So, you’ve heard that content marketing – sharing valuable, relevant content with your ideal clients – is a great way to establish yourself as an expert, build relationships, increase brand awareness, and grow your community.

That’s all good stuff. So, what’s the problem?

The problem is coming up with enough worthwhile content ideas for your weekly blog, newsletter, podcast or YouTube channel without driving yourself insane!

If you’re like many entrepreneurs and small business owners out there, you’re hard pressed for time. You wear so many hats and have so many to-dos on your list that it seems like a complete waste of time to sit in front of a blank Word.doc with the curser blinking ominously, waiting for inspiration to come and great content to start pouring out of you.

But, I have a solution for that — the trick is knowing what you’re going to write, speak or teach about BEFORE you sit down to create it!

Having a plan (i.e. an editorial calendar) is essential if you want to deliver awesome, valuable content on a regular basis, and today I’m going to share how to generate 6 months (or more!) of great content ideas in 20 minutes or less.

The key is getting into your ideal clients’ heads, and thinking about the topics, issues, questions and problems that they have and want to know about most.

Below is a list of prompts. Take 20 minutes to sit and fill out this little questionnaire, and before you know it, you’ll have 6 months of solid-gold content inspiration at your fingertips.

1. What are 5+ keywords or search phrases that your ideal customer Googles?
2. What are 3+ questions that your ideal clients regularly ask you?
3. What are 3+ problems that you consistently solve for your ideal customers?
4. What are 2+ industry-specific words that your ideal client needs you to define or clarify?
5. What are 2+ common “myths” that your ideal clients believe about the work you do or your industry?
6. What are 3+ specific benefits/outcomes that your ideal customers enjoy after working with you?
7. What are 2+ goals that your ideal clients have when they come to you?
8. What are 3+ reasons your ideal customers give for working with you?
9. What is the top reason someone should work with you?
10. What drew you to the work you do?
11. List any other topics, issues, ideas that you think would resound with your ideal client.

Now that you’ve filled that out, you have 26+ amazing, relevant, valuable content prompts for your blog, newsletter, podcast, or YouTube channel. So, if you aim to deliver content on a weekly basis, you’re all set for the next 6 months?!

Lastly, plug those ideas into your weekly editorial calendar so that every time you sit down to create content, you know exactly what you’ll be working on.