Hey friend!

Ever find yourself staring into space, looking for ideas for your next newsletter, social posts, or webinar?

It isn't that you have zero ideas, but that you have too many ideas.

And the real problem is knowing exactly what to talk about. So, today I want to give you 3 quick ways to narrow your focus and never run out of topic ideas.

1. Start with what's keeping you up at night.

What are the things you can't stop thinking and talking about?

If it’s worrying or exciting you, it’ll hit home with your audience too.

Here are 5 questions to get you thinking...

1. What tactics or strategies do I use that are different from everyone else?
2. What current trend or advice do I secretly disagree with, and why?
3. If I could give my past self one piece of advice, what would it be?
4. What challenges have I overcome that others can learn from?
5. What are the top 3 mistakes I made on my last project, initiative, or tactic?

Your turn:

Take five minutes to jot down a topic that’s been consuming your thoughts lately. Write down a few bullet points on your perspective. And you’ve got a starting point for your next piece of content.

2. Tie it to something that matters NOW.

Got a launch, big project, or campaign coming up? Don’t add a bunch of unnecessary work to your plate. Instead, use what’s already happening in your world to fuel your content.

Think about what’s top of mind for your team and your audience, and craft your content around that.

I love to do this around new features or product launches. You can start fueling the big ideas, pains, and struggles that currently exist and then use your new feature or product as the solution.

It's a natural way to talk about the product without creating only BOFU content.

Your turn:

Review your calendar for any upcoming initiatives or projects. Pick one and brainstorm three ways to connect it to valuable content for your audience. You could address common problems, do a behind-the-scenes look, share top mistakes, give away some resources, or share a sneak peek.

3. Don’t guess. Make the ask.

Sometimes, the best content ideas come straight from the source. Reach out to your community—whether it’s through a poll, a LinkedIn post, or a simple email.

Ask them what challenges they’re facing or what questions they want answered. But keep it aligned with your expertise, and focus on topics that could help your prospective buyers.

Here's an example where I did this from inside the Distribution First community.

And here's a simple DM I sent someone on LinkedIn:

Now I don't have to guess what members want to learn, because they gave me a ton of ideas to pull from.

All I had to do was ask.

Your turn:

Send a quick DM on LinkedIn or post in your favorite community group. You can ask: “Hey, I'm working on my next set of content and was curious what your biggest challenge is when it comes to [your area of expertise]?”

If you reach out to 10 peers, and only a few respond, you'll still have plenty of answers to build from.

Have a great week!

Justin Simon

Founder, Distribution First ← if you want to amplify your marketing, check this out.

Here are 3 ways I can help you amplify your content...

1. The Distribution First Playbook (FREE): This free blueprint gives you all the steps to build a content distribution system and amplify your existing content without relying on Google.

2. Content Repurposing Roadmap: This is my flagship course. Turn your existing content into a lead-generating machine in a few hours a week.

3. Distribution First: You don’t have to do it all yourself. Distribution First helps you amplify your content through plug-and-play frameworks, advanced training, and personalized coaching.