Ep. 039 Why You Should Be Brainstorming

Welcome to the Cracking Content Podcast, helping entrepreneurs to amplify their expertise through storytelling, content, and PR so they can get more sales and make a bigger impact. Every business has a story to tell. Don't be afraid to tell it. In this episode, we'll be talking about how to brainstorm new content ideas. In a previous episode, I talked about how to deal with content overwhelm. And part of that problem is people generating new ideas for their business. They get stuck and they procrastinate and they spend hours trying to write a blog or social media posts for their business. Writer's block can happen to all of us, but there are many different ways you can fight the frustration. Whether you need content for blog posts, podcasts, or even e-books, here are some tips on how to generate new ideas. {1:06 } Make sure you dedicate time for brainstorming. It's easy to think you can sit down and write new content and the ideas will just flow out of nowhere, but it's not realistic. It'd be much better to have a whole list of ideas stored away just when you need them. Go for a walk before you do it. Your creative output can go up by as much as 62%, according to a Stanford University study.  {1:49} So choose a time every week to get brainstorming, do relevant research, and write the ideas down, so you can have a whole bank of ideas when you come to creating your content. {2:01} Planning and batching content also really helps. So once you've brainstormed, map out the content you want to share in the next three months. Think about the key messages you want to share with your audience.  {3:01} You can look at your competitors and see what they're doing and improve upon it, or maybe do the complete opposite, but it's absolutely fine to be inspired for an idea, but do not copy.  {3:15} Find out what other popular topics people are talking about in your niche. You can do that by Googling it, looking on Instagram, following hashtags, going into Facebook groups and seeing what people are talking about. You can even pose the question with your audience, do a poll. {3:41} So trust that your message and content will resonate with your audience and that you don't need to copy anyone, but you can get inspired. {3:49} Another great, easy way to get ideas is to use Google. Use Google search suggestions. If you have a general topic in mind, start typing it into Google. Loads of suggested ideas will pop up, including further related searches at the bottom of the page. This is a clever way of gaining idea inspiration that is aligned with your audience, but also SEO friendly since you source them through Google.  {4:16} Listen or watch something new. Is there a new book that you've read or a podcast that you really love? The more content you consume, the greater the possibility of new ideas. There are endless books, podcasts, videos, and creative content that you can consume.  {4:50} Start storytelling. We love listening to stories and we love telling stories. And the best part is all your stories with their intricate details are unique to you. No one else can tell them. So if all else fails, tell your audience about something that happened to you. It could be a success story or a time you made a mistake. What did you learn from it? How is it relevant to your audience? Connect with Claire:  You can download my free Content Calendar here: https://clairewinter.info/freebies/2021content-planner/  To find out about 1:1 content coaching go www.clairewinter.info. Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crackingcontent/ Website: https://clairewinter.info/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairewinteruk  Join the Cracking Content Club Membership: https://clairewinter.info/cracking-content-club/