If you’re in the digital marketing industry, the work you do is likely quite creative and requires a bit of imagination. But what to do when the ideas just aren’t coming to you? Use some brainstorm methods, of course. What better way to come up with fresh ideas and incorporate them into your content strategy? In this text, we’ll talk about brainstorming – what it is, what are its benefits, and how to use it as a tool for content creation.
What Is Brainstorming?
In order to understand how to use effective brainstorming techniques, you must first learn the basic meaning of this term. The chances are that you’ve already unknowingly used some aspects of this technique – it’s quite a simple yet brilliant concept.
Brainstorming is an informal way of problem-solving where an individual or a group of people come up with plenty of thoughts and ideas aimed at solving a problem at hand. Even though some ideas might seem too far-fetched at first, every thought is encouraged because the purpose is to spark a train of thoughts that will ultimately lead to the most effective solution.
Brainstorming Ideas – What’s the Use of This Concept in Content Marketing?
This technique can be used in a variety of settings and professions, one of them being digital marketing – it’s a valuable tool for those who do content marketing in particular. No matter how creative you are, sometimes you just can’t come up with a new idea at a particular moment. Maybe you have writer’s block, or a client wants you to come up with another pitch. Worry not – if you can take some time to sit down and brainstorm, it’s very likely that you will find a solution.
The Benefits of Using Content Brainstorming Techniques
Apart from the obvious goal of brainstorm sessions – finding the best idea that your team can use to create an excellent marketing strategy – digital marketing agencies can enjoy other benefits this technique offers. So, what do you get – apart from that brainstormed idea? You and your team will get a few great advantages that might be even more valuable than the idea itself. Let’s take a look at those benefits.
You Will Increase the Group’s Productivity and Creativity in the Long Run
If you and your team commonly take advantage of techniques like this, you will start to notice an increase in productivity and efficiency. The content you’ll create will be more interesting and innovative. The reason for this is simple. One of the greatest postulates of brainstorming is that it should be done in a safe, non-judgmental environment.
This means that people won’t be scared of looking stupid in front of others – they will be more willing to present an idea, even if they’re not 100% sure it’s a good one. Sure, there will be bad ideas among the good ones – that’s inevitable. But at the same time, you will uncover so many great thoughts that your team would’ve otherwise kept for themselves – and there you go, that’s how you boost creativity in a group setting.
Brainstorming Sessions Can Serve as a Form of Team Building
Although this is technically done for work purposes, it can be considered as some kind of team-building exercise. When you present an issue to teams, and they are supposed to solve it together, it strengthens the bonds between them. Sharing thoughts allows the team to understand their colleagues better – their way of thinking, their strengths, and their weaknesses. This will result in a better work environment where everyone can do their best work and help clients get the kind of content they want.
Approaching the Issue From Multiple Angles and Getting Different Perspectives
No two people think alike – that’s why hearing everybody’s perspectives is so valuable. Every member of the group will have something to contribute to the final solution, no matter how small it may seem. Approaching the problem from multiple perspectives ensures that you can’t miss out on the solution. When you write down all the different proposals that were brought up during the session, teams can easily sort them out and come up with the perfect idea.
Finding More Than Just One Solution for an Issue at Hand
When you’re using brainstorm techniques to create content that will advertise a product or a service, there is a quick and constant flow of thoughts that must be documented. As we’ve mentioned before, your solution is hidden somewhere in there – but who says you have to pick just one solution? Keep an open mind – leave room to change the content and switch to another idea later in the process.
The Common Challenges That Arise While Brainstorming Ideas
All the different brainstorming methods have their pros, but they also come with some cons – nothing is perfect in life. One of the main difficulties teams face is balancing the conversation so that everybody is included and has equal chances of voicing their thoughts. This is simply due to human nature – some are extroverted, while others are introverted.
You surely won’t have a hard time guessing which ones would lead the conversation, right? Extroverted personalities dominate the conversation naturally, which means that introverts may sometimes have trouble giving their opinions. Another problem that may occur is people focusing too much on the first few ideas, which slows down the thought process and may lead to others forgetting what they were planning to say when it’s their turn to present.
Last by not least, the thing that we all dread in every meeting – awkward silence. If the teams aren’t used to communicating and collaborating with each other, it may be difficult to keep the conversation going. That is not just uncomfortable for everybody but also results in a failed meeting where you haven’t solved problems you’ve wanted to discuss.
Can Individual Brainstorming Be as Good as – Or Even Better – Than a Group Session?
Most people would automatically assume that the best way to brainstorm is in teams – it sounds like your chances of solving a problem are higher when more people are working together. However, this isn’t necessarily true – it only stands for situations where participants are communicating well and following the guidelines of brainstorming and best practices.
Individual brainstorming can be great in many cases – if nothing, it allows you to feel freer than when surrounded by others who would be discussing your thoughts. Some people simply work better on their own – but it’s worth noting that even the best brainstorming techniques won’t be enough when you’re facing an issue that requires more experience than you have in order to be solved. So, when the problem is too complex, teams will most likely provide better solutions compared to individuals.
What Are the Most Popular Brainstorm Methods?
There is a wide variety of interesting techniques you can try – we recommend trying several ones to figure out what works best for you and your team members. Here are a few popular methods that can help you come up with an innovative solution to your content-related problems:
- Question brainstorming – Asking a series of questions in hopes of gaining a better understanding of an issue.
- Mind map technique – Starting from the main topic and drawing branches from it that will explore all the variables related to the topic.
- Reverse brainstorming – Coming up with possible issues instead of solutions, so that you can be prepared for any obstacles that may arise during the work on the project.
- The 5 whys method – Asking “why?” until you reach the question that can’t be answered. The point is to reach the root of the issue so you can find a solution more easily.
- Random word brainstorming – Saying the first words that come to mind when a certain subject or problem is mentioned. The goal is to combine the words later and try to find a solution based on the interesting combinations of those words.
How to Brainstorm in Group – Tips for Organizing a Quality Session
As you can guess, there are a few commonly used guidelines for proper brainstorming – you can’t just put a few people in the room and expect results to show up magically. There’s a bit of preparation involved. Let’s take a look at what should be done before the start of the session.
Appoint a Group Facilitator Who Will Lead the Meeting
If you’re the one planning a meeting – congratulations, you will be the facilitator of your team. What are your obligations? It’s similar to leading any other meeting. You will provide guidelines and decide on the exercises that will be done. This is a necessary part of the process – if no one were in charge, it would be easy to lose track of the meeting, and there wouldn’t be any progress.
Be Sure to Properly Prepare for the Meeting
Let’s start from the basics – you need to choose the space where you will have the meeting. Try to find a comfortable place where everyone can feel relaxed enough to dive deep into their thoughts. Next up, decide on the tools and resources that will be needed for the session. Lastly, put together the team you wish to participate in the session. Keep in mind that putting like-minded people together probably won’t result in diverse ideas – try to include people with different positions in the company and those with different thinking styles.
Define the Problem and the Criteria That the Solution Must Meet
At the start of the meeting, explain in detail what the problem is and what criteria the solutions need to meet – the more people know about the problem, the better their chances of solving it. Be sure to give enough quiet time for everybody to think it through and come up with concepts they can present later. Try to set a time limit for quiet time so that people will be better focused. When everyone’s ready, you can start the discussion.
Document All the Ideas and Discuss Them as a Team
Encourage participants to note down their thoughts so they don’t forget anything. When the discussion starts, someone should be recording everything so no thoughts are lost. It’s recommended to appoint someone specifically for that task – but make sure it’s a person who’s not vital for the discussion. Recordings can be used later to put together a plan for solving the problem.
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