We get it. Trying to invent new marketing techniques in the age of the internet is seemingly impossible. While not every strategy you try needs to be groundbreaking, setting yourself apart with unique ideas does give you a leg up. Try these three tips to spark new ideas to get you out of your marketing slump.

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Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is not a new idea. You have probably used mind mapping for various obstacles throughout your life. However, many miss the opportunity to mind map when it comes to marketing.  

If you are unsure what exactly mind mapping is, it is a visual tool that you create that starts with one singular concept. From there, you branch out ideas that support that concept and keep adding branches until a solid plan has been formed. A great explanation and visual representation of mind mapping can be found here.

Say you are trying to generate blog topics, and your goal is to become a thought leader on retirement planning. Draw a circle in the middle of your paper, write the words "retirement planning" inside the circle, then start creating branches of ideas related to retirement planning. One branch could be 401k; another could be savings accounts; the next branch could be taxes in retirement, and so on.

Next, you want to branch off from those ideas. Here are some examples:

401k - How much should I contribute? How aggressive should my investments be? What is the benefit of retiring after 67?

To take it further, you then branch off those ideas. 

401k - How much should I contribute? - Does your employer match? What kind of lifestyle do you want to live after retirement? 

With this quick mind mapping technique, you have just created options for not only multiple blog topics but also topics for other marketing platforms. Maybe you write a blog about how aggressive clients should be while saving for retirement, but then you create an infographic visually representing the benefits of waiting to retire. The options are limitless.

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Brainwriting

Brainwriting is a great brainstorming tool to gather ideas when working with a partner or group. Brainwriting is the process of silently writing a list of any thought that pops into your head. The name of the game is quickness — don't overthink, just write. Give yourself 2-5 minutes to do a brain dump of any thought that crosses your brain. When your time is up, pass that list to your partner. That partner should then read the list and expand on the ideas you had just written down, quickly and silently. 

This type of brainstorming concept works well when you have a group of innovative people who want to share their ideas. These brainstorming sessions often happen in meetings and boardrooms, and often the loudest participants consume the most brainstorming time. With brainwriting, everyone participates and contributes ideas without feeling intimidated or left out.

Like mind mapping, you start with one central concept. You can brainwrite dozens of ideas from that one concept, creating new and innovative ideas to keep your marketing wheels spinning for months.

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Ask Your Audience

The first question you should ask yourself is, "what does my audience want to digest?" before coming up with new content ideas. As a financial advisor, your audience is typically your current clients, referrals, and leads. Think back to your last 10, 20, or even 30 appointments. What questions did your clients ask you? If you haven't written these questions down before — start now!

You can generate a crazy amount of content by answering the questions you receive during your meetings. Of course, you could also put a survey out and ask your audience for their questions but gaining this content organically through day-to-day conversations and client appointments is a much easier and holistic task to undertake.  

Start writing out the list of these questions once you have compiled them. Now think, how did you answer those questions during your meeting? Did you include enough information? Did you think of other answers to that question once the client left your office? This is your time to expand on those questions with a well-thought-out strategy. You can even use curated content to help with your answers.

Finally, once you have perfected the list of questions and answers, you can use each question for multiple marketing opportunities. You could write a blog, create a social post, and use the topic for a podcast episode. You know what your audience wants. Use it!

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Using these techniques will allow you to brainstorm unique content ideas quickly. However, if you are looking for a company to do the work FOR you, we have the solutions to help. Reach out to an Executive Marketing Consultant by phone at (844) 949-9497 or visit our website for more information.