“We need fresh, innovative ideas.”
“Our content is feeling stale. What solutions do you have?”
“Our engagement is down, what’s going on?”
These are all questions social media managers get and we all have our own way of dealing with it. Here are some high-level strategies you can apply to your own channels.
Maybe my ideas will unlock what you have going on. Reach out to me if you have anything to add - https://www.linkedin.com/in/travenpage/
Flip the conversation
This is something that the iconic ‘Got Milk?’ campaign accomplished.
Everyone was telling the story about how good milk was for you and that you should be drinking it, but Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners flipped that conversation.
Instead of talking about the benefits of milk, people were connecting with the lack of it. What if you have a brownie and you don’t have milk? That feeling is almost unbearable to think about.
By slightly tweaking the conversation, you can generate even more emotion than the original topic.
Think Tank
Find space to be alone for a period of time and write down every idea that comes to mind.
Notice how I said write down? I recommend you leave your phone somewhere and just use a pen and paper. Notifications are always going off and we’re addicted to our devices anyway. Create that space for 5-10 minutes every day and gold is eventually going to come out.
Also, there is no bad idea. Every idea has value, because it gets you one step closer to where you want to go. You could even string together 2-4 bad ideas to make an awesome idea.
Fire Stan
My greatest enemy is Stan. He is the voice that lives in my head telling me everything I can’t do. You need to fire your ‘Stan’. That voice is up to no good and is just resistance against the good you’re doing.
I bring this up, because that voice is going to jump in no matter what idea you have. Be conscious of what is going on when you’re pumping out ideas.
Practice with Other Industries
Look at other industries and practice an imaginary campaign.
This is something I see Gary Vee do all the time. He will take a topic and rattle off ideas on how he would approach their marketing. It’s really fun to watch and they’re all over YouTube.
Take some time during the day to just rattle off how you would help their social.
Don’t Have Fun, Crush It
Seems counter intuitive, but there’s a reason I didn’t put “have fun” at the end. You will have fun some days and other days it will feel like pulling teeth. Your job isn’t to just dance around and pretend everything is happy.
Your job is to crush it and pump out as many ideas as you can. Make it exciting.
Make it an adventure.
You’re the hero with the problem solving idea that saves everyone. That’s the marketing journey.
Create a System
The best thing I can tell you here at the end is to make a system. Systems will triumph. Carve out the time to write and be creative. The strategies are awesome to plug into your system, but they are just strategies. The machine you create will be the gladiator that gets you through the thick and thin.
You’re awesome and creative. Unlock it and show the world your spirit.
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