Too often, companies and marketing teams get stuck in the same routine when it comes to creating content. Though it’s hard to constantly create different and edgy copy, it is important for marketers to step outside of their comfort zone and leverage new strategies to generate content ideas. Inspired content is what brings new customers in and keeps existing clients engaged with your business.

Try these tips to get out of a rut and build a new outlook on content:

1. Know your message. When starting a new project, make sure you and your team understand the message you want to share. What audience are you speaking to? What have they responded to in the past? Look at what previous projects performed well in reaching the different audiences and adjust the message accordingly. Maybe an audience that buys your product for personal use likes a more casual tone, whereas business buyers prefer a more professional tone. Employing these small changes, you can meet buyers with your message in the way they are most receptive to hearing it.
2. Brainstorm. The best brainstorms are collaborative and pull individuals across teams together. Don’t just invite the marketing folks in the room when the golden ticket idea might come from Bill in accounting. Prior to starting the brainstorm, choose a leader to guide the conversation. The leader should know the team well and drive the conversation to make sure all ideas are heard and given equal consideration.
3. Get outside the box. Explore other industries for ideas. If you are doing B2B marketing, for instance, look at consumer trends for inspiration and learn from how they use content to speak to the larger business message. You can even seek inspiration in current events, social media trends and pop culture.
4. Organization is key. If you’re frustrated with creating content, it could be that the actual words aren’t the whole problem—your process could be getting in the way, too. Content projects often mean a lot of moving parts and it is easy for information to get lost between teams. In order to alleviate this, put an editorial process in place that keeps writers accountable, organized and informed. Set deadlines, and check in on them. Tools such as a Trello board can be helpful to streamline information across an entire team.

Fresh ideas can be difficult to find. In 2019, don’t be afraid to ditch old habits and start from the drawing board. You never know who has the best idea in the room and it might take the right brainstorm or unexpected source to discover the new idea that makes your content soar.