HIRE ME TO SPEAK
HIRE ME TO SPEAK

Great content creation ideas come from seeing patterns

I write about strategies to turn fans into customers and customers into fans. I also share ways to use real-time strategies to spread ideas, influence minds, and build business.

Personal branding  |  writing  |  Brand Journalism  |  Best Practices

Europe to AsiaAs I write this I am in Istanbul, Turkey preparing for a speaking engagement later today. As I always do when I’m on the road, I’m looking for patterns that I might be able to use to create a blog post.

Many people ask me about finding stuff to write about on their blogs. They know they shouldn’t just talk about their products and services but they struggle with what else to focus on.

Look around you! What’s interesting? How can you bring a hobby into your writing? What are your passions? What unusual places do you go or people do you meet? All can be used to create a blog post (or video or tweet or infographic).

My friend Larry and I were at the Nantucket Demolition Derby last fall and it turned into a perfect opportunity to post some content. Larry runs an insurance company, and the pattern he saw was that a demolition derby is the only time when an insurance agent enjoys a car crash!

Great content ideas come from finding patterns

I’m not sure what I’ll blog about here in Istanbul. As a travel geek, I certainly enjoyed crossing the Bosphorus Bridge from Europe to Asia yesterday. Is there a blog post in that somewhere? Probably. I just don't know where yet.

Here are several posts I’ve written as a result of just finding a pattern.

A post about the value of the people who work at a company: Your employees as a terrific marketing asset. I was in northern Finland, above the Arctic Circle and I came upon the perfect photo opp.

A post about how to find the time to blog and participate in social networking: Social selling means making a lifestyle change. The pattern I see is that developing an exercise routine is similar to developing a social networking routine.

A post about the importance of online communications in today’s world: Communications revolution. I see similarities to today and the sweeping changes resulting from the invention of movable type printing nearly 600 years ago.

A post about the many ways to compete in a marketplace: Market competition and your business. This post is based on an idea sparked while visiting the marketplaces in and near Marrakech.

Keep your mind open to the content creation ideas all around you.