How I Made A Running List Of Over 200 Content Ideas

In my years of marketing, one of the things I’ve learned is the importance of having and promoting your own content.

Not a groundbreaking thing to say, I know.

Content could be in the form of blogs, a podcast, social media, emails – whatever way you decide you’re going to show up.

But of course, and you probably already know this kicker, it has to be on the reg.

Like, consistent.

At least monthly, or weekly, or whatever your version of consistent is.

I’m not a fan of saying it HAS to be a certain way, like every Monday and Thursday. Only you can know what “consistent content” means for your business after you try, fail, and try again.

My point is that it just needs to be on some sort of schedule that your audience can get used to hearing from you.

>>> Need to get your brand on the consistency track? Tap here to get my brand consistency checklist!

An Exercise

There’s this content creation exercise I learned from another blogger, I think she called it the “52 content ideas exercise”.

(BTW: I would share who I originally learned this exercise from, but it was a random youtube video from a woman I’d never watched before and haven’t kept up with, so I don’t remember who it was!)

The gist of it is that you open a blank document, use numbered bullets, and start jotting down ideas until you get to 52.

Just whatever comes to mind.

It might take an hour or longer, but the idea is to not be picky and just spitball in a simple, non-fancy document, one content idea for each week of the year, until you get to 52.

Since learning this exercise, I have adapted and expanded on it to fit my own needs.

For starters, I named it “48 content ideas”.

I already thought 52 was a daunting number, so it’s not like 48 was really that much better! But at the time I figured I’d probably take a few weeks off throughout the year, so 48 seemed more realistic.

I also added categories to help with organization, since I figured out there are a few “pillars” I want to talk about, like branding and graphic design, as well as social media, email marketing, planning, goal setting, and being a work-from-home mom.

Here’s an example of my current 48 Content Ideas  doc:

How I Got There: 48 Ideas And Beyond

As you can see by the screenshot above, I now have well over 48 ideas. But to be clear: I accumulated these over the course of more than a year – 200 ideas didn’t happen at once or even in a week.

And, full disclosure, I did not get to those first 48 ideas in one day, either.

I think I wrote maybe 20 or so, and then took a break. But, I committed to keep adding to it whenever I thought of it.

Sometimes I’d purposely sit down for a brainstorming session, and other times I’d be working or doing something random, and a good content idea would pop in my brain, so I’d add it to the doc.

Some ideas felt so inspired and got me so excited, while others were more “meh”. But I wrote them down anyway.

And that’s where practice came into play.

The only reason I have so many ideas now, and the reason I can keep adding to that running list, is because I continue to come back and chip away at it.

It Takes Practice

I took Sarah Blakely’s MasterClass a few years ago, and something she said stuck with me:

She keeps a notebook with her at all times to write down ideas whenever she thinks of them. 

Not because she constantly has all of these amazing ideas, but because she knows that if she writes down her ideas – even the ones that might feel dumb – she might just one day come across the one.

You know, that next big idea.

And when I heard that, it just clicked and made so much sense to me: if I want to get better at ideas – just like writing, or design or planting flowers – it takes practice.

If everyone that ever tried to become an Olympic swimmer never took the time to practice their craft, then they wouldn’t be an Olympic swimmer.

The same goes for anything you or I want to do.

We won’t constantly think of amazing ideas. But the more we practice thinking of good ideas and writing them down, the better we’ll get at them.

I get ideas on walks, washing dishes or folding laundry, or even while on the couch…

And any time I think of an idea, I’ll write it down – if not in my doc, then in the notes app on my phone, or in my planner or a scrap piece of paper – to later transfer to my 48 Ideas doc.

PRO TIP: Everything needs to be added to that doc so it’s all in one spot for you to easily review later.

How To Start Your Own Content Doc

Besides the obvious task of opening a blank document, there are a few things you can do to make getting started successful:

01: BRAINSTORM CATEGORIES

One of the things that really helped me when starting my list was to break out the categories I wanted to talk about (or topics, or pillars, whatever you want to call them).

These were driven by what I wanted my business to be about, which was branding, and then by my areas of expertise, namely graphic design, brand design, and brand strategy.

Over my years in marketing, I’d also gained experience working on other things like setting up websites and landing pages, managing content and social media, creating email funnels and campaigns, and so on.

I didn’t necessarily want to talk about ALL of these things at length, but I knew that since my main areas of focus would be graphic design and branding, some of those other topics would interweave well.

When making your own list, figure out your categories first.

You don’t need to have the entire list completed right away, but if there are 1-3 categories of things you’d like to talk about and feel confident in, write those down.

Some great questions to ask yourself when thinking of categories:

  • What is your business about? What kind of content could you create surrounding your business?
  • What do you want to talk about?
  • What are you proficient or an expert in?
  • What’s your industry or field?
  • What do you like talking about, or what interests you?
  • What have you learned over your years of doing/being/having ______?
  • What have you accomplished or done that you could talk about?

Getting clear on your topics or categories of content will make your job WAY easier as you create your list of content ideas.

When I made my list, I tried to think of everything I love to do that surrounds my business, and everything I know how to do that I may not love, but that I have experience in.

For instance, my 48 Content Ideas doc includes some topics and content ideas I may never talk about.

But I wrote them down anyway, because I wanted to get them out of my head and move on.

You never know what might go hand-in-hand with your main topics, or what you might find you’re GREAT at creating content for, so don’t nix any ideas – remember, you never know when that next big idea will come to you.

(Plus, then your ideas are always there if you decide they’re a good fit for your content!)

02: GET INSPIRED

Now that you have some categories to work with, you’ll start brainstorming and make a list of content ideas underneath each one.

I know first-hand this is easier said than done, so here are some great tips to get inspired:

  • Get outside, take a walk, get some fresh air – bring your notebook or notes app with you to write things down when they come up
  • Do household chores, and let your mind wander with your notepad nearby
  • Listen to a podcast related to your industry or business – or better yet, listen to one on creating content and getting ideas for content – and take notes and ideas as you listen
  • Get inspired from Insta, Google or Pinterest – the key here, is to look only at the headlines and not click through to the content, that way you’re not tempted to copy others, but rather you’re just seeing what’s out there and getting ideas of how you can make it better. I’ll put this way: if you need to click on the link to figure out what to talk about for a topic, then you probably shouldn’t be talking about it, because it won’t be your original thoughts.
  • Sit down with a timer and just write whatever comes to mind. When the timer goes off, you’re done – but keep it up until it does, don’t quit!

03: ADD IDEAS TO YOUR DOC

I like to think of my content ideas in the form of headlines or post titles. You know, the ones you see when you’re on YouTube that get you to click to watch the video, or the ones on Google when you’re searching for something.

For example, when I search for “home decor ideas” on Pinterest, here’s what comes up:

There are 4 content ideas right there you could use as inspiration and put your own spin on them:

“Brilliant Kitchen Organization Ideas That Actually Work, We Promise” – for you could be:

  1. 9 Ways To Organize Your Home/Closet/Kitchen/Bath
  2. Home-Decluttering Tips From A Lifelong Pro
  3. 5 Ways To Decorate Your Home That Doesn’t Include More Clutter
  4. Summer Home Decor Trends You’ll Love!
  5. How To Declutter Your Home In 30 Minutes Or Less
  6. 10 Budget-Friendly Home Decor Items That Don’t Break The Bank
  7. 5 Simple Tips To Decorate Your Home (Even If You’re Not A Pro!)
  8. 12 Things You Need For Your Home From Target/Amazon/Home Goods

See how that works? One headline can put you on a path that gives you ideas for days.

Here’s another example:

“10 Healthy Sheet Pan Meals For Busy Moms” – or any one of those headlines – for you could be:

  1. Quick, Easy Meals For Busy Work-From-Home Moms
  2. 12 Dinners For 12 Busy Nights
  3. 10 Work Lunches That Are Simple AND Delicious
  4. 6 Meals That Will Get Kids AND Adults Excited
  5. Weekend Dinners That Are Fun And Easy To Make
  6. Lunches That Will Make Your Coworkers Jealous
  7. One-Pan Meals For Busy Sports Moms
  8. Cast Iron For The Win: What You Didn’t Know You Could Make In Them!

The more you practice this, the easier and more off-the-cuff it will become.

Of course, actually writing these into an outline and making a full post out of them is another thing, but that’s not the point of this exercise.

The whole reason for the 48 Content Ideas doc is to get your ideas flowing and on paper so you have a “reserve” to go to when you need it.

KEEP ADDING TO IT

Once you’ve started your list, be sure to save it in a spot you can access. I cannot stress this enough! Use your notes app, or a running task in Asana, whatever works best for you.

Like I mentioned before, I use Google docs because I can access it anywhere from my phone, and it updates automatically. I don’t have to have anything else with me, so it’s pretty convenient and works really well.

There’s also something powerful about writing things down with your own hand, so having periodic brainstorming sessions with my notebook and favorite pen has really helped me have a consistent list of ideas, too. I just make sure I transfer those ideas to my 48 doc so I can see them all in one spot later!

To Recap:

Categories written? Check.
Brainstorm session? Check.
Doc in a spot for easy access? Check.

You’re well on your way! I hope this was helpful – please reach out on Insta @designwithclarissa if you need anymore help with this.

Want more of my favorite ways to get ideas? Head to this post all about my top podcasts and youtube channels for branding and biz!

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