Mind Mining for Email Topics or Content

Here’s a great exercise for creating ideas for content or email topics. The more you know your customers and what they need from you, the easier this will be. Learn how to discover your avatar (ideal customer) here.

There are various ways I’ve seen this done, but generally, you take one idea that you have and drill down to break it up into components so:

(a) You have more to talk about
(b) It doesn’t take forever to write an email or blog post because the idea is small and simple
(c) You can link each one together giving you a series
(d) People love your content more and consume it easily because you aren’t throwing all of your genius at them in one fell swoop which is overwhelming.

Step 1:

Make the easiest “top 10” list you can think of. If that feels like too much, even a top 3 list or a top 5 list will work. Pick something that feels easy and don’t worry if you don’t get all the way to 10.

For example, here’s an idea of a top 10 list for a wreath making business:

10 Places to Decorate Your Home for Easter

1. Mantle
2. Hearth
2. Front Door
3. Mailbox
4. Table
5. Porch
6. Deck
7. Bathroom
8. bedroom
9. kitchen
10. stairs

Now it’s your turn! Make the easiest “top 10” list you can think of for your niche on a topic to help solve problems of your customer and where you can show off your products. If 10 feels like too many, even a top 3 list or a top 5 list will work. Pick something that feels easy and again, don’t stress if you think of 10. Remember; your goal is to stay on topic of solving the main problem of your ideal customer. In this example for a wreath making business, this list of ideas for topics would be helping the customer decorate for the holidays and/or feel proud to show off their home.

Now that you have your list, you could stop here and use this list for email content. But what if instead we took the list and mine each item into a micro-idea.

Step 2:

Continuing with the example above, I’m going to dive into a few items on my top 10 list for micro-ideas below:

1. Mantle
   -How to stage your mantle for Easter using a Wreath
   -How to hang an Easter Wreath over your Fireplace
   -Draping an Easter Wreath over a large mirror
   -How to hang an Easter Garland on your Fireplace
   -3 Tips for decorating your Mantle for Easter using silk flowers
2. Hearth
   -How to stage your hearth for Easter using a wreath
   -Creating a festive Easter vignette on a hearth
   -Decorating your Hearth with Easter Lanterns
3. Mailbox
   -How to decorate your mailbox for Easter
   -How to attach Easter bow to Mailbox
   -How to attach Easter swag to Mailbox
   -How to attach Mailbox topper to a brick mailbox
4. Front Door
   -Tips for Picking the perfect Easter wreath for your front door
   -What size Easter Wreath do you need for a front door
   -What color Easter Wreath to use for a black door
   -3 Ways to hang an Easter Wreath on a Door
   -Screen Door, No problem We have an Easter Wreath Solution
   -Pros and Cons: Oval Wreath or Round Wreath for Easter
5. Porch
   -How to stage your front porch for Easter
   -Easter Garland Ideas for your front porch
   -Easter Swags, Not your Grandmother’s Wreaths
   -Where to place Easter bows on your Porch
   -How to attach a garland to brick
6. Deck
   -How to display your Easter decor on a deck
   -Decorating your Deck for Easter using bows
   -Where to place Easter lanterns on your Deck
   -How to spruce up your deck for spring and Easter
   -How to hang a wreath on brick (stucco, wood, etc.)
7. Bathroom
   -Where to hang an Easter wreath in a bathroom
   -How to hang a small Easter swag on your bathroom mirror
8. Bedroom
   -Top 2 places to hang an Easter wreath in a bedroom
   -How to hang a wreath over the bed
   -How an Easter garland can enhance your bedroom
9. Kitchen
   -5 places to hang an Easter wreath in a kitchen
   -Ways to hang Easter Wreaths on windows
   -Small Easter Wreaths Hung on Kitchen Cabinets
   -How to decorate over the Fridge for Easter
   -How to decorate over the kitchen cabinets using flowers
   -3 places to use small Easter arrangements in your kitchen
10. Stairs
    -How to use an Easter swag on your staircase
    -How an Easter garland can enhance your home
    -Small arrangements on your Easter staircase can make your home festive
    -Draping your Easter garland to swag on the staircase
    -How to attach Garland to a staircase

You may notice when you’re doing this that not all micro-ideas are tightly aligned with your main list item.

You also may notice that some ideas you come up with are not actually that good or not something you’d ever want to write about. THIS IS FINE. Do not stop your flow. It’s part of the process. We’re just trying to get your creative juices flowing, and all juice is good juice!

Do this exercise for any niche and it’s a great way to come up with content for an email campaign. Remember to stay engaged with your email list and email them frequently but always bringing the customer back to your product, your brand and how you can serve them.

Let me know if you need ideas for brainstorming your niche!