Finding Inspiration to Up-Level Your Marketing

Professional copywriters (that’s us!) use inspiration to write conversion-ready content. Sure, we study our clients’ customer avatar, gather and analyze data, and keep up with industry trends, but those techniques alone aren’t what keeps us going.

We NEED inspiration to perform at our very best. Without a healthy dose of motivation, content marketing falls flat, as if website copy, blogs, and marketing emails are churned out on a conveyer belt. (That’s true for professional copywriters and business owners alike.)

As we work on projects, we use inspirational material to get our creative synapses firing, so that we can create high-performance website content, SEO-rich blogs, and long-term sales funnels.

However, the question remains…

Where do you find material that puts your brain into success mode?

Keep reading to discover where to find inspirational material that will help you do your best work.

Whether it’s that addictive television show you’ve been binge-watching or a novel you can’t put down, your favorite media provides you with sparks of inspiration. As you watch a movie or read a book, think about the storytelling.

Rich storytelling—that’s what keeps you turning pages or glued to the screen. Believe it or not, the techniques these writers use apply to your business and its marketing content.

How so?

Brand storytelling.

When a book, television show, or movie inspires you, you can take away valuable brand storytelling techniques. Pay attention to how the storytellers create an experience, and see how you can create rich content that makes a connection with your audience like veteran storytellers do.

The next time you’re at a conference, immerse yourself in a good talk. No, I’m not talking about networking strategies here. Go to the “big talks,” the headliners, the guys and gals who’ve made a name for themselves.

Watch Seth Godin induce tears, laughter, and insight.

Listen to Peter Shankman’s musings on the importance of quality content and the future of technology.

Check out what Frank Kern is up to over at Digital Marketer.

It doesn’t matter which marketing guru or small business virtuoso tickles your fancy; you can rest assured that inspiration awaits in their words.

[Side note: If you can’t fly out to an event but need a quick dose of awesome, TED Talk videos are never a waste of time.]

Famous inspirational quotes…well, they’re great.

Specifically, inspirational quotes help you create better solutions for your customers in 2 to 5 seconds.

Here are a few favorites to ramp up your inspiration for today. Chew on this brain food:

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

-Thomas A. Edison

“People are unrealistic, illogical, and self-centered. Love them anyway.”

-Mother Theresa

“The work of an advertising agency is warmly and immediately human. It deals with human needs, wants, dreams, and hopes. Its ‘product’ cannot be turned out on an assembly line.”

-Leo Burnett

Revisit your company’s story. 

When all else fails, and you still need to put yourself in inspiration mode, you can find the answer within. Think about…

• Whom you serve.
• Why you serve them.
• What benefits wouldn’t exist without you.
• Where you want to go.

Not sure how to articulate your brand story?