5 Tips for Brainstorming Content Topics

So, you have a plan to create more content. Now what? A good next step is to brainstorm blog post ideas, and schedule them on a calendar to ensure consistent content creation and distribution.

Here are five tips for generating content ideas:

1.     Identify your “broken record” topics

Have you ever noticed yourself saying the same things over and over again? Are there questions you answer repeatedly in conversations with clients and prospects? These are obvious financial blog topics because you already know they’re relevant to your audience. Plus, instead of repeating yourself over and over again, you can save time by sending people to read your blog or watch your video.

2.     Tap into your archives

If you’ve ever written articles for a newspaper or other publication on financial or investing topics, you might be able to repurpose that content or at least leverage the same topic ideas to create new articles. Also, look at the content on your current website. Website hosting companies often provide articles, videos, and other content on evergreen topics that can inspire you to write your own.

3.     Tell a story

Storytelling is a great way to engage your audience and personalize your content to make it more unique. Think about financial milestones in your own life you’ve learned from. Can you pass along these lessons so others can learn from your experience?

Or perhaps you can tie a financial lesson to a passion or hobby. For example, if you coach a youth soccer league, look for ways to weave in sports analogies and lessons from the game that apply to financial strategies.

4.     Involve guest bloggers

You don’t have to write it all yourself. Consider inviting other influencers, such as CPAs and attorneys, to address financial and other topics relevant to your client base. When guest bloggers write for your website or appear in your videos, they’re likely to share that content with their network, broadening your reach to new audiences.

5.     Consider seasonality

Look at the calendar and determine if there are seasonal themes you can address. Here are a few examples:

• January: Financial New Year’s resolutions
• September/Back to School: 529 plans
• Valentine’s Day: “The best financial gift you can give your spouse”
• December/Holidays: Charitable giving strategies

Expert Tip: Create a content calendar

After brainstorming your blog post ideas, add them to a calendar at a frequency you can consistently keep up with, such as weekly or monthly. Hold yourself accountable for generating the content yourself, and/or assign others on your team to certain topics. Involving multiple team members as authors and thought leaders demonstrates the breadth of knowledge you have as a firm.

Don’t forget compliance

LPL Financial advisors, remember to submit your content to Marketing Regulatory Review for approval prior to posting. For tips and guidelines, review the Advisor Compliance Manual on the Resource Center on ClientWorks.

Get more financial advisor marketing strategies when you grow your business with LPL.

If you're already an LPL advisor, access your social media marketing tools and trainings on the Resource Center.

You should consult your compliance department for information about the rules and use of social media.

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Sarah provides custom marketing and social media consultations for LPL Financial advisors and investment programs. In this role, she consults with and supports clients in effectively marketing their business in today's increasingly competitive environment. View full bio.