Taking a 'newsroom approach' to creating new content for your blog

If you’ve stumbled upon a rabbit hole of content marketing advice online you’re likely finding conflicting tips. Some marketers swear by intense research before every blog post. They’ll recommend using Google Keyword Planner or picking a topic that’s trending on certain social media channels.

Others will argue (convincingly too) that what matters most is sticking to what you know and the SEO will follow! We fall into this camp. This advice is particularly useful for organizations just starting out with their content.

We would advocate that you take the “newsroom approach” — a collaborative, all-hands-on-deck brainstorm session that ends in actionable content ideas.

Here’s how it works.

Schedule a planning meeting

Depending on the size of your organization, this meeting should have no more than 5-10 people. Anything more will become unwieldy. The purpose of this meeting is to brainstorm story ideas and ideally to tap into the strengths and expertise of your different team members. The folks in Development offer just as much insight as the people in Programs. Don’t worry if your team is much smaller. Just make sure that you’re not flying solo and falling prey to tunnel vision.

Consider what people are talking about

Always default to the conversations people are having about your field, whether that’s online, in-person, or in the media. You should tackle story ideas that answer basic questions about your work, address emerging trends, or respond to pointed opinions about your field. For example, if your organization’s mission is to end homelessness, you can apply the above rubric to produce these potential story ideas:

• How the Great Recession fueled homelessness in the largest U.S. cities
• 5 states with the biggest increase in homelessness — and what it means for the future
• Why anti-homeless architecture doesn’t really work

Consider HOW you want to tell these stories

Long-form narratives can be incredible reads, but they can also be very polarizing. Some people won’t bother taking the time. Let’s face it, people are reading more content than ever before, so you often have to keep it short and sweet. With that in mind, perhaps an alternative story form is in order. Perhaps the best way to tell any one particular story is through a Q&A with a trusted expert in the field, whether that’s someone on your staff, or one of your partners.

Perhaps a photo gallery works best. A short 90-second video or a series of well-crafted infographics. Perhaps the answer lies in a combination of assorted media or story types.

Come up with a schedule even if it’s loose to start

Here’s where the actionable part comes in . Before you and your staff leave the table, make sure the key members have a to-do item and goal. That could mean scheduling a time with that expert, putting out a call for a photographer, or coordinating a meeting between your data team and graphic designer. Don’t have any of those? That’s OK. Maybe you need to carve out some time to a. Conduct some research and b. Hire a freelance designer.