If you work with social media in your career, you’ve probably thought, “What should I post today?” a time or two.
Do you find yourself stressing over the content you need to post in order to fill the void between your brand and its online audience? Maybe it’s time to stop thinking about what to post and start listening.
That’s right. Start listening to your surroundings and ask yourself, “What’s going on in the world today?” Here are four tips for you to use when you find yourself “stuck in the rut” of creativity for social media.
Don’t actively search—actively listen
If you constantly seek information, you are likely to be trapped in a deep, dark, scrolling hole. Rather, if you sit back, kick your feet up, and observe, you may have a better chance of inspiration finding you. After all, inspiration comes from creativity. Have you ever felt creative when you were stressed?
Got an idea? Just start it!
Do you have a post in mind, but you aren’t sure if it would work? You won’t ever know if you don’t try. Start by creating the image, video, or other relevant content for the post and see if it works for your brand. If not, learn from it. Obviously, don’t spend too much time fixating on a potentially useless post, but at least you will keep your mind moving with ideas.
Ask a friend
Asking advice from your teammates on what to post not only helps you create more content, but it also assists in leading you in a new direction. All it takes is for one person to make a suggestion for your entire perspective to change.
Got a good idea, but it’s just not the right time to post it? Save it for later.
Today may not be the best day for some of your fresh ideas, but that doesn’t mean the content you create won’t ever be posted. Save your drafts for a time in the future. Coming back to your previous ideas may help shape what you thought you wanted to post into a new and more blossomed plan.
Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a Creative Mornings session with speaker Susan Booth. The theme of the discussion was “Genius,” which taught how to be a creative expert in your own way. From her speech, one quote stuck with me. Booth said, “Go forth. Look left and right. Look what’s not there and imagine what could be there.”
Picture this: think of a new color. It’s hard, right? But that’s what creativity can do. It challenges you. Although social media can seem nearly impossible some days, the days that are the hardest are the most rewarding when inspiration finally strikes.
Keep your eyes and ears open at all times!
This article originally appeared on the Media Frenzy Global blog; reprinted with permission.
