Yesterday morning, I walked past a truck driver stuck in some snow.
I didn’t want to get too close, because he was really having a hard time getting out and looked a bit out of control: wheels spinning, back end fishtailing, not making any headway. Luckily, he had a coworker with a shovel helping to dig him out and get unstuck. It can be easy to get stuck with our content creation in these early months of the year, too. Business has yet to pick up, news is slow, and we’re in danger of just spinning our wheels with uninteresting, uninspired content.
How can you dig yourself out?
Different types of content — in both form and topic — can often shake off those cobwebs and help you create a useful piece. Here are six to think about:
1. News roundup
An RSS feed or your Twitter followers are always a great source of content. Can’t think of anything to write a few hundred words about? Round up some of the best articles you’ve seen in the past few days and provide a brief commentary on each.
2. Response piece
Did an industry development — or national news related to your industry— draw up a particularly strong emotion for you recently? Have you read an industry-related editorial that you disagreed with? Share your thoughts— respectfully and constructively— on your own blog. You might even spark some healthy dialogue.
3. Make a list
Although recently some people insist on calling them “listicles” — as if they’re a new form of writing— articles in the form of lists have connected with readers for a very long time. Hopefully this one is connecting with you right now. Some ideas for the industrial space: “5 reasons why Technology X is the best development of the last 10 years” “10 reasons to choose X over Y” “7 reasons Technology Z is still around today.”
4. Visual storytelling
You’ll mostly hear this term used for short-form video like Instagram and Vine, but you can also tell a story by creating a visual blog post with some photos. You don’t need to be a pro — your smartphone is probably capable of much better pictures than the digital camera you had several years ago. Take some “on the job” or “day in the life” shots around your facility and give your readers a glimpse inside.
5. Write a “how-to”
Fall back on what you know best and give readers insight into your best practices for a process or technology you excel at. This type of “evergreen” content often ends up being among your most successful pieces — it’s always relevant.
Share your “greatest hits”
Everyone has a few customer stories they’re particularly proud of. It doesn’t matter when it happened — if it’s a good one, your readers will relate. Did you work around the clock to fill an emergency order, or come through for a customer who was out of options? Did you produce a particularly innovative custom piece to fit a difficult project? What stories do you tell your friends and family when you talk about work? More often than not, they’ll make a good blog, too.
Never think of your content strategy as existing in a bubble or a box. It’s OK — and often necessary — to draw from the vast wealth of information and content that’s already out there. And different ways of sharing information and stories will keep your readers reading.
Did you find this useful?
