Monday, October 14

Let me tell you a story.

A few years ago, when I started writing online the hardest part was coming up with ideas that people actually wanted to read.

Here's the reality:

In today's crowded online space, if you're not consistently delivering valuable content, you risk fading into the background.

Your audience moves on, engagement drops, and the premium brand you've been striving to build starts to lose its shine.

As a ghostwriter, this is one of the many challenges that founders come to me to solve.

So today, I wanted to share with you the exact system I use in my agency

The 3-step Ideation Process

1. Content Audit

2. Niche Content Sourcing

3. Personal Content Sourcing

Let's dive deep into each step and explore how you can transform your content creation process, so you never run out of ideas again.

1. Content Audit:

A trap I’ve seen several writers fall into is abandoning their old strategy immediately.

Your old content actually has a lot of value.

A content audit is your starting point. It's about looking back to move forward, identifying what has worked and what hasn't.

Here's what I looked for:

• Engagement Metrics: Which pieces received the most likes, shares, and comments?

• Audience Interaction: What topics sparked the most conversation or debate?

• Recurring Themes: Were there subjects my audience consistently gravitated toward?

• Successful Formats: Did videos outperform articles? Were infographics more engaging?

What I discovered:

My audience was deeply connected to personal stories and behind-the-scenes insights into my industry experiences.

Generic tips didn't resonate as much—they wanted authenticity and real-world examples.

So I doubled down and was able to get a few of these bangers the last few months:

Analyzing Competitors

While you're auditing your own content, don't forget to look outward.

Studying your competitors can reveal gaps in the market.

But remember, the goal isn't to copy them—it's to identify what they're missing.

Consider:

• What questions are they leaving unanswered?

• Which topics are they overlooking?

• How can you offer a unique perspective?

Building Your Swipe File

As you identify high-performing content, create a swipe file—a collection of ideas, formats, and examples that inspire you. This could be a folder of bookmarks, a digital notebook, or a spreadsheet.

Here’s what my own bookmarks look like on X (not the best naming conventions - but hey I used to be a designed iykyk)

2. Niche Content Sourcing

Once you've mined your own content and analyzed competitors, it's time to expand your idea pool.

And this is important because of the content flywheel.

• New ideas turn into tests.

• Tests turn into more ideas from past content reviews.

Feeding this flywheel of ideas is important.

Especially, when you’re in the first few months of writing - Justin Welsh and other creators typically build a backlog of 6-months of content before they start repurposing.

Otherwise, your audience develops content fatigue.

Because they’ve seen the same messages, content and formats over and over again - they start to become blind to your content.

And eventually they lose interest.

Now - a lot of creators would typically source their ideas from other creators.

And over time, the novel insights those OG creators used - become ‘generic.’

Think the fathers of copywriting when they first set out the rules for writing great copy.

Like “test x amount of headlines,” “use y method to get customer insights.”

These are now known as generic tips.

And with social media this process of idea degradation speeds up.

So the best play to source content is in the things you’re actually engaging in every day.

My 2 favorite places to mine are:

• Agency SOPs

• FAQs

Utilize Agency SOPs

If you've worked with agencies or brands, their standard operating procedures (SOPs) can be a treasure chest of content ideas.

The detailed processes can be transformed into educational content.

And most of the time, there’s practical examples or social proof linked to each.

So this is literally liquid gold when it comes to content.

For example:

• Break down complex workflows into step-by-step guides

• Share insights into industry best practices

• Offer tips on how to streamline specific tasks

The next type.

FAQs in Your Niche and Sales Calls

Identify the frequently asked questions within your industry.

Platforms like Reddit, Quora, and niche forums are excellent places to find these questions.

Or when you’re in sales calls - you’ll notice people will ask the same questions over and over again.

You want to provide answers to these through your content.

You position yourself as a valuable resource.

And at the same time, if your process is refined enough oftentimes you’ll have different answers to what other creators are putting out there.

Novelty isn’t the priority here, you can have the same answers as others.

But there’s going to be some nuances that only YOU can answer in a very specific way.

And over time, by putting these out there your brand becomes synonymous to these values and practices.

Now let’s dive into the next part.

And this part is key especially when it comes to personal branding.

And that’s sourcing your own personal content.

3. Personal Content Sourcing: Share Your Journey

Your story is your differentiator.

One framework that profoundly impacted my content creation is the 2-Year Test, introduced by Dickie Bush and Nicolas Cole.

The 2-Year Test

The idea is simple yet powerful: You're an expert to someone who is where you were two years ago.

Think back to who you were then.

For me, two years ago, I was grappling with building my online presence. I made mistakes, learned hard lessons, and slowly found strategies that worked. There are countless people out there facing those same challenges today.

Reflect on:

• The problems you overcame.

• The skills you developed.

• The knowledge you wish you had back then.

By sharing these experiences, you provide guidance to others navigating the path you've already walked.

The key starting point here is to visualize someone who is where you were.

• What are they struggling with?

• What questions keep them up at night?

• What misconceptions might they have?

Write content for that person. Be the mentor you wished you had.

We often dismiss our experiences as unremarkable because they're familiar to us.

But to others, your "ordinary" can be extraordinary.

Now I want to say something really important here.

Don’t limit yourself to mining ideas from 1 platform

Limiting yourself to a single platform is like fishing in a pond when there's an ocean of possibilities.

It's easy to get trapped in a cycle where everyone in your niche is discussing the same topics. To stand out, you need to break free from the echo chamber.

Early on, I focused solely on one social media platform, X.

And what I noticed was my content became repetitive, and growth stalled.

When I began exploring others, a world of inspiration opened up.

You don’t want to be part of the echo chamber.

Do these steps for all platforms, whether that YouTube, TikTok or Instagram.

All content has value.

Cross-Pollinate Ideas

I began reading books outside my field, attending webinars on unrelated topics, and engaging with communities. This broadened my horizons and sparked unique content ideas.

Integrate Unrelated Concepts

Some of my most successful content came from connecting dots between unrelated fields.

For example:

• Applying psychological principles to marketing strategies.

• Using lessons from sports to discuss teamwork in business.

• Drawing parallels between cooking and project management.

By fusing different ideas, you create content that's both original and insightful.

Putting It All Together

Let's recap the journey.

You've learned to:

• Audit your content to discover what's working.

• Source ideas from your niche and beyond.

• Share your personal journey to provide unique value.

• Draw inspiration from diverse platforms.

• Break free from the echo chamber to keep your content fresh.

By integrating these steps, you build a robust system that fuels continuous content creation.

Embrace Consistency and Authenticity

Consistency isn't just about posting regularly; it's about consistently providing value. Authenticity isn't just sharing your successes; it's about being real about your journey—the ups and the downs.

Your audience craves:

• Genuine insights over generic advice.

• Stories that they can relate to.

• Practical solutions to their problems.

I know this was a long one.

But I would love to know what you guys think of this breakdown.

• What challenges are you facing in generating content ideas?

• Which of these strategies are you excited to implement?

• Do you have any tips or experiences you'd like to share?

Feel free to reach out. Let's learn from each other and continue to grow together.

See you in the next one,

Ephraim

See you soon.

How I can help:

📣 Partner with me to build your personal brand here