One of the things I often recommend is creating “evergreen” content - content you can use for years to come - just like this 12 minute video I filmed four years ago all about coming up with content ideas.

In it, I recommend creating a mix of informational, promotional and optimised content, and I also suggest five quick and easy ideas for content subjects:

Write down two of each, and you’ll have 10 content ideas ready to go.

It’s easy to feel as though everyone else in your industry has already said everything there is to be said about a subject so what’s the point in you creating content around it too.

But imagine if news outlets took that same approach. What if there was a big global event and a newspaper editor said, “we won’t bother covering that since everyone else is already talking about it”.

That doesn’t happen. Instead, what happens is all media outlets cover the same big stories - they just put their own unique spin on it. They find different people to interview, or they look for different angles and perspectives. And they tailor their approach to their specific audience.

And think about non-fiction books. Certain people and subjects have hundreds, even thousands, of books written about them. For example, there are over 100 non-fiction books about Jack the Ripper. People carried on writing books about him even when other people had already done it.

Again, it’s just about putting a unique spin on a subject. Or looking at it from a fresh angle. Or adding some extra research or anecdotes. Or sharing personal experiences. Or appealing to a slightly different audience.

It’s perfectly fine to write about the same stuff your competitors are. And you should. Because if your potential customers are looking for advice or information and you don’t provide it, they could end up on your competitor’s blog or email list instead.

I’ve already mentioned a couple of ways above - add new research, your own insights, an alternative perspective, or unique experiences. But you can also bring a bit of fun into your content too.

Back in 2020, when we were all in lockdown looking for ways to pass the time, I decided to try something new. I asked my LinkedIn connections to suggest completely random topics - the more obscure the better - and then I created content around these topics.

Here’s an example of one of the articles I created…

Once again, I’ve given myself a challenge by inviting my lovely LinkedIn connections to choose the subjects for this month’s article.

Thanks to everyone who suggested a theme – while I’m sure cheese making, candle factories and potpourri would all make fascinating topics to write about, they didn’t make the cut this time around. Instead, I’ve decided to show you what quilling, feng-shui, crop rotation, taxidermy, and kittens can teach us about content marketing. So here goes…

A lesson in quilling

Quilling, also known as paper filigree (who knew?!) is a form of art whereby strips of paper are manipulated in various ways to create decorative designs – often used on things like greetings cards. It’s actually pretty amazing what you can create with a few pieces of paper. But what’s it got to do with content marketing?

Well, it shows that with a bit of creativity, you can make even the most everyday items interesting. And that’s important if you’re in a competitive market.

After all, which article are you more likely to read: ‘10 reasons why you should buy our paper’ or ‘10 incredible things you can create with paper’.

And let’s be honest, you wouldn’t be very impressed getting a piece of paper for your birthday, but a hand-quilled piece of art – now that’s way more exciting.

So get creative with your content. Instead of just doing and saying the same as all your competitors, get your customers’ attention by presenting your business in a unique way.

The art of Feng-Shui…

I don’t know much about feng-shui, but from what I do know, it’s all about harmony and alignment. It’s about arranging buildings, objects and space to achieve balance.

And that’s something that can certainly be applied to content marketing.

Your content needs to align with your business objectives.

Your content needs to align with your values and personality.

Your content needs to align with the audience you want to attract.

This won’t guarantee inner peace, but it will mean you’re more likely to achieve harmony – or as I like to call it, results!

The importance of rotating your crops

Crop rotation is a process used in farming to ensure that nutrients in the soil aren’t depleted, and that pests and weeds don’t become resistant.

Two-field and three-field rotation were used until the 18th Century when Jethro Tull revolutionised British agriculture with his Horse Hoeing Husbandry (which sounds far more exciting than it is). Anyway, the point is that by rotating their crops, the farmers get a better harvest.

And you can apply this theory to your content too.

Just as farmers rotate their crop type, you can rotate your content type – make some of it educational, some of it helpful, some of it promotional, some of it entertaining, some of it personal.

Because if you just put the same type of content out day after day after day, your audience will become resistant to it. In other words, they’ll stop paying attention.

Think about it – how often do you engage with someone who posts nothing but sales messages?

So mix it up – rotate those crops – and you’ll get a much better harvest.

Taxidermy and the art of repurposing

Being completely honest, I find taxidermy a little bit creepy. I mean, it derives from the Greek words for ‘arrangement’ and ‘skin’ – how is ‘arrangement of the skin’ not considered a weird hobby?

And personally, I really wouldn’t want stuffed, dead animals staring at me while I have my morning brew. But whatever floats your boat I guess.

That said, taxidermy is an excellent example of how you can repurpose something to extend its lifespan (so to speak).

And you should absolutely do this with your content. Once you’ve written that fantastic blog post, don’t just bury it on your website. Take snippets from it to share on social media, add it to your monthly newsletter, turn it into a video, podcast or infographic.

Go back to that old content and update it or add a new spin. Extend the life of your content by repurposing it and sharing it over and again.

Fluffy little kittens never fail

Who doesn’t love procrastinating over a cute cat video? There’s just something about those furry little felines that is so hard to resist.

And with over ten million cat owners in the UK alone, it’s highly likely that some of your potential customers can’t help but click on cat content.

But I’m not saying you should just fill your feed with kitten-based blogs.

I’m saying create content around things your audience finds interesting. Tie your content in with popular topics, current trends or upcoming events.

If I can create this article that ties five completely unrelated subjects into my business, then you can find a way to create World Cup or kitten-related content.

So there you go - I was able to take five completely unrelated things and turn each of them into a lesson about content marketing. And you can do the same.

"What do cybersecurity and tapioca have in common?"

"What can Spanish playing cards teach you about translation?"

"What have Iron Man and VAs got in common?"

You can choose completely random subjects or just go with things you already have an interest in. All you need to do is pick a topic you like and create content around it.

And if you enjoyed that, here are some of the other articles I created using random subject suggestions.

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