Blog Layout
How to avoid Content Creators Block
Sep 27, 2021
How often have you sat there scratching your head trying to come up with ideas to promote your business? Being successful with your social media marketing means having a constant supply of ideas that will resonate with the type of people you want to do business with.
However we all get those moments when coming up with even one half decent idea is harder than tickling a mosquito under the elbow with a telegraph pole. so in order to make Content Creators Block a thing of the past I've come up with 5 places to find an endless supply of ideas for videos or any other type of content for that matter.
1. Frequently asked questions
How many questions do you get asked about your business over and over again? Every time you tell someone what you do out they come. You’re constantly repeating the same answers to the point that you could do it in your sleep. So why not turn those answers into videos?
This is perfect video material. First off you can post it on your social channels because it's a great way to demonstrate that you know what you're talking about. But even better than that … why not embed that video into a little blog post on your website?
Then the next time you’re asked ‘that question’ you can perhaps give a short answer in person and then say … look here’s my card, take a look at my website because I’ve done a video that will explain more.
This is super powerful for three reasons.
- It gets people to check out your website
- More video on your website improves your SEO (the ability for Google to find your website in search)
- Because you will always get people asking those questions your videos will never get old. I’m still sharing FAQ videos I made two or three years ago.
Also you can do something really clever on social media with these FAQ videos.
2. Re-cycling
Don't get caught in that trap of thinking that you constantly have to come up with fresh ideas. You really don't. Re-cycling and refreshing existing content is a really great way to keep the ideas flowing.
Why does it work?
There are two ways of looking at this.
- If your social media following is growing you'll have a fresh set of followers who won't have been following you the last time you posted that video.
- Not all of your followers get to see everything you post. That's all down to the algorithm. It's more likely to show your posts to people who have recently interacted with you. Therefore running back a second time with the same video when the algorithm is choosing different people will expose that video to a whole bunch of fresh eyes.
How do you do it?
Lots of ways really. Here are some options that are great for re-cycling existing content.
- Simply re-post the same video.
- Refresh it with a new edit, change the graphics or a new thumbnail image.
- Look at other content you have and see if you can re-purpose it as a video. Take a look at your blogs for example, still images or graphic posts you've used in the past. You could have reams of new content for video already created.
3. Current affairs
If there’s something in the news that relates to your business or field of expertise – you should so be making a video about it. Because other people are talking about it and that means your video could perform better as a result.
Trending topics
A trending topic is simply a topic that a lot of people are posting content about on social media. The more of that topic there is out there, the more you are likely to see it. So if that topic relates to your business or area of expertise, jump on the bandwagon and make a video with your thoughts or expert opinion.
Because that topic is high on people's agenda, your video will be exposed to a whole new set of people. You can also help this along by using relevant hashtags to support your post.
Recycle the topics
There could well be a topic that you know lots about which comes up in the social conscience time and time again. For example, if you're in the fitness industry you can guarantee that every January people are talking about weight loss, new goals and joining gyms. If you made a video last year about that very thing you can post it again and hit a totally new audience.
4. Check out the competition
At least once a month I spend half an hour talking a look at what my competitors are doing. I'll also check out other people who do similar things to me. Then I use what has worked for them as inspiration for future content.
I would never suggest that you steal content. That's never good plus it doesn't come from you. Put your own take on their idea or take inspiration from it and create something new.
This is a good way to have a reserve tank of ideas in a notebook or folder so when you're own tank is dry you can dip in and suddenly you're filled with a big pile of ideas that will get your creative juices flowing again.
5. Ask your existing customers
It may seem bonkers but we all forget this final way to come up with great video ideas. Ask the people who love you already. I'm assuming you want more customers or clients just like the ones you already have. Therefore you have the best resource available already.
So why not invite a few of your favourite clients to join you for a coffee morning. Buy some cakes, sit them down and ask them a bunch of questions.
- Why do they buy from you?
- What were they looking for?
- What do they love about your service?
- What problems do you help them with?
- What else can you do for them?
I'm sure you can come up with a bunch of other questions to ask but you get the idea. Find out how your existing customers tick and right away you've got a big pile of ideas that will speak directly to the kind of people you want to attract.
If, however, you're looking to attract some people with different values or needs to your existing clients. Begin by working out what type of people you want to do business with and look for a few of your friends that may match that profile. Then invite them around for a Q&A.
Is this all a little confusing?
If you need a little more help coming up with ideas well you're in luck because that's what I do. As well as this I offer one day coaching workshops where I can take you through all aspects of using video for marketing. Each day is bespoke to your needs and it doesn't have to cost the earth either.
- Coming up with ideas
- Pre-production ... why and how to do it
- How to present in front of a camera
- How to use a camera
- How to edit a video and add captions
- How to post on social media for the best results
Click on the link below
to explore the different ways my coaching workshops can help you and of course, come and say hi if you would like to ask me a few questions.
Last Thursday I woke up to some bad news. I was sitting having my morning coffee, I opened up my Instagram and got a message from the Meta gods. "Your account has been deactivated" Apparently, they thought I did something that went against community guidelines and if I disagreed with this decision I could appeal. So I appealed. Saturday morning I checked the account again and it was working normally, like nothing had happened. No explanation from Meta about what I may or may not have done wrong. So even though I’m none the wiser I learned a few things and if you rely on Instagram for your business you should probably be doing what I did next.
It doesn't matter what kind of business you run, if you're using social media to promote what you do you could be missing something important. Turning followers into fans. Independent musicians, in particular, are terrible at this. Many focus on the numbers and post endless videos of them performing either live or in a studio. To truly succeed you need to start talking with your followers and not just singing at them. Here I’m going explain why engagement is the key to generating fans and give you three ideas to help you start conversations with your followers.
Throughout the whole of 2024 we're doing something really special. We're donating 2,024 minutes of our time to help the future of the music industry. Why? Well it's because we're frustrated. Frustrated by seeing so many independent and unsigned musicians struggling to get their music heard and ultimately make a living from the music industry. Here's how you can get some of those minutes this year.