Ever felt the nagging weight of knowing you should share fresh, intriguing content with your audience, but are at a loss for inspiration?
Authors call it writer’s block, content marketers call it a creation rut.
To pull you out of your creation rut and get you back to delivering value to your customers, we’ve pooled four awesome sources for the next time you’re in a content creation rut.
1. Social Media
Social Media is teaming with articles, trending topics, videos and images. While you might need to sort through the not so relevant content to find what you’re looking for, it’s a wealth of information.
The key is to look at the content linked to posts; for example, a friend might post an interesting article on Facebook, linking back to the original site where it was published — a great resource for seeing what people are talking about and which media outlets, brands, etc. they’re following.
2. News Feeds
Check out some of your favorite online publications, such as the New York Times, Time Magazine or Inc.com for content inspiration. What makes these sites so great is the sheer breadth and depth of information.
You can easily narrow down your search based on topic or category, and get straight to the nitty gritty. Many sites also offer the options to send email alerts based on certain topics.
3. Google Alerts
Like casting a net across the entire ocean, Google Alerts is a sure-fire way to find any and everything you’re looking for.
The overwhelming volume of content can easily be amended by filtering your results based on format (i.e. site, pdf, etc.) and topic. Results can be sent directly to your email or an RSS feed.
4. Socially-Curated Sites
Reddit is probably the best-known example of a socially-curated site. Users around the world are contributing their thoughts, ideas, commentary and knowledge every second.
It’s a great way to get the pulse of consumers, specifically if you can narrow your search down to the desired topic.
Subreddits are designated by a /r/ coming after the URL, to focus on certain topics. For example, https://www.reddit.com/r/ContentMarketing/.
A Few Extra Trips
Prepare Content in Advance
You never know when a creation rut will hit you, so next time you’re feeling inspired, prepare excess content to be shared at a later date.
Share, Then Listen
Your content is only as valuable as it is being received. Look at how users are interacting and engaging (or not!) with your content — are you hitting the mark?
Stay “In the Know”
The pace of life and business can be hectic. As a marketer, you must stay ahead of the curve, so the content you’re sharing with your audience is the most relevant and valuable. Otherwise, you risk being perceived as “outdated” or late.
Looking for more resources on content creation? Contact us today.
