“Content Marketing” is undoubtedly the buzz phrase of 2013; everything is about content now. In the midst of this push to create content the same resistance, objections, and insecurities keep coming up.
“I don’t know what to say”
“No one cares what I have to say”
“I need to create more content, but I don’t want to just talk for the sake of talking”
Would it surprise you to know…
…that even the brightest among us have these thoughts from time to time. The difference between those that write frequently, create videos regularly, photograph their journey through life, and everyone else, is that they have found a way to be inspired.
Inspiration is not some magical bean, found in the rain forests of South America. Inspiration is often much less exotic and rare than you might imagine.
Inspiration can be found:
- listening to a podcast;
- going for a walk in a different direction;
- going to a concert;
- people-watching at a coffee shop;
- or staring at a piece of art.
The secret to inspiration is found in the art of observation and perspective. New thoughts are often created through the comparison of dissimilar ideas and situations.
To create compelling and original content requires you to do more than recycle an idea, but to instead invent a new one where you share, not only the substance of the idea, but a piece of yourself.
The masters of inspiration are those that have identified their triggers for new ideas. For myself, I know that podcasts, reading and, strangely enough, my morning shower, are my three biggest sources of inspiration. I’ve built it into my routine.
Stop…Breathe…Think
Before you go about creating content for the sake of creating content, and before you add more noise to the web, stop, breathe, and think. Look for an inspired thought, identify the scenarios that inspire you to look at something in a new way.
If you work for yourself, this exercise is mandatory. If you work for someone else, this exercise will give you a noticeable boost in the quality of content that you submit for review.
Go forth and be inspired, and share yourself in your content. The web expects nothing less from you.