[et_pb_section admin_label=”Top skinny IC Logo Section” global_module=”26126″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#cc4315″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”on” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_css_main_element=”@media only screen and (min-width: 1350px)||.page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0, .page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0 .et_pb_row_0 {||padding: 0 !important;||}” custom_padding=”0px||0px|”][et_pb_row global_parent=”26126″ admin_label=”Row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” padding_top_1=”0px” padding_right_1=”0px” padding_bottom_1=”0px” padding_left_1=”0px” column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_margin=”0px||0px|” custom_css_main_element=”@media only screen and (min-width: 1350px)||.page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0, .page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0 .et_pb_row_0 {||padding: 0 !important;||}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_image global_parent=”26126″ admin_label=”IC logo Image” src=”https://iriscontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/IC-logo-horizontal-framed-e1468862028685.jpg” alt=”Iris Content logo” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”off” sticky=”off” align=”center” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”0px|0px|0px|0px” custom_css_main_element=”@media only screen and (min-width: 1350px)||.page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0, .page-id-25059 .et_pb_section_0 .et_pb_row_0 {||padding: 0 !important;||}” url=”https://iriscontent.com”] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label=”section” background_image=”https://iriscontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/IMG_285963.jpg” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#ffffff” allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_divider admin_label=”Divider” color=”#ffffff” show_divider=”off” height=”200″ divider_style=”solid” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on”] [/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Blog Post Title Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” max_width=”620px” text_font=”Cantata One||||” text_font_size=”72″ text_text_color=”#ffffff” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”0px||0px|” text_line_height=”1.1em” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” text_font_size_tablet=”52″]
Getting Creative With Your Content: 7 Ways To Be Successful
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MARCH 2017
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When it comes to writing, all writers fear one thing: writer’s block. It’s that dreaded wall of emptiness that happens to even the best. But I believe that the one that should top this void is the creativity block. Once creativity starts to fade, we all know what’s next. One mention of “lack of creativity” and writers go ballistic.
But it’s not that easy to turn on creativity like a flick of a switch. It thrives on novelty, so they say. Writers tend to stay on their “comfort writing zones” and aren’t to daring to try something new – hey, we’re only human! But we need to connect to our writers! We need to answer their curiosities! We need a novel and expert content provider to bring on the creativity.
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Here are ways content marketers and providers can scrounge and unleash some inner creativity:
Sleep on it
Wait, did I say sleep? Yes. Remember when Charlie Brown put his notebook under his pillow in the hopes that the answers will creep up to his brains while sleeping and help him in his exam the following day? Well, in a way, creativity works that way. One thing I learned as an editor, is to sleep on an article and make changes (if ever) the following day. Some things can’t be solved when you first see it. You have to let the mysteries of the land of nod and the world of dreams take over.
Look within your realm
Instead of relying on Google to send forth some creativity, try to find inspiration inside your business. Sort of like a self-help session with the rest of your colleagues. In a healthy office environment, the lively company banter is a great source of inspiration. Use your team’s past experiences outside the world of your business to bring in new perspectives on different topics.
In fact, allow other colleagues outside the content team to join in to give some content marketing help. They may not know how to write it, but they can have a compelling story to tell. You just have to listen to their perspectives.
Perspectives don’t always have to come from THE experts. It can still be credible even if they are from mere mortals like your humble team. These are your everyday people – people who talk to customers and know what language to use. For me, the more original the content from your realm sounds, the more likely it’s going to engage your target audience.
Talk to experts
So after some team bonding, go ask an expert. Go to your favorite blogger slash expert content provider in your niche about creativity and compelling content. His may be similar to yours in tackling creativity but then you could always see it differently and that’s one source you could use.
Talk to your readers
The third great source of inspiration is your audience. Ask them what they want to read about. They will tell you exactly what they want, how they want to see it, when they want to read it. Let them become the expert content provider and source of inspiration you need. They will gladly give it to you. All you have to do is ask.
Break down the boundaries
Remember when they tore down the Berlin Wall? It opened up a new world of ideas from both sides. Same should happen with your content. Stop limiting to ideas within your niche. Whatever industry you’re into, just don’t stay within the confines of your industry. You can engage more people with a diverse audience related to your niche.
For instance, if you sell beds, not all your content should be about beds. Diversify into linens, coffee, tea, aromatherapy, pillows, cases, lamps, comforters, carpets, bedroom curtains, books (yes, books!) and a whole lot more! Just make sure your content treads on so many avenues that makes it so much fun to read.
Keep a recorder handy
Or a notebook; whichever you find convenient to jot down your ideas. It could be at the turn of the corner, as you pour milk on your coffee or as you switch off your car in the garage. Ideas can come from any source at any given time. If you don’t have a photographic memory, those thoughts could get lost forever. Even solutions can sprout on their own from the most disconnected places.
Allow yourself to daydream
And finally, in this hectic and fast track world, there hardly seems time for any daydreaming. I loved spacing out back in grade school. It allowed me to set my mind forth into an unreality that was all mine. Not all daydreaming sessions will produce a lit lightbulb but once in a while, it’s good to visit this world.
Conclusion
It is our obligation as content creators to grab creativity by the horns and shove it down our content so that it compels our readers. What action do we want our readers to do? Is it to subscribe? To share? Or just to be inspired to do something for themselves? They are there, hungry for content, craving for answers, yearning for solutions.
In the final analysis, the content we produce is not your ordinary run-of-the-mill content. It should inspire people to act because your writings compelled them to do so. And it was only through your very own creativity.
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”50px|||” padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_divider admin_label=”Divider” color=”#7e8f7c” show_divider=”on” divider_style=”solid” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”off”] [/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”17px|||” padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on” custom_padding=”50px|||” custom_padding_tablet=”30px|||” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” custom_padding=”17px|||” padding_mobile=”on” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_divider admin_label=”Divider” color=”#cc4315″ show_divider=”on” divider_style=”groove” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on”] [/et_pb_divider][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label=”Blog post main Section” fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”FDF3E7″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” padding_mobile=”off” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” make_equal=”off” use_custom_gutter=”off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”Row” make_fullwidth=”off” use_custom_width=”off” width_unit=”on” use_custom_gutter=”off” padding_mobile=”off” allow_player_pause=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” make_equal=”off” parallax_1=”off” parallax_method_1=”off” parallax_2=”off” parallax_method_2=”off” column_padding_mobile=”on”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https://iriscontent.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Anie-blogging-site.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” animation=”left” sticky=”off” align=”right” force_fullwidth=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] [/et_pb_image][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_team_member admin_label=”Person” name=”Annie Ianko” position=”Chief Content Geek” animation=”off” background_layout=”light” facebook_url=”https://www.facebook.com/IrisWebContent/” twitter_url=”https://twitter.com/Iris_Content” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_css_main_element=”box-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(0,0,0,.1);||”]
Annie has 19 years’ experience as an editor and content creator and manager. With work in television and written media, she has dedicated her past 10 years to learning the ropes of online content creation, from writing to editing, from SEO to content management.
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