The right way to Generate Efficient Concepts

Many profitable advertising and marketing groups use content material brainstorming to generate concepts on what to create.

On this information, we’ll share the information and methods you need to use to run brainstorming periods successfully.

However let’s cowl the fundamentals first.

What Is Brainstorming?

Brainstorming is when a gaggle of individuals share spontaneous concepts as proposed options to an issue. It’s a course of designed to encourage creativity and collaboration.

For instance, in a content material brainstorm, individuals may verbally share weblog put up concepts whereas one particular person writes them down on a whiteboard.

Usually, the objective is to generate as many concepts as attainable. And refine them later.

So, individuals are inspired to share no matter involves thoughts. And keep away from passing judgment on different individuals’s concepts.

What Is Content material Brainstorming?

Content material brainstorming is brainstorming to give you content material concepts—i.e., ideas for weblog posts, movies, infographics, and different forms of content material.

It may be an environment friendly technique to produce distinctive, various, and plentiful concepts for a content material calendar.

As a result of it:

• Gathers concepts from a number of individuals
• Permits individuals to iterate on others’ concepts
• Liberates individuals from concern of judgment

And the extra content material concepts you’ve, the better will probably be to search out ones that work in your content material advertising and marketing technique.

9 Content material Brainstorming Concepts

Experiment with these contentbrainstormingideas to see what works finest in your group:

1. Use Semrush’s Subject Analysis Device

With Semrush’s Subject Analysis instrument, you will discover fashionable and trending subtopics in your area of interest. Which make nice launchpads in your content material brainstorm.

Enter a essential matter to base your search round.

Then, select your nation and click on “Get content material concepts.”

The instrument will current a wide range of subtopic concepts. 

Which you’ll be able to type by:

• Quantity: The common variety of occasions the subtopic is Googled every month
• Problem: How laborious will probably be to rank extremely for the subtopic in Google, expressed as a share known as “Key phrase issue”
• Subject Effectivity: A measure of the subtopic’s general web optimization potential, based mostly on the subtopic’s quantity and issue

Change the toggle to concentrate on trending subtopics, that are marked with a flame icon.

When you want extra inspiration, click on “Present extra” on any subtopic.

You’ll see:

• Headlines: The highest 10 headlines for the primary key phrase, prioritized by which of them have probably the most backlinks (hyperlinks from different websites)
• Questions: An inventory of associated questions that you simply may wish to reply in your content material
• Associated searches: Some related search queries that present up on Google

2. Create a Thoughts Map

A thoughts map is a visible illustration of linked concepts.

Right here’s an instance of what a thoughts map can appear like (this one is from inside Key phrase Supervisor and based mostly on associated key phrases):

You begin within the heart along with your essential matter. Then, department off into associated subtopics and maintain branching off till you’ve your last concepts.

This course of means that you can construct concepts one step at a time.

You are able to do thoughts mapping with a pen and paper. However we suggest utilizing a instrument like Miro. To make it simple to collaborate and create extra complicated diagrams.

3. Curate and Reference a Swipe File

A swipe file is a group of content material you will get inspiration from.

For instance, you may jot down catchy headlines to make use of as fashions you wish to emulate. Or bookmark weblog posts that cowl matters you wish to write about.

Irrespective of how or the place you retailer it, maintain your inspirational content material organized so it’s simple to flick through while you’re brainstorming matters.

Pocket is a good instrument for saving articles, as a result of you may add tags and spotlight key passages.

Notice {that a} swipe file is usually curated naturally over time. As you notice nice content material in your day-to-day life. 

However you may hunt down inspiration purposefully. We’ll clarify how within the subsequent part.

4. Search Out Nice Content material Examples

content material advertising and marketing examples is without doubt one of the finest methods to get inspiration throughout a brainstorm.

Seek for helpful concepts and roundups on Google. With queries like this:

• “[your niche] content material examples”
• “[your topic] content material concepts”
• “[content format] advertising and marketing examples”

You can too get inspiration from:

• Case research on company and awards web sites (e.g., The Drum Awards)
• On-line design portfolios (e.g., samples shared on Behance and Dribbble)
• Blogs and social media profiles in your area of interest (e.g., a competitor’s Instagram account)

5. Ask Your Viewers for Concepts

You wish to give your audience what they need—so why not ask them for concepts?

Simply add a message asking readers what they’d prefer to see from you to your social media platforms or electronic mail publication. 

Like podcaster Natalie Brunell did right here: 

Then, flick through the options throughout your content material brainstorm.

6. Carry out Key phrase Analysis

Key phrase analysis is the method of discovering what your audience searches for utilizing Google (or different search engines like google and yahoo).

That is significantly useful for those who’re brainstorming concepts to assist your SEO (web optimization) technique. As a result of it tells you what content material in your area of interest is in demand.

To get began, go to Semrush’s Key phrase Magic Device.

Enter a time period to base your analysis round, then select your nation and click on “Search.”

The instrument will present an inventory of “Broad Match” key phrases that include your beginning time period(s) or an in depth variation.

Within the “Quantity” column, you’ll see what number of searches every key phrase sometimes will get every month.

We suggest that you simply filter for key phrases with informational search intent.

These are queries that folks use to search out data. So, they’re good for prompting content material concepts.

7. Attempt the 6-3-5 Technique

The 6-3-5 methodology is a brainstorming method that includes six individuals. However it may be tailored for different group sizes.

Right here’s the way it works:

Every participant receives a bit of paper (or on-line doc) with a problem on the high—e.g., “Give you video concepts associated to distant working.” They usually get 5 minutes to silently add three concepts.

Individuals then swap sheets and add three extra concepts. And repeat till they’ve contributed to each problem.

It’ll take simply over half an hour to generate 108 concepts (six individuals x three concepts x six rounds). On the finish, you may talk about your outcomes and collect any further concepts.

This methodology permits everybody within the group to contribute and construct on one another’s concepts. Whereas offering house for impartial thought.

8. Immediate Concepts with Random Phrases

Use a random phrase generator instrument to offer you phrases or phrases to make use of as prompts. Then, problem your group to brainstorm content material concepts or headlines round them.

This can be a nice technique to encourage out-of-the-box considering. And whilst you won’t use all of the preliminary concepts, they will spark fascinating ideas and discussions.

For instance, listed below are three randomly generated phrases and content material concepts they impressed:

• Remorse: Why You Gained’t Remorse Going Freelance: 5 Mother and father Share Their Tales
• Widespread: The Widespread Denominators of Profitable Distant Groups
• Maintain: The right way to Put Work on Maintain When You Have a Residence Workplace

9. Adapt Concepts with the SCAMPER Framework

SCAMPER is a set of methods for producing new concepts from current concepts. 

So, it may possibly assist you to put a brand new twist on an current piece of content material. Or extract extra worth from concepts you’ve already brainstormed. 

Let’s break the acronym down:

Let’s say we’ve a productiveness information for distant staff.

We may:

• Substitute the present inventory photos with authentic infographics
• Mix the article with a weekly electronic mail publication that delivers bite-sized productiveness hacks
• Adapt the article to focus particularly on distant staff with younger youngsters
• Enlarge the human side of the article by incorporating success tales
• Put it to a different use by repurposing it right into a downloadable e-book
• Get rid of commonplace recommendation to create a information that focuses on novel ideas
• Reverse the concept by sharing productiveness myths somewhat than productiveness hacks

Greatest Practices for Content material Brainstorming

To get probably the most out of your content material brainstorming session, comply with these finest practices:

Create Efficient Prompts to Information Your Efforts

First, it’s essential to outline the objective of your brainstorming session. You’ll be able to then create a number of prompts to direct individuals’ considering.

Keep away from obscure prompts just like the one under. These may cause individuals to turn into overwhelmed and unfocused. 

❌ Brainstorm content material concepts

Equally, keep away from being too particular. Prompts like this could stifle creativity:

❌ Brainstorm infographic concepts that debate the ergonomic advantages of adjustable workplace chairs with lumbar assist, focused particularly at freelance graphic designers working in house places of work

As an alternative, attempt to land someplace within the center. Solely introduce constraints in the event that they’re vital for the objective. Or to offer your individuals some route.

For instance, it’s useful to concentrate on the related platform(s) for those who’re doing social media brainstorming. 

✅ Brainstorm video concepts that can permit us to interact freelancers on TikTok

Set Floor Guidelines

Along with sharing the objective with individuals, make it clear what’s anticipated of them through the brainstorming session.

Listed here are some guidelines you may wish to undertake:

• Share any concepts that come to thoughts, even when they appear outlandish or impractical
• Keep away from evaluating or critiquing different individuals’s concepts
• Use different individuals’s concepts to spark your personal creativity
• Keep away from distractions (e.g., maintain laptops closed)

It’s additionally finest to determine a time constraint for every brainstorming session or exercise. 

Attempt working in five-minute bursts with brief breaks in between. This could assist your individuals keep centered.

Begin with an Ice-Breaker Exercise

Ice-breaker actions can assist individuals really feel extra comfy earlier than the brainstorming course of begins. Particularly in the event that they’re working with an unfamiliar group of individuals.

These actions can even get individuals right into a inventive mindset.

For instance, you possibly can:

• Play a trivia quiz on Sporcle
• Watch and discussing a related video 
• Take turns including sentences to construct a narrative

Observe Efficient File-Conserving

Visibly document concepts through the content material brainstorming session so individuals can use them to spark concepts of their very own. And they also’re not forgotten later.

You may ask one particular person to take notes. However they could battle to seize every thing mentioned. And get little alternative to contribute their ideas.

As an alternative, ask everybody to jot down their very own concepts: 

• When you’re brainstorming in particular person, you possibly can use sticky notes and put up them on the wall
• When you’re brainstorming on-line, you need to use a cloud-based doc or digital whiteboard

However let individuals know that you simply’ll polish the notes later. 

That means, everybody can concentrate on considering. Relatively than note-keeping.

Attempt Totally different Brainstorming Methods

Experiment with a few of the completely different brainstorming methods we talked about to see what works finest in your group.

Whereas some entrepreneurs desire a conventional strategy, others will profit from utilizing sure instruments and constructions.

Plus, completely different ideation strategies maintain issues recent. And encourage individuals to suppose in new methods. So, they’re nice for sparking creativity.

What to Do After Brainstorming

As soon as your content material brainstorm is full, compile your group’s notes in a single doc.

You’ll be able to then begin to polish and prioritize content material concepts. Contemplating components like:

• web optimization potential: How many individuals are looking for this matter and the way excessive may you rank in search outcomes?
• Target market: Does the subject align along with your audience’s wants and preferences?
• Sources: Do you’ve the abilities, instruments, and time required to create the content material?
• Advertising and marketing objectives: How a lot will this content material assist gross sales, lead technology, and so on.?
• Relevance: Does the subject align along with your model id? And is it related proper now?

To streamline the method, acquire content material concepts and information with Semrush’s Subject Analysis instrument.

This put up was up to date in 2024. Excerpts from the unique article by James Brockbank might stay.