Feed the Beast
Some days I am a content-creating machine. Muses whisper in my ear and words flow from my fingertips; it’s effortless and fun. Blue birds perch on my shoulders and weave ribbons in my hair, and all is right with the world.
And then there are the other days, when the thought bubble above my head is either completely empty or just contains a Snicker’s bar and a half bottle of rum.
If you, like me, still need to produce content on those other days, you need to learn to steal from yourself.
Cover all the angles. Say your company just introduced a new stuffed robotic cat. You learn all about it and write a new product web page. Now what?
- Write a blog post about your furry new friend. (He doesn’t die when you forget to feed him!)
- Write a guest post to submit to an industry-related blog.
- Craft and distribute a press release. When the media writes articles about it, link to those on your website and social media channels.
- Write a white paper about how e-kitties have been proven to reduce loneliness among people who don’t realize their pet is a robot.
- Create an infographic and/or SlideShare presentation comparing the pros and cons of real cats vs. robotic cats. (Fewer hairballs.)
- Post a photo gallery. Ask customers to submit photos of themselves with their fake cats.
- Send emails and social media posts promoting all of the fine resources you’ve created.
The list is endless!
Compile or expand. Here’s a great one for the New Year. Go over your 2015 analytics and figure out which of your blog posts were the most popular. Then do a top 10 countdown. Include a link to each of the old posts, a brief description of each, and boom! instant blog post. See our Top 7 Digital Marketing Projects of 2015.
You can also take a bunch of blog posts on the same topic and compile them into a guide or ebook. Send your contacts an email that directs them to download your new guide from a landing page.
Listsicles (man, I hate that word) are also popular and easy to create. See the 100 Most Important Cat Pictures of All Time.
You can either take highlights from multiple blog posts and put them into a list post, or take a list and expand on each item to make individual posts.
By the Numbers. You know all those stats you gathered for a blog post or white paper? Those graphs and charts you made for a sales presentation? Use the hell out of them. Did we mention that people LOVE infographics? You can also tweet out individual stats or compile all stats from multiple sources into one list.
Recreate or update. If you have content that was popular several years ago, dust it off and update it with current stats and research, put a new spin on it, and send it back into the world. Change it enough that you aren’t putting duplicate content out there, and feel free to put it into a different format. For example, what was once a blog topic could now be an email newsletter. Trust me, no one will remember the old version but you.
Let someone else do it. If you’re tired of writing about a subject, your readers are probably tired of hearing your take on it too. Time for some fresh blood. Do a Q&A with an expert, or someone in your company who might offer a new perspective. You can also reach out to business partners or associates and see if anyone would be willing to submit a guest post. Often an outside perspective carries more weight.
That should be enough to get you rolling, and keep the content flowing even when you’re feeling less than inspired.
And if you’re still struggling, let’s talk. We’ll hook you up with some fresh content, help you put a strategy in place and even watch your robotic cat for you when you’re away.
Diane Callihan
With more than 20 years of experience writing for some of the country’s top brands, Diane helped to shape Roger West’s content strategy, lead generation, and PR efforts as Director of Marketing. She currently serves as President of Callihan Content Creation.