👟
Branding Deep Dive
What to Do When You Run Out of Content Ideas
What to Do When You Run Out of Content Ideas

What to Do When You Run Out of Content Ideas

What to do when writer’s block hits.

We've all been there, you sit down to right and nothing comes out. When you first started on this journey you had a bunch of ideas and inspiration just flowed, but now you sit there for hours trying to think of what to write/make. Here are some things I have helped me when I've hit writer's block and I'm not sure what to write.

Find Inspiration

If you're like me, chances are that you got into content creation because you saw something/read something/heard something that really inspired you. When you're out of ideas it can be super helpful to revisit what has inspired you in the past. Revisit books, videos, podcasts, or consume new content.

Personally, I find that poetry really gets my juices flowing. One of the first things I'll do if I can't think of anything is to open up one of my books of poetry and just try to understand the message that the writer is trying to communicate.

Trends

Take a look at Google Trends or what's trending on X. This will give you an idea of what people are interested in at this time. See what people are saying about the topics and see if there's a unique perspective or some value you can add to the discussion.

Our post on Barbieheimmer was an example of taking what was trending and applying our branding perspective to it.

Keyword Research

A lot of the times when you're creating content around a certain topic you may miss some of the more basic, easy things that people are actually searching for. You can use a keyword research tool like AnswerThePublic to see what people are actually searching using the keywords of your choice.

One of the projects I was working on, we were creating content around podcasting and how to be a better podcaster. After about 50 episodes where we just talked about our own personal experiences and the actions we were taking to improve and grow our podcasts we ran out of ideas. When we went to answer the public we found some queries that we hadn't even thought of that we could easily talk about:

  • what podcasting equipment do I need
  • what podcast should I listen to
  • is podcasting free
  • podcasting with iPhone
  • podcasting with zoom
  • podcasting for beginners
  • podcast or YouTube channel

These are just a few examples, there were many more ideas to get your brain juices flowing.

Use ChatGPT as a Brainstorming Partner

While I don't think ChatGPT should be used to actually create the content for you, I do think AI is great for brainstorming ideas.

If I were to use ChatGPT to come up with ideas for the Branding Deep Dive Blog, here’s the prompt I would use:

icon
I have a blog where we talk about branding where the goal is to help people build their own brand. We have two ideal customer avatars that we are creating content for:
  • Patricia - A 65 year old female business owner that has had some success but hasn’t been able to adapt to the times. She doesn’t know how to use the internet to get more customers, keep her prospects engaged, or to get more value out of each customer (customer acquisition, customer retention, and customer lifetime value)
  • John - a 25 year old male that works a full time job but is looking to start a business in his free time so he can eventually leave is 9-5

Can you give me a list of 10 blog post ideas that would help either of these two avatars?

Here was ChatGPT’s Response:

icon

Certainly! Here are 10 blog post ideas tailored to your two ideal customer avatars, Patricia and John, to help them with branding and adapting to the modern business landscape:

For Patricia:

  1. "Harnessing the Power of Online Marketing: A Guide for Seasoned Business Owners"
    • Discuss various digital marketing strategies, including social media, email marketing, and SEO, to help Patricia adapt to the internet era.
  2. "Customer Retention Strategies for Long-Term Success"
    • Explore effective techniques for retaining existing customers and increasing their lifetime value, emphasizing the importance of customer relationships.
  3. "Modernizing Your Brand: A Step-by-Step Guide for Established Businesses"
    • Provide a comprehensive roadmap for Patricia to refresh her brand identity and online presence to connect with new and younger audiences.
  4. "The Art of Storytelling in Branding: Crafting Your Compelling Narrative"
    • Explain the significance of storytelling in branding and guide Patricia in sharing her business story effectively to engage and resonate with customers.
  5. "Mastering E-Commerce: Selling Your Products and Services Online"
    • Walk Patricia through the process of setting up an online store, showcasing products or services, and optimizing the user experience for increased sales.

For John:

  1. "Building Your Brand While Working a 9-5: A Guide for Aspiring Entrepreneurs"
    • Offer advice on managing time and resources effectively to kickstart a side business while maintaining a full-time job.
  2. "Digital Marketing on a Budget: Strategies for Startup Entrepreneurs"
    • Share cost-effective online marketing strategies that John can employ to promote his business without breaking the bank.
  3. "Creating a Business Plan for Your Side Hustle: A Step-by-Step Template"
    • Provide a detailed template and guidance for John to create a solid business plan that maps out his goals and strategies.
  4. "Leveraging Social Media for Your Startup: Best Practices and Tips"
    • Discuss the importance of social media for modern businesses and offer actionable tips for using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to grow his brand.
  5. "Turning Your Passion into Profit: Finding Your Niche and Unique Selling Proposition"
    • Help John discover his niche market and identify his unique selling proposition (USP) to stand out in a competitive landscape and attract the right customers.

These blog post ideas should resonate with both Patricia and John, addressing their unique needs and challenges as they navigate the world of branding and entrepreneurship in the digital age.

Let Your Mind Wander

Steve Jobs was known to take long walks everyday, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates supposedly still do their own dishes, and everyone knows that the best ideas come in the shower.

Sometimes when the juices aren’t flowing the best thing you can do is to take some time away from the screen and let your mind wander. Let yourself be bored.

Revisit and Repurpose Old Ideas

Another activity I find very helpful in coming up with new ideas is to actually revisit my old ideas. I do this by going through my old journals, social media posts, blog posts, videos, and podcasts to understand what my perspective on certain concepts and ideas was at the time. More often than not, my perspective has either shifted slightly or I have new experiences that are related to the concept or idea. In both cases, that’s a good starting point for a new post.

If all else fails, don't be afraid to repurpose old ideas. Change up the wording a bit try new headlines, use different examples, go down different rabbit holes, basically dig deeper into the old idea.

A lot of the times, as consumers, we don't actually need new concepts or ideas, we need reminders.