How to Come Up With Endless Content Ideas

You've done it! You've set up your social media accounts, and you're ready to start posting. Or maybe you've been posting for a while, but you've used up all your ideas. So now what? How do you come up with new ideas for content to post?

Well friends, I'm going to share a trade secret with you: there's no such thing as "new content." Think about the volume of posts put out daily on social media. Even if you have a unique idea, chances are it's been done before, somewhere. What makes content unique is the personal touch from you or your brand. Making content is all about borrowing ideas from other places, and putting your own spin on it. That's what a "trend" is!

So how can you apply this to your own brand? I've put together a simple 3-step process to come up with a truly endless amount of content ideas for your social media platforms.

Step 1: audience Research

The number-one tip I have for you when coming up with content is to focus on your audience. If you don't have a target audience for your content, now is the time to pick one (and no, "everyone" does not count).

Once you know your target do some background research. Think about things like their behaviors, beliefs, habits, and similar details. Take notes to help you remember for later. This will show you what your audience values, and help you to ensure that what you create will really resonate with them.

Step 2: Competitor research

Think of some popular brands in your niche and spend some time scrolling through their accounts. What types of content do they post? You'll likely start to see patterns emerge. Try to group their content into a couple of main categories. Be sure to note what types of content perform particularly well.

For example, I'm doing some social media marketing work right now for a new marching arts academy. To do competitor research, I've looked at popular accounts like DCI, WGI, and others that fit into the "marching arts" niche. Then I've grouped their content into a couple of main types, including "action shots," "merch photos," "member spotlights," "action videos," and "memes."

What you call the content categories isn't important, just choose something that makes sense to you. When you've finished, look at your list. Now you have a list of ideas for different types of content you can post! Don't be worried about repeating content types. Especially if a piece of content seems to perform well, give your audience more of what they want!

Step 3: Rinse and repeat

This probably could have been a 2-step process, but repeating the previous two steps is

highly valuable. Any time you feel like you're hitting a roadblock, just do some more audience research and competitor research. You're almost guaranteed to find a new insight or trend that can be applied to your content creation. This is what makes this process endless. If you continue to repeat it you'll never run out of ideas!

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Still have questions? Or maybe reading this article brought up a new idea or concern? I'm here to help. With over 5 years of professional social media marketing experience behind my belt, I'd be happy to talk through any problems or ideas you may be having. Want to schedule a social media consultation with me? You can contact me here. Concerned about cost? Don't hesitate to reach out, as I offer flexible pricing options to fit your individual budget needs!