How to Generate Great Content Ideas for Your Editorial Calendar (Without Stressing Out)

If you’re juggling a million things—managing orders, handling customer questions, and keeping up with daily operations—finding time to create content like blog posts, social media updates, or emails can feel impossible.

And when you finally sit down to focus on marketing, you’re left staring at a blank screen thinking, “What should we write about?”

It’s a common problem. But the good news is, with just a bit of planning and a few smart strategies, you can generate strong content ideas for an editorial calendar that supports your business goals and connects with your audience.

Here’s a practical approach to help you get started when you’re feeling stuck.

Step 1: Start with Your Business Goals

Before brainstorming content ideas, think about what your company wants to achieve. Is your goal to:

• Attract new customers?
• Introduce a new service or product?
• Strengthen relationships with existing customers?

When you know your business goals, coming up with content ideas becomes much easier. For example:

• If you’re focused on growing sales, create educational blog posts that solve common customer problems, and include a clear call-to-action (CTA) to get in touch or download a helpful resource.
• If you’re focused on building brand awareness, share social media posts or videos that show your products or services in action—especially in ways that solve real-world challenges.

When your content aligns with your business goals, it becomes more focused, relevant, and effective.

Step 2: Tap into Questions

One of the easiest ways to generate content ideas is to listen to your customers. Your sales team, customer service reps, engineers, and even distributors talk to customers every day. Ask them:

• What questions do customers ask most often?
  Keep a running list of these questions for ongoing reference. Over time, you’ll build a treasure trove of content ideas.
• What challenges are customers facing in their day-to-day work?
  Dig into the issues your customers—and their customers—are wrestling with. By mapping out the series of problems they face, you may uncover not just the challenges but their root causes. That insight can help you create content that adds real value and highlights your company’s expertise.

You’ll be surprised by how many blog topics, videos, or social media posts can come directly from customer questions.

Step 3: Look at What You’ve Already Created

Before starting from scratch, take a look at what you—or others in your industry—have already created.

Ask yourself:

• Do you have blog posts on your website that could be updated or repurposed?
• Are there magazine articles or industry blogs addressing customer problems that could inspire your own content?
• Do you have sales brochures or case studies that could be turned into blog posts, videos, or social media snippets?

Sometimes, the best content ideas come from updating or reworking something you—or others—have already produced.

Step 4: Use Tools to Help

You don’t have to be a tech expert to use tools that make generating content ideas easier. Here are a few ways to streamline the process:

1. Use AI for Idea Generation
   Tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Google Gemini can help you brainstorm. Simply describe your business, your audience, and your goals, and these tools can suggest relevant blog or video topics. That said, always review and refine AI-generated content for tone, accuracy, and fit. Think of AI as a helpful assistant—it’s a great starting point, but it still needs human oversight to ensure quality and relevance.
2. Do Simple Keyword Research
   If you’re unsure what your audience is searching for, try Google’s Keyword Planner (it’s free!). You don’t have to be an SEO expert—just look for simple keywords that reflect what your customers are likely searching for online.
3. Repurpose Content Across Formats
   If you write a blog post, turn it into a social media post, an email newsletter, or even a short video. Repurposing helps you stretch your content further without constantly reinventing the wheel.

Step 5: Stay in the Know About Industry Trends

Your customers care about what’s happening in their industry, so staying informed is a great way to generate timely, relevant content.

For example:

• Is there a new regulation that could affect your customers? Write a blog explaining how it impacts them.
• Is there a major industry trade show coming up? Share your excitement on social media or post a preview about what trends you’re watching.

Stay current by subscribing to industry newsletters, joining LinkedIn groups, or setting up Google Alerts for relevant keywords. This not only keeps your content fresh but also positions your company as an informed and helpful partner.

Step 6: Schedule Time With Yourself And Others

You don’t have to come up with every idea on your own. Your team likely has valuable insights that can spark great content. Whether it’s sales, engineering, customer service, or production, everyone interacts with customers in different ways—and each perspective can inspire new ideas.

Keep your eyes and ears open. Ideas often come up naturally in everyday conversations.

The key is to systemize the process. Schedule dedicated time to think, plan, and execute. Like any skill, generating good content ideas becomes easier with repetition and discipline.

Step 7: Organize Everything in a Simple Editorial Calendar

As you gather ideas, make sure to capture them immediately. Don’t wait until later—you’ll forget! If you don’t have a pen or paper handy, send yourself a text, email, or voice memo. The goal is to collect ideas the moment they come to mind.

To organize your ideas, start with a simple spreadsheet. When compiling your list, don’t worry about editing or perfecting—just capture. If one idea sparks another, write that one down too.

Here’s a simple structure you can use for your editorial calendar:

• Topic: What’s the focus of the content?
• Format: Blog post, video, email, or social media post?
• Target Audience: Who are you creating this for?
• Due Date: When will it be published?

By organizing your ideas, you can leverage what you collected and make the most of sparks of genius ignited by you and others.

Step 8: Track Results and Adjust as You Go

Once you start posting, pay attention to what’s working. Use tools like Google Analytics (or your website’s built-in analytics) to see which topics drive engagement or leads.

If certain content performs well, create more around similar themes. And remember, your editorial calendar should be flexible. Think of it as a starting point and that you could always pivot if a new industry trend or customer need arises.

Building an editorial calendar doesn’t have to be stressful or complicated. But it does take work and it does take time.  By tapping into the knowledge within your team, aligning your content with your business goals, and using simple tools to help generate ideas, you can create content that delivers real results—without feeling overwhelmed.

If you’re unsure where to start or need help putting your ideas into action, we’re here to help. Let’s turn those content ideas into a real plan that attracts new leads, strengthens customer relationships, and enhances your company’s reputation in the industry.