HOW I FIND CONTENT IDEAS

As of late, I’ve tried to be a little bit more strategic in the way that I find content ideas. 

But, I do always want to be sure that when I am searching for content ideas that I’m not just going full-blown into the strategy. That I am actually creating things that I’m excited to talk about and that my intuition is telling me is a good topic. 

However, if you do want to grow on platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, and with a podcast, you want to make sure that your content is actually relevant or that it is something your audience is actually searching for. 

Now, having said that, there are a few different ways that I’ve been finding ideas across these different platforms.

1) YOUTUBE ANALYTICS

On YouTube, I have a look at 3 different analytics to see what would be a good idea for my next piece of content. 

• First, I have a look at what my highest clickthrough rates are for the last 30-90 days. Basically what this shows is what videos people are clicking on most. So that’s going to give me a really good idea, especially it’s an older video (maybe I have updated information on the topic to share).

• Second, I look at what videos are getting the highest retention (meaning the videos that people are watching the most of). If a lot of people are enjoying a particular type of video, maybe I’ll create something similar to that.

• Lastly, I look at what videos are getting the most views. Can I create an updated version of that? Can I create something that is similar or complimentary? That really helps me to understand what videos my audience would like to see and which videos are going to perform the best in the future.

2) INSTAGRAM INSIGHTS

Similarly, on my Instagram, I have a look at my insights.

What I’m actually doing is having a look at the posts that have performed the best of the last year or so—the ones that have had the most engagement, or the most shares, or the most saves. 

So, I’m always thinking about the types of posts that I should be creating in the future. You know, what types of captions I should be using, what types of photos I should be taking, based on what my audience has enjoyed in the past.

3) PODCAST

Then with my podcast, basically I just go into the iTunes platform and have a look at my own podcast. 

I’ll look at which episodes still get the most velocity. In other words, the podcast episodes that are still getting a lot of downloads.

So, whatever topics they are based on, I’m going to assume are relevant to my audience and possibly create something similar.

BUT, WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ANY DATA TO ANALYZE?

Now, you might be thinking, Erin I don’t have as much content as you already created so how am I supposed to go back and look at analytics?

Of course, if you are just starting out then there are other ways that you can find content. And, I actually still use these ways myself.

1) PINTEREST

I’ll have an intuitive idea of something I want to create relevant to my niche and then I’ll jump on Pinterest, type in some key search terms, and I’ll have a look at what pins are at the top. 

Based on what is at the top of Pinterest, I can then specify my topic down a little bit more.

2) OTHER CREATORS

I’ll have a look at what other creators are creating within my niche.

I’ll find someone who has a similar niche or creates similar content. Then, I’ll go onto their channel, go into the videos tab and have a look at what videos I might want to create because I have my own experience with the topic. 

While you might think this seems like copying someone else’s content, what’s important to remember is that you are looking for inspiration, you are NOT copying the video frame or frame, or even watching the video for that matter. 

You are taking a topic that you know you have experience in and putting your perspective and spin on it. You might even take the idea to a different platform. 

So, as long as you’re creating it in your own fresh way, knowing that something has performed well for another creator is a great way to inspire similar content of your own. 

3) ASK YOUR AUDIENCE

Unfortunately, I will say, this is the most unreliable way to gather ideas for content. Data shows a lot more than individual ideas. So, even though, of course, I do ask my audience, “what is it you want to see from me?”, I know that the ideas I will gather from it are probably going to be a little bit more niche. 

So, I try to stick to the data for the most part because it shows me in the mass scheme of things what people are enjoying more. 

4) KEEP A BIG LIST OF IDEAS

I make sure to keep a big list of ideas in the notes section of my phone, computer, or iPad (I use Apple notes because it synchs with everything).

HOW I PLAN AND ORGANIZE

I actually have one content calendar for all of my content. And, basically, what I do is I sit down at the beginning of every single month and plan out, on a printed calendar, what I actually want to create.

I plan this content based on my content schedule: YouTube videos go on Monday and Wednesday, my podcast goes out on Friday’s, and my Instagram Lives goes up every Tuesday.

Once it’s all laid out on a printable calendar, I’ll go into Asana and I will actually plan out my full content calendar. 

Now, I recommend that if you are creating content across multiple platforms that you keep your calendar in one place. In my experience, if you have separate cal
endars for each platform, you’ll end up focusing on one more than the others. 

When you put it on one calendar, you’re able to see it as one whole thing that will be segmented onto the individual platforms.

Once in ASANA, I will create an individual card for each piece of content. And then, within each card, I have what’s called a content workflow. Basically, it’s a checklist that I need to go through to take a piece of content from ideation to creation. This is just so that I know, that for each piece of content, that there is a list that I can go through and check off to make sure that I have taken all of the steps: right from researching to creating, to promoting. 

I think it is very important that you do have some type of workflow for each individual platform or for your content creation as a whole because sometimes it is really easy to forget those crucial steps, like promoting, and that obviously isn’t going to help you grow over time.

HOW I ORGANIZE MY INSTAGRAM FEED

The way that I organize my Instagram feed content is with an app called Planoly. So, basically what I’ll do is put all of the photos that I’ve taken into my Planoly, along with quote graphics that I’ve created in Canva.

Then, at the beginning of every single week, I will sit down and write out some captions or maybe even just plan out some posts. And then I will actually auto-schedule all of my content. 

That way, I can schedule the post, comment and everything, for when I think it will perform best and do not have to worry about doing it manually. The post will just go live itself. 

So, how I plan and organize all of my content across multiple platforms is using Asana and how I plan my actual feed posts for Instagram is using Planoly.

HOW I BRING THE CONTENT TO LIFE

The reason I actually wanted to include this in this video is because I try to create a consistent theme across all of my content.  And, that is really important for you to do as well, as you are building a brand. 

If you are a creator or influencer and you want to monetize your online presence, you need to create an experience, a feeling that your audience gets to be a part of. 

So, you want to make it all look similar in order to give your audience a consistent experience. 

The way that I do this across multiple platforms is with the way I edit it all. 

1) Instagram

On Instagram, when it comes to creating, say my feed posts, what I will do is either set aside a day where I do a photoshoot and capture a range of pictures I can use or I will be sure to capture pictures as they’re happening. That way I always have pictures in Planoly, ready for me to add captions to.

To edit these photos, I personally use Lightroom. I purchased some presets and I use the same preset on every single photo so that it has that consistent experience. 

I also use the example same filter on Instagram stories (Dusty Caramel) and I use the exact same promo card, every single week when I’m producing my LIVES. Again, so I can make sure I am creating a consistent feeling across my brand. 

2) YouTube

I actually film a few different styles of videos. Some of them are sit-down, others are vlogs, some are B-Roll with a voice-over, etc. But, again, I want to make sure I am creating that consistent brand experience.

I do this through the clothes that I wear, the background I have in my videos, and the way in which I edit them colour wise. 

To create a consistent colour theme across all my videos I airdrop them to my iPad, edit them using VSCO cam (E1 filter) and once it’s back on my computer I’ll edit it all using Final Cut Pro.

3) PODCAST

Similarly to Instagram and YouTube, all of the promos that I produce, I make in Canva and I use a very similar template for every piece of content (whether it be a podcast episode or a YouTube video). 

This is about more than creating and planning your content, it’s about creating and planning your brand. You want to create a recognizable brand and you want to be organized and productive because that is going to get you more exposure and help you build an audience online. 

If you need extra support, join our community on Facebook and Instagram – @erinmayhenry, I’ll see you there!