What to do when you can’t think of social media ideas
As a social media manager in my day job, it’s pretty essential for me to be an ideas machine. I have to constantly come up with fresh ideas to fill a lot of queue space and scheduled spots. So here are my top tips of what to do when you can’t think of anything fresh or you’re feeling a bit burned out.
These ideas can be used by bloggers or businesses, it doesn’t really matter! Or use them to kick off your own brainstorming session, it’s up to you.
1. See what your competitors are doing.
If you’re a blogger you may not think of yourself as having competitors – you can just take a look at what other bloggers in your niche are doing!
You may not always want to copy what your competitors are doing, but it’s still interesting to get an idea of where they’re at and what they’re up to. Make sure to check all their channels and see if what they’re doing varies or is the same on each.
You don’t want to copy anything, because that will instantly be obvious and people will call you out on it. It may not also be appropriate for your brand, audience, or season even if it is a competitor. For example, if you’re a camping travel blogger, it doesn’t always make sense to take inspiration from a cruise travel blogger in situations where budgets and expectations are going to be wildly different.
2. Find lists of National Days.
This is a quick and easy one. Google will throw up endless lists of all kinds of National Days, from breast cancer awareness to hug your pet day. Not all of them will be suitable for your brand, but you’re likely to find a lot of good options.
Make it more interesting by having a plan or link to what you’re talking about, rather than just saying, “It’s National [X] Day!” and adding a photo.
Don’t forget to check out trending hashtags on the day for further reach!
3. Break it down by season, then month.
If you’re always playing catch up, think ahead by planning by quarter, season, and then month. You can easily fill in spots for particular campaigns or posts you want to promote, then National Days, then resharing old content and timely quotes.
Once you’ve blocked out all those spots on your calendar, you may be surprised at how little space is actually left!
4. Check with your co-workers.
Your co-workers may know of upcoming campaigns, problems customers have been facing lately, or things that could be explained better through additional content or imagery. This is a quick way to uncover new ideas, reinforce old ones, plus you’re helping reduce other pain points at the same time.
If you’re a blogger, your “co-workers” may be other bloggers in Facebook groups or on Twitter! Ask people what they’ve been posting about lately or what’s working well for them.
5. Go into nature.
I’ve written blog posts before on how inspiring I find nature, and it may seem a little out of left field, but I’m always surprised by how many ideas I come up with in the great outdoors. It may be a colour that catches my attention, it might be a vibe, it might be something I can’t explain. But I definitely recommend trying it if you haven’t already, no matter what your niche is.
6. See what big brands are doing.
I work for a group of medium sized brands and handle social media largely on my own, so the strategies big brands create aren’t always desirable or even feasible for me. However, sometimes there are some really good ideas or even image styles/text formats you can borrow to utilise in your own strategies.
Be careful you aren’t doing anything too crazy or copying anything that’s feeling old/cliche – recognise when you’ve missed the boat already!
7. Ask your audience what they want.
Your followers and readers may not always know what they want from you, but it’s worth trying to see if they have any suggestions. Unless you have a small, dedicated audience, don’t leave the conversation open-ended. Instead, run a poll with different topics/areas you often cover and get them to vote. People find it easier to click a button then articulate something to say into a blank box.
This is also useful information to include in reports or to use in meetings to explain why you’ve come up with the ideas/schedule that you have. People love data backing actions, especially in areas that can feel subjective or even random.
8. Take a break
If you’ve tried everything and you’re still not feeling inspired, it’s likely to be an energy or burn out issue more than anything else. In this case, I find it works best to listen to what my body needs – maybe a walk in nature, maybe a nap, maybe some time to relax away from a screen – and come back to it later. It’s true what they say – you can’t pour from an empty cup!
I hope you found these suggestions useful, please let me know if you’d like to see more of these kinds of posts in future!