Take the time to write down your thoughts before your content creation and connect the dots from the patterns that emerge.

Some people have no trouble figuring out what topic their post should cover. These are the superstar creators who can churn out new material week after week with no disruptions. For the rest of us, a strategy about content creation could mean the difference between staring at a blank screen for hours and sitting down to get the work done.

Have you ever found yourself stuck, not knowing what topic your content should cover? If so, the strategy laid out in this post is for you.

With a deadline approaching, consider this a powerful tool to get the work done. It will help you blow past writer’s block. Are you ready to get the ball rolling on your project? 

You learned the technique in elementary school.

The technique I’m going to discuss is so simple that children learn it when they are young. We’re going to bring it back full force and learn to take advantage of this powerful method.

Enter: brainstorming.

I can hear you now. “CONTENT CREATION CAN’T BE THAT SIMPLE!” Well, it is. If you want to create quality content, start with the brainstorm. It will help you blow past the blank page. These are actionable steps taken with your content creation in mind, trusting that your subconscious knows the path and will show you the way.

There are four steps to effective brainstorming.

1. Brainstorm topics.
2. Pick a topic and brainstorm once more, including everything you can think of about the topic of choice.
3. Analyze what you wrote, looking for patterns.
4. Organize into a cohesive structure and enhance.

Let’s look at each of these in-depth.

Brainstorm topics.

I’ve included this step for the creators out there who genuinely have no clue what their content creation will cover. Many people become paralyzed at this step but, when given a prompt, can put together a cohesive post based on the imposed guidelines.

Set a timer for five minutes and write down everything you can about what your content could cover. Don’t determine the quality of ideas, or do any research, just continue putting down all your thoughts until the time has elapsed.

Pick a topic and brainstorm once more.

We will be looking at the quality of the topics during this step. Do some research to find out how popular the keywords will be for the topics you brainstormed. A quick check on Google Trends is usually enough of a thermometer to gauge your topic’s popularity on search engines.

Once your topic has been decided, set another five-minute timer and brainstorm once more. Write down all of the information you might want to include, without judgment of the quality.

Look for patterns

Once the five minutes have passed, take a look at what you have on the page. With any luck, you have come up with at least five parts to include in a piece of content about your chosen topic. If not, set another timer and try once more. 

Shoot for a minimum of five. Ten would be better. When you have your parts, see what kinds of patterns emerge. These patterns will be the basic structure of your post.

Organize and enhance.

This step is where you connect the dots. Put the parts you came up with into a loose structure, drawing a narrative through the material. 

You now have the skeleton of your post and researched keywords, without having to sit down and “write.” Behold, the power of brainstorms!

The challenge.

Keeping your hands moving, putting down your thought onto paper, is the most significant barrier to a productive brainstorming session during content creation. The key is not to stop typing. Even when it seems like you are out of ideas, write that! “I am out of ideas, and I don’t know what else could work. What if…”

Trust me; something will emerge. If you want to make a game out of it, look into squibler.io. It’s a site that erases your words if you stop typing for five seconds. The words aren’t beyond recovery, you can still download the document, but this will provide you with the practice needed to keep your fingers moving instead of letting your thought get in your way. This website is an extreme method, but it illustrates the necessity of putting your thoughts into words.

With practice, the process of brainstorming for content creation gets easier. Don’t be afraid to take risks; even the most ridiculous ideas can be deleted! So get them out of your head and make space for the good stuff to flow from your fingertips.

Make brainstorming your new best friend.

Two quick brainstorms and your content creation is near completion. Talk about efficiency!

The key is to trust that something will emerge. It takes minutes, so what do you have to lose? You can gain a through-line that will organize your content creation for you based on parts your subconscious came up with from your current knowledge and experiences. 

If you want to supercharge your content, consider using story structure after the second brainstorm. This method will organize the parts you came up with into a cohesive, gripping narrative. 

Brainstorming is a powerful tool to break through temporary roadblocks. If you have any questions about content creation and digital marketing, reach out via our contact page, and let’s find a way to work together!