Taking action backwards

Coming up with great ideas for content feels like a passive process, but, in the world of idea generation, it can sometimes be all about action.

Have you ever read The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People By Stephen Covey? If you have, you may know that one of those habits is to begin with the end in mind.

This is great advice in building a business and it works just as well when thinking about ideas for content. If you know what result you want, you can develop content to lead people to take the desired action.

Action to call

You will doubtless have been told many times that any content you produce should include a call to action for your readers. That may be for them to get in touch, or to download a free product or to visit your website. The call to action is what you want a reader to do once they have engaged with your content.

So, if you know that you want readers of your blog to ‘download my free guide on the five steps for living a stress free life’ then write a blog as a teaser to that – either the first step to a stress free life (‘if you want to know the other four steps…’) or give a high level overview.

If you want to help people make the decision to get in touch, perhaps some social media posts using memes like ‘he who hesitates is lost’ or posting testimonials about how easy you are to talk to would encourage that click.

Consider the specific call you are making and find ways to make it as easy as possible for people to take action.

Promotion a for support

If you are planning a specific promotion (say a 10% off or a free initial call) then work backwards from the launch date and develop articles and posts and 60-second pitches which will generate excitement.

Maybe a series of Facebook posts on the great benefits of the service that is going to be on discount, or descriptions of what is involved in an initial coaching session.

Similarly, if you are going to be at a business event, posting images on Instagram as your stand is designed and built will really encourage people to come and find you (as well as telling them what to look for when the come to the event).

As you can see, it is all about action – what you want people to do as a result of the content you are delivering. And as for me? What do I want you to do?

To get a better idea on how to generate great content ideas and turn them into working content for you, take a look at our online course Demystifying Content.