5 Tips to Get More Creative with Your Content Marketing
I have been in love with the arts in all forms since I was a child. I have been a dancer, a singer, a playwright, a poet, an actress, a screenwriter, a spotlight operator, a songwriter, a guitar player, a keyboardist, and an author.
I run a creativity blog, and I constantly encourage and support other artists and creative people in any way I can.
Creativity is a big part of my life.
Some of you may not think of yourselves as creative people, however. You probably think of yourself as marketers or business people. So when it comes to creating content, you may not know how to come up with ideas.
As any type of content creator, bringing more creativity into your life is always a great goal to have. But how do you go about doing that?
Here are some tips.
Think outside the box.
A good way to bring more creativity to your content marketing is to think outside the box. Sure, you could throw up another listicle. Everyone loves a listicle. But ask yourself what kind of content you can create that’s truly unique?
One good example of this is the recent Shutterstock spoof video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5mz0wb7wi4) of the Fyre festival.
The Fyre festival was supposed to be a music festival on an island that went horribly wrong. The reason it sold so many tickets though was because they put out a video of a bunch of models and influencers partying on an island and made people think that was what the festival would be like.
Shutterstock then made video spoofing this but also showcasing their stock footage. That’s some out of the box thinking that really paid off.
Surprise your audience.
Show your audience something they haven’t seen before. Take their expectations and subvert them. You don’t want to do this in a way that alienates the audience, but surprise can be a remarkable thing in content.
When your audience is surprised, they will remember your message more and be more inclined to share your content with their friends and family.
So how do you go about surprising your audience? Make a list of everything you think your audience expects from your content. Go through the list and think of the opposite of each item on the list.
I’m not saying to always do the opposite of what people expect just for the sake of doing it. But thinking about how you could subvert expectations will likely help you to find an idea that will be surprising to your audience.
Be authentic.
People don’t sit through the commercials on TV anymore. If they’re forced to watch an ad, they’re probably checking Snapchat or Instagram while its on and not paying attention. People don’t like “advertising” that feels like they are being sold to.
Tom Fishburne said, “The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing.” I think the best way to create content that doesn’t feel “salesy” is to be authentic.
Be clear and honest about who you are as a business, as a content creator, and create content that is sincere and genuine. No one wants to be presented with something that feels fake.
To be truly creative, you have to be honest. You also have to be vulnerable. But as much of that into your content marketing as you can.
Repurpose old content in a new way.
Old content can always be made new again. Look back on old blog posts you posted years ago or YouTube videos. Chances are, you’ve learned so much since then.
You can always go back and bring something fresh and new to that old piece of content. And try presenting it in a new way.
Turn a blog post into a podcast. Turn a video into a blog post. There’s always a new way to repurpose an old piece of content. And you can bring a new perspective to it as well, which will be refreshing.
Borrow from other creatives.
If you get really stuck, there’s nothing wrong with looking at how other creative people have approached their content and borrowing some ideas. Use them as inspiration.
You don’t want to blatantly copy someone else’s content, but using an idea as a jumping off point is not only fine, all creative people do this! As a writer, I’m always inspired by music or another piece of art.
Wise people want to learn from the best (https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2019/01/best-content-marketing-examples/). They want to make connections between “the familiar and the possible,” as Jodi Harris from Content Marketing Institute said.
These are just some tips to help you to find your own creativity so that you can pour it into your content marketing. You may want to try anything that pushes you outside of your comfort zone as well and gets you thinking in a more creative mindset.
Sara Crawford is a digital content strategist for WT Digital Agency (https://wtmarketing.com) and an author from Atlanta, Georgia. She has written novels, produced her own plays, and performed as a singer/songwriter. She is passionate about the act of creation, and she adores the written word. Follow her on Twitter. (https://twitter.com/sara_crawford)
