6 Ways to Stimulate Creativity
A common factor amongst business owners is that some of you may have trouble creating engaging content. These people find it challenging to come up with images, videos, blog posts and captions for social media posts. They also find it challenging to be consistent with their content creation and posting to social media networks.
Being creative is what will help you stand out from the competition, bring you new customers and help you become a thought leader in your industry. This will also help you grow your social media followers and blog subscribers because people will want to see your content.
To each person, “being creative” can mean something different. The concept of creating means bringing something into existence and you have complete control on how you execute your ideas. What we have done for you is compiled our top six tips that will help you to generate ideas so that you can create fresh and creative social media and blog content.
Have a plan
Sometimes half the battle is not knowing where to start when it comes to content creation. The best way to avoid wasting time trying to figure out what to create or write is to have a plan. Content creation plans or social media strategies don’t need to be complicated and there are a lot of free templates available online. At the very least, come up with daily themes and create posts based on those themes (e.g. Motivation Monday or Travel Tuesday).
Take a break
If you have been at it for a while and you're feeling stumped, stop what you are doing and take a break. Sometimes it can take a while for ideas to percolate and once you plant those seeds, it may take time for those ideas to grow. If this sounds like you, make sure you don’t leave this creative work until the last minute. Give yourself enough time to brainstorm and let the ideas sink in so that you don’t feel rushed or pressured into content creation.
Know your competition
A good way to get inspired is to know what your competition is doing. Are you following your competition on social media? When was the last time you were on your competition’s website or blog? Knowing what they are up to can spark ideas and help inspire content. Make sure that you don’t copy exactly what they are doing but use their content as starting point for your ideas.
Do what inspires you
You aren’t obligated to be on all of the social media networks, have a blog, take photographs and to film videos. Perhaps only one social media network is all you want to manage and you enjoy taking photos? Great, just stick with that. If you enjoy writing, having a blog is a good idea. If you don’t have the time for any of the above or you aren’t sure what you are doing, you can hire professionals (like us) who will do all of this for you.
Go outside
It’s hard to argue with science and according to science, being in nature can help us be more creative. Researcher David Strayer, of the University of Utah, believes that “being in nature restores depleted attention circuits, which can then help us be more open to creativity and problem-solving.” You can read more about the science behind nature sparking creativity and we dare you to try out it next time you are feeling stuck. It may be even worth leaving the phone at home so you can totally disconnect while immersing yourself into nature.
Make a mind map
A mind map is a fun way to naturally brainstorm thoughts without worrying about order and structure. It allows you to visually structure your ideas to help with analysis and recall. A mind map is a diagram that depicts actions, words, concepts, or items linked to and arranged around the main subject using a non-linear graphical layout. A mind map can turn a list of information into a bright, fun and organized design that works in conjunction with your brain's natural way of processing information.
Mindmap
Try not to be so hard on yourself and remember that you are far more creative than you think. Different tactics work for different people and everyone is on their own journey when creating content. It’s okay if it doesn’t feel like it comes natural to you in the beginning and practice makes perfect. If creativity isn’t as much of a problem as productivity might be, we have suggestions on how to be more productive. Sometimes, these two entities can go hand in hand.
If you've tried out these tips and still feel like you need support, contact us and let’s talk about working together. It’s okay to outsource your content creation and we are happy to make your vision come to life to help you generate more revenue.
Brought to you by Custom Fit Online, Whistler's SEO experts, established in 1995!