When I’m speaking to clients or hosting training workshops and we get to the big question about content strategy, the same hurdles come up every time…

“I don’t know what to write about!”

“What should I tweet – I don’t want it to be about my business all the time?”

“I don’t know what to put on my Facebook page…”

“How can I stand out when everyone else posts such great stuff?”

“Who wants to read about [insert area of expertise] here – it’s dull!”

and the one that gets me the most…

“I haven’t got anything interesting to say…”

Stop. right. there.

First of all, we all have something to share. It might not interest everyone, and because what you know is so familiar to you, you probably take it for granted (we all do that) but if it didn’t interest anyone, you’d have no clients, no business contacts and no friends. And I KNOW that’s not the case.

The secret is to post a variety of things while keeping on topic – making your updates interesting, useful, entertaining, educational and interactive. This is what marketers mean when they say: provide value for your audience.

But how do you do that?

There are lots ways – but today I want to focus on just one…

O.P.C

That stands for Other People’s Content. That’s right – one of the best ways to engage your audience is relying on other people to write it for you.

Sharing OPC is a great way to:

• position you as a go-to person (because you’ve always got something interesting to share)
• help you look really interesting and resourceful (kinda like a mini Google)
• help others get to know you (if you recommend an article, you’re voicing your opinion)
• show you care about your audience (because you’re sending them stuff that will help them)
• keep you visible (so people remember you exist)
• show your generosity of spirit (everyone likes a generous person!)
• get ‘in’ with the original author (you never know what opportunities may arise)
• encourage a conversation (providing deeper connections with your community)

Plus, by reading OPC to find great stuff to share, you’ll get the benefits of:

• educating yourself
• finding inspiration for your own content topics, like blog posts and subscriber emails
• and, of course you’ll have something to post without struggling to find something to say!

Where Do You Find OPC?

There are lots of places. Social media is a great resource for finding OPC, as long as you do it mindfully without entering the time-suck vortex. One of my other favourites is Alltop.

Alltop is like an online magazine rack featuring some of the best blog sites neatly categorised in easy to find topics. (Bonus superstar tip: You can even submit your own blog so others can read and share your wisdom).

You can customise your magazine rack to find the exact topics you’re interested in so you can store, browse and share them easily.

Take Action!

• Go over to Alltop now and watch the short video on this page: About Alltop
• Set up a MyAlltop account using the Log In prompt at the bottom of the screen in the right hand corner
• Browse the categories at the top of the page starting with your expertise first, and move on to related ideas (sell soft furnishings? Include topics like home improvement, colour pyschology or feng shui)
• Once you’ve found a topic that you like, click the + sign to add the website or blog to your page
• Come back to Alltop often (and remember to share what you find!)

Over to you…

Coming up with shareable content can seem like a painful task, but now that I revealed one of my favourite secrets, you will be on your way to content ideas galore.  

How do you come up with ideas for content? After you’ve set up your MyAlltop account, share in the comments below what new websites you’ve discovered.