Here’s something you won’t hear at NSA conventions: Generating content is tough.
But, as a professional speaker, creating interesting, relevant content on a consistent basis is a big part of your job. It reminds people that the lights are still on. It says you still have something to say.
If you’ve got writer’s block (“speaker’s block”?), these tips will get your creative juices flowing.
The Intent of Your Content
It all comes down to purpose. What do you want your content to do? Educate? Inform? Maybe you want to explain a procedure? Start out broad, then narrow down your options.
Let’s say you’re a sales speaker for large corporations. If your focus is on confidence, maybe your content could include a weekly “how-to increase sales confidence in the marketplace” tip. Remember, your content must work within your strategy. You shouldn’t create content willy-nilly (i.e. without any purpose or clear direction).
Use Your Keywords
Keywords are like thoughts turned into action— actions you can use to your advantage. Knowing which keywords your searchers are typing is the closest thing to mind-reading as…well, mind-reading.
One way you can find out what terms your audience uses is through a simple search. Pick a topic (for ex.: “professional speakers”) and browse through the results. In this case, your search may reveal many results associated with audio speakers. If so, be more specific in your search, leading to more long-tail keywords. (For ex.: “professional guest speakers.”) Check the results, paying special attention to the “related terms” section.* There, you can see what other topics associate with your keywords. The deeper you search, the more you’ll discover what content your audience is looking for.
*(By the way, Yahoo! or Bing would be a better search engine choice to do this. Google search doesn’t offer related terms.)
There’s too much about keywords to cover in this one post. If you would like more info on this, leave a comment at the bottom of the page!
Ask Your Clients
Your clients know what they want better than you do. Don’t be afraid to ask them! But before you can even ask what they want, you have to know who they are. This is where good research and a CRM (customer relationship management) system comes in handy.
Once you’ve established who your client-base is, reach out to them. Offer an accessible, well-placed comment section on your website. Contact your subscribers and invite them to suggest ideas for content. Current and former clients are also a source. These folks are, of course, the reason your business exists and thrives. Give ‘em what they want!
Spy on the Other Team
Just because you’re not a member of that “other” NSA doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do a little “spying.” Make sure you check out what kind of content your competitors are creating. What are they speaking or writing about? Could you do the same thing, but better? Better yet, what is your competition not talking about? Don’t be afraid to go where they won’t. You may tap into a valuable niche audience.
The moral of the story is: capitalize on your competition’s weaknesses. This should be an overall part of your strategy.
What’s Trending?
What’s popular within the niche industry where your clients reside? It’s important to stay up-to-date. Make sure you are using the popular networks, like LinkedIn and Twitter. But don’t ignore others, like StumbleUpon and Flipboard, where you can customize interests and create industry specific content feeds that keep you in the know. You may even find more unique content ideas there.
Creating new content isn’t always easy. But if you put your mind to it, you will discover sources of inspiration that will appeal to your audience…and the folks who book you and write those big, fat checks.
Did you like this post? Got any other content generating ideas? Tweet me your idea!
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