how it goes for you!
Until next time…
Natalie Brite - DoGoodBiz Studio
