When you’re looking for new content ideas, you might not realize the great sources that are right under your nose. Leveraging the work you are already doing is an organic way to create engaging content. You’re probably already doing something that can be used to create useful content for your audience.

Here are four places to look for content opportunities.

Events

Events, whether in-person or virtual, offer many content opportunities. When one of your organization’s leaders or representatives speaks at a conference or public event, record the presentation, and post it on your blog and social channels. For virtual events, you can use the recording function that the remote meeting software includes, or even a screen recording app. At in-person events, use your phone to record video or audio. And even better: Share the video in real time via Facebook Live or Instagram Stories.

Research

Whether it be member trends, research findings or awards that your organization has won, you likely have access to some valuable information for your audience. Pull out the most interesting stories from the data, and turn them into infographics for your blog, e-newsletter or magazine. No designer on hand? No problem. There are many free or low-cost tools online that can make creating graphics simple and cost-effective for nondesigners.

Your Staff

Your staff may not be professional content creators, but they know your subject matter and your audience best. Solicit them for new content:

• Invite subject matter experts to guest post on your blog or write a column for your magazine.
• Email staff with an engaging question, and compile a sampling of answers in a blog post or for use in your e-newsletter.
• Ask staff to submit short “getting to know you” videos — who they are, what they like most about working for your organization — and use on your social channels.
• If your organization offers education (in person or virtually), talk to the people who run the classes. You can turn class materials into blog posts or articles for your magazine or e-newsletter.

Partnering with your staff for new content has dual benefits: It yields quality content that your audience will find interesting and valuable — and it creates a personal connection between your organization and your audience.

Expanding Planned Content

Have you created an infographic, recorded a video or podcast or produced a gated asset, like a white paper? You can use the same content as the basis for a blogpost or series of posts. Doing a photoshoot for a patient story? Consider making it a video shoot and recording a video testimonial for your website. This can be leveraged further into an interview transcript that serves as the basis for a text story. Think through the different media options that could apply to each piece of content you’re creating, and see the results multiply!

For even more ideas, read our posts on making your content work harder and repurposing old content.

Once you’ve found your hidden content ideas, be sure to document them in your annual content marketing plan.

Fill out the form below to download our FREE content calendar guide and start planning.