Lauren Mogg
- Feb 14, 2023
- 5 min read

6-step (and super simple) process for generating content ideas

Generating effective marketing content can be a challenge, but it's an essential part of any successful marketing strategy. Marketing content is the foundation of building brand awareness, establishing authority, driving conversions and nurturing leads. However, coming up with fresh and engaging ideas can take much time and effort, meaning it's set to the bottom of our priorities list. This is why it's essential to have a structured process in place to help you generate ideas that will resonate with your target audience and achieve your marketing goals. In this blog, I'll be sharing my 6-step process for developing marketing content ideas that are simple and easy to put into action.

By following this process, you can generate a wide range of ideas for different types of content, from blog posts and videos to social media updates and email campaigns. Whether you're just getting started with content marketing or looking to reinvigorate your strategy, this process will help you come up with ideas that will engage your target audience and drive results for your business.

So, let's dive in and explore the 6-step process for generating marketing content ideas!

1. Know your target audience

Knowing your audience before creating marketing content is crucial because it helps you understand what type of content will resonate with them and helps to achieve your marketing goals. When defining your target market, consider their demographics, interests, pain points and the questions they may have about your products or services.

Pro tip: A great way to build a picture of your target market is to create an audience avatar. Add a wide range of questions to help develop a clearer picture of the person you're targeting (e.g: what do they search for on Google, where do they go shopping, what's their perfect day out, what's their ideal night in, what do they spend their disposable income on?).

When you know your audience, you can create content that speaks to their interests, pain points and questions. This helps build a connection with them and increases the chances that they will engage with your content and take the desired action, whether it's visiting your website, making a purchase, or filling out a form.

Knowing your audience allows you to tailor your content to their specific needs and preferences. For example, if you've identified that your target audience consists of busy professionals, you might create shorter, more concise content that's easy to consume on the go. On the other hand, if your target audience is more research-driven, you might create more in-depth content that provides them with the information they need to make informed decisions.

2. Refer to your strategy and content plan

When creating marketing content, referring to your strategy and content plan ensures that the content is aligned with the overall business goals and objectives. The strategy outlines the target audience, marketing goals and objectives that need to be achieved, and the content plan outlines the specific steps to achieve these goals. By referencing the strategy and content plan, marketers can ensure that the content they create is relevant, valuable, and appealing to the target audience and supports the achievement of the business goals.

A strategy and content plan also provide a roadmap for content creation, helping marketers stay organised and focused. It serves as a guide to keeping the content consistent, on brand, and aligned with the marketing message. With a strategy and content plan, marketers may be able to determine what content to create and how to measure its success. By referencing the content plan, marketers can stay on track and ensure that the content they create supports the overall marketing efforts and contributes to the achievement of the business goals.

3. Review your content analytics

Reviewing your content analytics when developing marketing content is essential to understand the effectiveness of previous content and to make informed decisions about future content creation. Analysing data such as audience engagement, conversion rates, and customer feedback provides valuable insights into what resonates with the target audience and what is not. This information can then be used to optimise future content and improve its performance. By regularly reviewing the content analytics, you can continually refine your approach and create content that resonates with your target audience and supports the achievement of business goals.

Additionally, it helps to identify areas for improvement, adjust strategies, and make data-driven decisions about the content creation process. Overall, regularly reviewing the content analytics provides a clear picture of the content's impact and helps marketers make informed decisions to continually improve their marketing efforts.

4. Answer common customer questions

Reviewing recent questions received by clients or network is an effective way to stay in tune with the needs and concerns of your target audience. Answering these questions not only helps provide valuable information and support to the individual who asked the question but can also be used to create valuable content that can help others with similar questions or concerns.

This type of content, often referred to as "evergreen" content, can be repurposed and reused to help others long after the original question was asked. By regularly reviewing recent questions and providing helpful answers, you can establish yourself as a trusted expert in your field, build relationships with your network, and support your brand's reputation. This type of content creation can help grow your online presence, drive traffic to your website, and ultimately help you achieve your business goals.

5. Find inspiration by reviewing old content

Finding inspiration by reviewing old content is a valuable tool for content creation. Reviewing past content can help identify what has worked well in the past and what can be improved upon. This type of analysis can also help uncover new ideas and perspectives that can be used to create fresh and relevant content.

By reviewing old content, you can see what topics have been covered and identify any gaps in your content that may need to be addressed. This can help ensure that your content remains consistent and relevant over time and allows you to create a comprehensive library of information that serves the needs of your target audience.

Revisiting old content can also help you identify opportunities to repurpose and update older pieces, making the most out of your content investment and providing value to your audience in new and exciting ways.

6. Use the holiday calendar

The holiday calendar can be a useful resource for generating content ideas. Holidays and special events offer opportunities to create timely and relevant content that resonates with your target audience.

For example, you could create content that celebrates a holiday, provides gift ideas, or offers tips on how to make the most of the holiday. By incorporating holidays and special events into your content, you can increase engagement and relevance and build a connection with your target audience.

You can also use the holiday calendar to plan and coordinate your content, ensuring that you have timely and relevant content in advance. For example, you can schedule a series of holiday-themed blog posts or social media posts or create a holiday gift guide.