Creating content for your consumers can be one of the most fun and rewarding parts of owning a business. It can also be one of the most frustrating, especially if you don’t consider yourself creative.
Use these tips to simplify the process – and love the content you create for marketing, consumer distribution, and more!
Start with Brainstorming
It might sound simple, but good, old-fashioned brainstorm is a great way to generate ideas for new creative content.
There is a method to harness what can sometimes feel like chaos, though. Using a system to organize ideas after you and your team have come up with them will help you make better use of every concept.
First, spend some time just throwing out ideas. Nothing is off-limits, as this is a draft version of your list that won’t be seen beyond this initial phase. The more you allow your mind to wander, the more creative you can be!
Next, organize those ideas into lists sorted by the way you can use them. Concepts for advertisements finished content, and more should be grouped together. You should also sort them by time frames, target demographics, etc. The more specific you can be, the better you can then utilize those ideas in real-world applications!
Tailor Content to Your Readers
Everyone wants to feel like the companies that they patronize are thinking of them when they create content. Whether it’s marketing materials or finished products, tailoring your content to the people who will eventually consume it will help you deliver this feeling – and keep your consumers coming back for more.
This doesn’t have to mean literally creating content for each individual who will read or view it, but rather for groups. Knowing the types of people who are likely to enjoy your finished content – or who are in your target market – will help you dial down to this level of personalization. Giving them the feeling that you are thinking of their needs and wants when you create content will be both endearing and lucrative.
Keep Things Relevant
Current events and market trends are important when it comes to creative content. Both should be used as indicators of ideas that will capture and keep consumer attention.
Look for trends in the industry you are a part of. Capture public fascination with a song, celebrity, or movie that is popular. Use these ideas as a springboard for your own content and keep people interested by giving them things you already know they want.
Templates are Your Friend
Creating great content doesn’t always mean bringing every element of an idea to life yourself. Instead, use templates to help you flesh those concepts out. It will help you focus more on making the content amazing and less on the details of formatting – a real win-win!
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel – Improve Upon It
There is a saying in many industries about needing to reinvent the wheel to innovate. However, innovation is not always the priority when it comes to creating great content.
The key is to create content like what your direct competitors are making – but to do it better than they are. This doesn’t mean a copy-and-paste approach, but it should involve being aware of what your competitors are doing. Browse their sites to see what the industry is up to, but always offer consumers better content than your competition!
Bring in the Professionals
For most companies, bringing in a professional content creator is the last-ditch effort. But there’s no reason to wait until you’re out of other options! Working with a pro from the beginning can ensure that you have top-quality creative content whenever you need it – all without spending your valuable time working on it.