What do you do when you need to create content at the very last minute because time has gotten away from you?
You need a few topics in your back pocket to make content creation faster and less stressful.
You’re in luck because in this post we’re giving you seven content ideas that are sure winners for your target audience—and that you can use to quickly create content when a deadline is upon you!
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
AnswerThePublic.com
People Also Ask
AlsoAsked.com
Ubersuggest
Sooner or Later, We All Have to Create Last Minute Content
[Meghan] I think we can all relate to that moment when we needed to create content in advance, but life got in the way. And there you are, needing a blog post, video, email, or social media post, but ‘ya got nothing!
[Theresa] Oh yeah, we’ve all experienced that. Sometimes the reason is that time got away from you or you had a crisis. Other times, it’s poor planning or even writer’s block.
So, we can all use a couple of topics to stick in our back pocket and pull out when the well has run dry, ‘ya know?
[Meghan] Exactly what I was thinking!
Before we jump into the list of ideas, I want to mention why you don’t want to get complacent with your content and disappear for weeks on end.
We talk about consistency in marketing and there’s a good reason for that. Showing up regularly or on a specific schedule illustrates to your audience that you’re committed and reliable. That you prioritize your audience. Content marketing requires consistency to be effective.
[Theresa] Sticking to a schedule and being consistent in your marketing seems like a small detail. But, look, those small details can work against you if you don’t pay attention to them.
[Meghan] Think about this in the entertainment genre for a minute. Shows like The Walking Dead or Grey’s Anatomy rely on fans.
Fans are built not just on the stories of these characters but also on the fact that these characters show up weekly in their family room. That consistency builds a relationship and a bond. And, it fosters people who become committed to the show and invested in the characters. They look forward to seeing each episode.
Consistent content publishing builds a relationship with your audience and creates fans.
Now, imagine if these shows were more random in their content publishing. As in, what if they didn’t stick to a schedule or only launched a new episode once a month? The momentum would be lost. It would be tougher to generate sustained interest and create fans.
The takeaway here is that if you want to build a community, grow an audience, and foster relationships with your followers, consistency is important.
[Theresa] The best way to be consistent is to plan your content so that you’re prepared. But, we all run into snags!
So, Meghan is going to run through seven ideas that you can use for last minute content creation.
And what’s awesome about these ideas is that they all fall under your niche. They won’t distract from your core subjects. In fact, these topics support your business and are likely to be interesting to your audience.
PLUS, you can use these ideas for blog posts, podcast episodes, videos, email, and even for social media.
Use these ideas as topics for blog posts, podcast episodes, videos, email, AND social media!
#1 – Tackle Myths, Lies, and Objections
[Meghan] Number one is to tackle a myth or an objection that your prospects commonly have.
A myth or lie is something that your audience believes about your industry or niche but that isn’t accurate or true.
[Theresa] For example, if you’re a wellness coach, maybe your audience thinks that they have to exercise to lose weight. You could expose the myth and then offer an alternative or maybe a few alternatives, like diet changes.
[Meghan] Tackling myths positions you as an authority in your field of expertise. And, it’s an attention getter. So, this is a good way to capture interest and boost your influence.
An objection is similar to a myth since it’s something your prospect believes that may not be true. However, think about objections as those typical reasons, doubts, or misgivings your prospective customer has that keeps them from investing in your services.
Don’t think of it as self-promotional. It’s not about directly promoting your services. The goal is to dismantle their objections and hesitations, not to be salesy.
[Theresa] Right. So, you’re not aiming to create content that’s like “5 Reasons to Hire Me Today.” Instead, you’re looking to help people overcome the incorrect beliefs they have about what you do or about your niche.
For instance, if you’re a writer, then you could create a video about “The Biggest Reason Why You Need a Copywriter” or “3 Ways Copywriting Boosts Your Sales.”
[Meghan] I like those topics because they focus on delivering value to your audience. Your content should tie in to your offers but not be primarily about your offers. For sure, it’s okay to mention how you can help.
We’re not suggesting you never promote yourself. Just make sure to lead with value and make your content’s primary focus about the concerns and interests of your audience rather than about getting hired.
[Theresa] I agree. People really get turned off by in-your-face selling these days! That’s the beauty of content marketing. It leads people to you as the solution. It informs your audience and lets them decide what’s right for them.
You do need to remind people about how you can help them. And, people won’t mind you mentioning your business after you’ve offered value and assistance.
#2 – Answer Frequently Asked Questions
[Meghan] Another last minute content idea is to answer one or more frequently asked questions.
If you’ve been in business for a bit, you’ve probably noticed that you get asked similar questions from prospects and customers. Use these questions to develop content. These are inquiries your target market has, so they’ll be interested in your answers!
[Theresa] Whenever you can hone in on the topics that your audience is interested in, you’re in luck because they’ll be more likely to pay attention.
The downside to this suggestion is that you may not be familiar enough with your target market to know their frequently asked questions.
You never waste time when you research the questions that your target market is asking.
[Meghan] If that’s the case, there’s plenty of resources online to help you find those questions to answer. Let me give you a few.
- Answer The Public uses the autocomplete data from search engines to show you the phrases and questions people are asking around your keyword.
- People Also Ask and AlsoAsked.com. Both tools use the data from the most commonly asked questions from Google’s “People Also Ask” box.
- Google. Of course, you can always go directly to the source and search in Google to see what questions are popular!
These are all good websites that are great for figuring out questions. But they require that you have a general idea of your keywords or topics so that you have a starting point for researching what questions people ask.
[Theresa] And actually, even if you think you know your prospects really well, it’s worth the time to use the websites Meghan just mentioned. You may actually discover questions in your area of expertise that you never knew about!
ADDITIONAL READING: 5 Hacks for Finding Content Ideas When You’re in a Slump
#3 – Share a Favorite Resource
[Meghan] Good advice, Theresa! Research is always where I start with my content creation.
Alright, the third idea for your last minute content is to talk about either one or more of your favorite resources.
People are always searching for apps, websites, books, and other resources to help them. So, as long as the resource applies to the majority of your target audience and aligns with your business, you can’t go wrong with this topic!
[Theresa] Sharing your best resources is a great topic since you’re helping your audience.
One caveat, though. It’s not uncommon for established businesses with large followings to get creative with their recommended resources. But if you’re still establishing yourself as an authority in your niche, stick with resources that are super relevant to your specific industry.
In other words, you may not want to record a video about your favorite cookbook when you’re an accountant—especially when you’re just starting to make a name for yourself and build your reputation.
[Meghan] Yep! Always think about how your content relates to your target market and vice versa.
By the way, sharing your favorite resources is another topic that boosts you up as an authority and highlights your experience. And that’s great for you!
PRO TIP: Become an affiliate for your favorite resources to earn a bit of passive income when you mention them.
#4 – Interview a Colleague
[Meghan] This next idea is to interview a colleague.
If you have friends or business colleagues who you think your target audience can learn from or would like to hear from, then interview them. This can be someone within your industry or even a complementary industry.
[Theresa] Of course, the person needs to be available at the last minute. So, it’s not always easy for that reason.
But it is easy from the aspect that the interview is the content. You don’t have too much prep other than an introduction and knowing what questions to ask or where to lead the conversation.
[Meghan] The interviewee or guest does need to be available, so that is a potential stumbling block. But an interview can be fairly easy and engaging content to create in a last minute situation.
And, what’s an added bonus here is that the social proof and authority of your guest magically hops onto you.
You know, if I’m interviewing Tony Robbins that automatically makes people think, “wow, she knows Tony Robbins, and he gave her an interview, so she must be reputable and wise.”
That’s how a lot of people think. And that’s how social proof works.
Interviews introduce you to new audiences so that more people learn about your brand.
Plus, if the person shares the interview, then you’ll expand your reach and increase your brand’s exposure to their audience. However, these things really only matter if their audience is interested in your area of expertise.
And, for the record, I don’t know Tony Robbins! Just wanted to be clear about that!
[Theresa] Good to know! Okay, what is next on your list of content ideas?
#5 – Discuss and React to Niche-Related News or Research
[Meghan] Number five is to find some news or research related to your industry or niche and talk about it. React to the information, share your point of view and opinion.
By sharing and discussing topics that are new, current, or insightful, you’ll position yourself as an authority and expert. You’ll be the person delivering the information that your audience craves.
This isn’t evergreen content—meaning it is more timely and for the moment rather than good for years to come—but that’s okay. This last minute content is meant to be quick and easy while still super relevant to your business and target market. Plus, this type of content is great for getting attention.
[Theresa] If you don’t already have a repository of resources for news and research related to your industry, then start one now.
A repository is simply a place where you store things, in this case, information. It’s easy to create one. A Google Sheet works great for this.
There are many ways you can set this up. But the simplest way is to create categories across the top of each column. Then add related website links to each one.
PRO TIP: Keep a repository of news and research resources for quick access.
For example, my niche is service-based business owners, so I have columns like Small Business Statistics, Business Psychology, Time Management, Productivity. In each column are links to websites where I can go to see current news and related information.
I also have a column with links to good research tools like Answer the Public and Ubersuggest. The point of the repository is to make things easy and quickly generate topic ideas.
#6 – Reveal a Behind-the-Scenes or Personal Story
[Meghan] We’re headed down the home stretch, just two more to go!
Another idea for last minute content is to reveal a behind-the-scenes story or even a personal story. The caveat here is to make sure the story relates to your brand and to your audience.
There doesn’t need to be a direct correlation with your business when you’re sharing personal stories; even a loose connection is usually acceptable.
People connect to other people, so the human side of your business is compelling. Just remember that your content needs to be in alignment with your brand messaging. Otherwise, it can seem awkward.
[Theresa] I share personal stories a lot because it makes me more relatable. As a coach, I want people to know that I’ve experienced similar things. Don’t be scared to show your vulnerable or humorous side. Your audience wants to see your humanity.
[Meghan] You can go really in-depth with behind-the-scenes content or stay a little more impersonal. It’s up to you.
Either way, this type of content is a nice combination of the personal and the business side of you. People often enjoy a behind the scenes look at your life outside of the more public/business side of things. And, it’s easy to create this content on the fly and in the moment when you’re short on time.
[Theresa] I want to give you a quick example of behind-the-scenes content. Say you’re getting ready to accept a business award. There are many content opportunities in this situation, like preparing your speech, getting ready, traveling to the ceremony, mingling, and accepting your award.
So, start looking at your everyday routine and special occasions as potential content.
#7 – Highlight a Customer’s Success Story
[Meghan] You may not think about your own life as content, so it may feel weird at first. But, definitely give it a try.
Ok, we’re on the final suggestion, and that is to highlight one of your customer’s success stories.
People want to see what other people are doing. They desire to see people who are in similar situations succeeding and overcoming obstacles. It creates hope and inspiration.
Think about before and after photos. They’re popular for a reason. People often relate to the “before.” They see themselves as the “before” person. And, they want the “after.” That “after” image represents success or achievement of some sort. That’s why before and after stories or images are so powerful and impactful.
So, think of positioning your customer’s story as a journey from point A to point B, how they transformed their situation, and how they feel now that they’ve moved beyond their struggle.
[Theresa] Like with all content, the focus is the customer. So, don’t make your customer’s story all about you!
You’ve probably experienced the power of “before” and “after” photos, right? Think of your customers’ success stories as transformations that would attract and appeal to your prospects.
Tips for Your Last Minute Content
[Meghan] Great point!
So, those are a few ideas for you. Hopefully there’s something on this list that appeals to you. Keep this list handy for the future when you’re pressed for time and need last minute content topics.
Before we go, Theresa and I have a few quick tips for your last minute content:
- Always research your keywords. Even when you are creating content super fast, invest five minutes into finding the phrases that your target market uses. This will keep your content optimized for search and for your audience!
- Don’t forget to include a call to action. Even your last minute content is meant to support your business. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re just asking people to like your post or opt-in to receive updates from you—give them an action item at the end of your content.
- Collect your ideas for topics or keywords. Prepare for those less-than-optimal moments when you’re slammed for time by making a list of last minute content topics or keywords. Your future self will thank you!
What are some last minute content ideas that you’ve used in the past? Tell us in the comments below, we’d love to know!
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