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Any personal or best practice recommendations on brainstorming content topics for an industry you're unfamiliar with? I'm getting my SMEs together, explaining the value-add I'll provide with content, and asking for ideas. I plan on using a miro(.com) board to document ideas, probably doing a "bad-idea" brainstorm, but looking for other ways to spark ideas for my SMEs. Thanks!
Research, research, and more research! AI can be super handy here and save you a ton of time.
That said, before you get into content, developing a baseline understanding of the industry is key.
What are the current trends, who are the major players (and what are THEY talking about), what’s changing in the industry, or what needs to change but hasn’t? What are the offerings, the value props, the nuances, etc.? Sometimes you just have to go back to basics and spend a good chunk of time teaching yourself.
Once you get the mechanics of the industry, do the same deep dive into the consumer: ICP, personas and audience segments, problems and needs (and how they talk about them), buyer behavior, customer journey and lifecycle, etc. This will all inform content strategy, since I imagine they’re the end user here.
I went through the same when taking an agency job in financial services. I walked in knowing nothing about banking, lending, wealth management, or fintech… Unfortunately, there was no ChatGPT to help me out, so I did it the good old-fashioned way.
Even with the help of AI, it’s tedious and time consuming, unfortunately. BUT if you’re looking to sell your SMEs on the value you’ll provide, walking in with prior knowledge will 1. Help prove out that value, and 2. Empower you to control the conversation/have a seat at the table vs. feeling totally lost
i love this question. one quick thought is take readers on the journey of learning the subject matter. sometimes that uncovers stuff that SMEs take for granted
Thanks @Ari Mason, @Jimmy Daly (Superpath), and @Victor Ijidola! I really appreciate the tips and tools!