How to Brainstorm Content
Over and over you hear people talk about the importance of generating content for your website . . . blah, blah, blah. But, what happens when you don’t even know where to begin? Our handy brainstorming guide helps you get the creativity flowing for more high-quality content than you can imagine!
1. Start with client need.
Everyone who visits your website or seeks out your business comes because they have a problem. It’s your job to figure out what those problems are and how to solve them. So, pull out your pen and paper or notes app to start the list:
Not enough space – need more functionality in the pieces they own.
Too much space – having trouble styling an oversized room.
Need an updated look, but not sure what type of style works for them and their home.
Want to refresh color scheme, but don’t know where to start.
You keep going here . . . we don’t know your customers.
Now, flip the problem into a solution and you have a list of titles you can write articles about:
a. How to Maximize Storage in a Small Space
b. Creating Zones to Craft a Cozy Feeling
c. Find Your Ideal Style
d. Update Your Home with a Splash of Color
2. Educate your audience.
Write about the things that make your business/industry interesting. For example, if you’re a furniture maker, write about different techniques in woodworking. If you’re a room stylist, explain how you make different arrangement choices. If you’re a manufacturer, explain why only X number of sofas are produced or how you increase manufacturing outputs with automation.
These types of articles showcase your level of expertise within the industry and help build trust with customers and clients. Plus, they’re great for SEO! They are keyword rich and work especially well for driving traffic when you secure backlinks from other industry websites.
3. Offer Inspiration.
Even if someone doesn’t want a DIY Project, they want to feel like the ‘could’ if they ‘wanted’ to. So, why not offer up a step-by-step article about staining a Yard Sale score or put together a Before/After montage of room makeovers? When you help someone create a greater vision for themselves and their homes, you’re developing a strong following that may turn into a customer base when they realize how much they really prefer a DIFM project!
4. Choose the Right Content Form
People absorb information in different ways, so it’s important to identify the best way to communicate your message.
A quiz is a great way to help someone determine the best style for their home.
An infographic is a wonderful way to help people explore the influence of different colors in varying environments.
And a good old-fashioned article is the best way to help someone see and understand the steps necessary for refinishing a piece of furniture.
You can also use different forms to communicate a similar message. Be careful that you don’t duplicate your content exactly or you’ll get dinged by Google.
Content Promotion
Once you have a larger piece of content complete, break the article or visual into key ideas that you can use as social media posts. Why? If you have 10 lead-in lines/social posts about your infographic, you increase your odds of getting more visitors to your site than if you publish the infographic and announce it with only one social media post.
After you create your list of social media posts, schedule them using a program like Sprout Social or Hootsuite. Then, you won’t have to worry about whether or not you shared any relevant content on a particular day. You know that you did because you maximized the number of posts from a since piece of longer content.
The unifying idea with all of this, of course, is to work smarter . . . not harder. After all, you’re busy trying to run a home furnishings business – you need to devote time to sales, your showroom and your employees. We simply present an easy way to brainstorm ideas for content, then pull it apart to maximize access to it online.
Do you have any other ideas or suggestions for getting more results from minimal effort when it comes to creating content? Leave a comment below to help your business associates grow with new ideas and business practices.