Beating the Content Slump

The dawn of the content revolution felt like a breath of fresh air. No more dull banner ads, pop ups, useless data-hungry contests or glossy two-page spreads instead we would get 'personal' content that engaged with us emotionally. And we did... again and again and again.

Content booms come in waves and branded content is no different. We saw a big wave with blogging around 2004, podcasting's time to shine was 2015, and content marketing's time is now. Creating new, relevant, engaged content can be hard but all hope is not lost, dear friends... we just need a change of perspective. If you're feeling stuck in a content slump we have five tips to help you climb out:

  1. Look outside your industry. There are conversations happening all over the internet that may not be directly related to your industry but could provide context or an alternative perspective to an issue you and your audience know well. Do something (seemingly) boring or unrelated and you might just get inspired.
  2. Be original. Creating regular content can feel like a grind but you have to make sure that your posts have an opinion. You're setting yourself up as a brand publisher so you have to take a stance. If you know your brand's character inside out this should be easy. If you can't find a new perspective internally, guest posts are the best way to invite a new voice into the room without giving up the microphone.
  3. Remember, value comes first. Publishing as a brand requires a tricky balance because the bottom line is always meeting marketing goals but the means is a subjective, creative process. If you keep 'adding value' at the top of your content goals you will end up with more loyal readers (and more loyal customers).
  4. Don't be afraid of changing your platform. Unless your content calendar is set in stone (which it shouldn't be), you should play with form if you're feeling uninspired. Taking what would have been a static post and turning it into a live discussion you can offload some stress of finding the 'right' words for an issue and prompt interaction with your audience.
  5. Relax! If you can't think of something to publish, we bet your boss would FAR prefer you do nothing than put out a piece of inferior content. Give yourself some slack and then see tip #1 for some inspiration.
Sofia Barattieri