How to Never Run Out of Content Ideas for Your Inbound Marketing

Creating fresh and engaging content is the backbone of a successful inbound marketing strategy. However, constantly coming up with new content ideas can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re producing blog posts, social media updates, emails, and more on a regular basis. The fear of running out of content can be a common challenge for marketers.

The good news is that with the right approach, you can keep your content calendar full of fresh ideas that resonate with your audience. In this blog, we’ll explore proven strategies to ensure you never run out of content for your inbound marketing.

1. Repurpose and Recycle Your Existing Content

One of the easiest ways to ensure a steady flow of content is to repurpose what you’ve already created. Not every piece of content needs to be brand new—repurposing allows you to breathe new life into existing materials while reaching new audiences.

How to repurpose content:

• Turn blog posts into videos: Take your top-performing blog posts and transform them into short, informative videos for social media or YouTube. This appeals to audiences who prefer visual content.
• Create infographics from data: Use statistics or research from your existing blog posts or reports to create engaging infographics that are easy to share and digest.
• Bundle content into guides: Combine several related blog posts into a comprehensive downloadable guide or eBook, providing your audience with more in-depth resources.
• Repost or update older content: If you have content that performed well in the past but may be slightly outdated, update it with new insights and repost it to drive engagement.

Why it works: Repurposing content maximises the value of your existing materials, saves time, and helps you reach different segments of your audience in new formats.

2. Tap into User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is an excellent way to fill your content pipeline while building trust and engagement with your audience. By leveraging content created by your customers, followers, or community, you can showcase authentic experiences and keep your content fresh.

Ideas for using UGC:

• Customer testimonials and reviews: Share positive reviews, testimonials, or case studies from satisfied customers to highlight your product or service.
• Social media shoutouts: Encourage your followers to share their experiences using your product, and feature their posts on your social media channels or website.
• Customer stories: Interview loyal customers or clients about their journey with your brand, turning their insights into blog posts, videos, or podcast episodes.

Why it works: User-generated content not only takes the pressure off your marketing team to constantly create new materials, but it also boosts credibility by showcasing real-world experiences from your customers.

3. Use Industry News and Trends for Inspiration

Staying informed about industry news and emerging trends can provide a constant source of content ideas. By commenting on or sharing your insights about current events or changes in your industry, you can produce timely and relevant content that keeps your audience engaged.

How to use trends and news:

• Commentary and opinion pieces: Write blog posts or LinkedIn articles offering your perspective on the latest news or trends in your industry.
• Roundups and summaries: Create content that summarises key takeaways from industry reports, conferences, or events, helping your audience stay informed.
• Trend predictions: Write articles or produce videos that forecast upcoming trends in your industry and offer advice on how businesses can prepare.

Why it works: Leveraging industry news keeps your content timely and relevant, positioning your brand as a thought leader while also reducing the pressure to always create entirely original content.

4. Build a Content Bank from Customer FAQs

Your customers and prospects likely have many questions about your product, service, or industry. These frequently asked questions (FAQs) provide an endless stream of content opportunities that are both valuable and relevant.

How to use FAQs for content:

• Create a FAQ blog series: Write blog posts or record videos that answer the most common questions your customers ask. For example, “How to Get the Most Out of Our Product” or “Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using [Your Product]”.
• Develop how-to guides: Use customer questions to inspire step-by-step guides, tutorials, or explainer videos that walk them through specific processes.
• Turn customer service interactions into content: Ask your customer service team to track the most common questions they receive and use these queries to create content that addresses these concerns upfront.

Why it works: Using FAQs ensures that your content is directly addressing your audience’s pain points, making it both relevant and highly valuable.

5. Interview Industry Experts and Thought Leaders

Interviews are a fantastic way to generate new content while sharing valuable insights from experts in your field. By interviewing thought leaders, influencers, or even customers, you can offer fresh perspectives to your audience without having to come up with all the content yourself.

Ideas for interviews:

• Guest blog posts: Invite industry experts to contribute guest blog posts to your website, providing valuable content while expanding your network.
• Podcast interviews: Host a podcast where you interview industry leaders or customers about topics that matter to your audience.
• Live Q&A sessions: Host live Q&A sessions with experts on social media or through webinars, allowing your audience to ask questions in real time.

Why it works: Interviews provide unique, authoritative content while showcasing your network. It’s also a great way to offer diverse viewpoints and insights, keeping your content fresh.

6. Use Content Idea Generators and Tools

If you’re ever feeling stuck, content idea generators and marketing tools can help spark creativity and generate fresh ideas. These tools can take a broad topic and narrow it down into specific content ideas, helping you develop a variety of new angles.

Helpful tools to try:

• HubSpot’s Blog Ideas Generator: Enter a few keywords or topics, and the tool will generate blog title ideas and angles for you to explore.
• AnswerThePublic: This tool shows you the most common questions people are asking online around a specific keyword, giving you insights into what topics your audience wants to know more about.
• BuzzSumo: Use this tool to discover trending content in your industry and see which topics are performing well with your target audience.

Why it works: These tools provide instant inspiration and help you brainstorm new content ideas when you’re feeling creatively blocked or need to expand on an existing topic.

7. Conduct Surveys and Use Polls to Generate Ideas

Surveys and polls are a great way to engage your audience and gather insights directly from them. By asking your customers or social media followers for their opinions, preferences, and challenges, you can generate content ideas that address their specific needs.

How to use surveys and polls:

• Email surveys: Send a quick survey to your email list asking for feedback on topics they’d like to see more of in your content.
• Social media polls: Use platforms like Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn to run polls asking your followers what topics interest them most. For example, “Would you like to see more case studies or how-to guides?”
• In-depth customer surveys: Conduct an annual or quarterly survey to gather detailed feedback on your audience’s pain points, challenges, and interests.

Why it works: Surveys and polls not only provide content ideas directly from your audience but also create a sense of involvement and engagement, making your content more relevant and targeted.

Stay Consistent with Content Creation

Running out of content ideas is a common fear, but with the right strategies in place, you can ensure a consistent flow of fresh, engaging material. By repurposing existing content, tapping into user-generated content, staying on top of industry trends, and leveraging tools and insights from your audience, you’ll never be short of ideas for your inbound marketing strategy.

Consistency is key to a successful inbound marketing approach, and these strategies will help keep your content calendar full and your audience engaged over the long term.

Ready to keep your content flowing? Start applying these strategies today to fuel your inbound marketing efforts!