Shhh. Do you hear that noise? That’s the mournful cry of a program that lacks content. If I’m being honest, I’ll admit I’ve heard that sound occasionally myself.
When you work on a communications program for many years, it can sometimes feel exhausting to identify new ideas or topics that move your audience. But don’t lose hope. Play detective instead. Here’s where I start looking for clues.
Look Backwards
Old marketing materials White papers, brochures and even branded images are a potential treasure trove if you look carefully. Plus, it can feel like a “safe starter” for those conservative types that just walked into your brainstorm.
Finished PR programs Consider if published press releases, blogger pitches and speech content imply a direction for your next program.
Past thought leaders Do the company founder’s words offer a useful frame for the business today? Sift through old memos, PowerPoint slides and speeches.
Company archives Audiences love a “Before and After” story. What’s yours? (If you don’t know, better find out quick.)
Industry history Do you know how many players were in your niche in the beginning? Or how the sector grew over time? If you do, you could hypothesize about what that means for the future.
Current best practices How did your firm codify its processes? Why was one approach better than another? If you know why “we do it that way,” you’ll be better able to articulate why it matters to your buyers.
Look Sideways
External survey of clients and prospects This is the oldest trick in the content book, but it is often curiously missing from many marketing plans. Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking they already know what matters, or sometimes they think that pre-existing data can be the basis for unrelated marketing programs. Don’t make either mistake. Fight to design a survey that will start your program off on the right foot.
The latest headlines Your company is not alone in the universe…and never will be. Have you reviewed your RSS feeds and news coverage on contextual trends? What are the implications for your own strategic direction?
Competitive thought leaders I bet you closely monitor your competitors’ business moves. But how much time do you spend closely reviewing their thought leaders’ moves? Where was their most recent speech? Are they answering questions on LinkedIn? How do they compare to your thought leader on Google page rank? You can’t create business-to-business content in a vacuum.
Association news What groups do your leaders belong to? What meetings do they attend? There’s a chance to do more than networking at association events and committee meetings. Look at newsletters and meeting agenda for blog ideas and intelligence about key market moves.
Tools We’ve all enjoyed the benefits of Google Alerts for some time. But there is a proliferating host of tools that offer almost real-time intelligence on the analytics and topics that matter the most. For a start, look into:
Google’s Blog Finder: Identifies the blogs that matter to your audience
48ers.com: Offers real-time social search capabilities across the major social networks
Backtype: Captures who discusses your topic in blog comments
Feedera: Determines what galvanizes your own Twitter community to share
Dan Zarrella’s Most Retweetable Words Finder: Figures out the words will get you more “retweets” on Twitter
Facepinch: Gives you real time search on the world’s biggest social network
Look Inside
It’s always about analytics You are your own best resource. What does Google analytics tell you about your site? What calls to action matter most? Where are your customers coming from? Who opens your email blasts – and who doesn’t? Are your sales up in the summer or the winter? Simply put, anyone interested in content must become interested in analytics.
SEO Search engines recognize good content. But we make it easier for them to find us when we use the right keywords against the right competitive context. Do the research to understand where you fit in. The bonus? Immediate clues as to what kinds of content need to be created.
Internal surveys It’s kind of amazing how often leaders forget their most important advocates: their people. You should survey employees quarterly–and not just for feedback. They know the secret to why your customer decides to buy.
Bookmarks Is your blog getting bookmarked on Delicious? By whom? How does it compare to bookmarks on a competitor’s content?
Niche communities It’s not always a Facebook world. There are thriving communities and forums that don’t care about name brand cachet. Find them.
Location, location, location It matters for more than real estate. Do you know how different regions or cities or countries consume your information? If you did, you could create customized stories that targeted their needs.
Adam & Eve As a society, we are hardwired to think of the differences between male and female perspectives. Take advantage of that and look for ideas that reflect that division.
Age before beauty It’s nearly impossible to read a newspaper without seeing at least one story that focuses on an age group. Boomers retiring, Millennials growing up, Tweens going nuts for Justin Beiber. Human beings like content that feels designed for where they are in life right now.
End users Who are your customers’ customers? Do you know what keeps them up at night? If you did, you could develop ideas that made you essential to your clients.
So take a little time to look backwards, sideways and inside for clues. Then you’ll find it’s easy to move forward with meaningful content that activates your audience.
What clues would you add to this list?
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