How can Design thinking help you create powerful content?

Design thinking has become an increasingly popular problem-solving method in recent years. Despite its name, “design thinking” is a concept deeper than slick fonts or pretty colour palettes. In the previous article, we spoke about how design thinking helps effective leadership. Today team Luxeveda talks about how the design thinking approach can lead to creating powerful content.

Where do content creation and design thinking meet?

So how can one implement an effective content strategy? Similar to the design thinking process, a good content strategy employs learning about users needs, identifying patterns and insights and designing potential solutions from user research. Content strategy is the process of determining how to best utilize and frame different pieces of content to deliver pleasurable and compelling experiences for the users. Meanwhile, design thinking is a creative process that considers many different perspectives and presents meaningful approaches to solve identified problems. Both these approaches include the search for fresh ideas and the implementation of new trends.

Most companies are under the impression that they know enough about the customers to offer them the best content. In fact, only 27% of businesses have a strategy governing their content creation, according to the Content Marketing Institute. The objective is to build lasting relationships with your audience through your content. So, what you need is first to materialise your content. Treat the various pieces of content–  videos, articles, podcasts, and newsletters as your product. Turn them into helpful content pieces for your audience. Similar to design thinking, when you curate content considering your audience and their needs, their problems and the solutions they require, you create powerful content. In this context, design thinking can turn blank content pieces into meaningful resources for the audience. Create as much evergreen content as possible. What’s more, by creating meaningful content your audience will return to your business. 

Benefits of combining design thinking and content marketing

# Identifying A Topic

At the start of every new content marketing project, the question often asked is, “What is a relevant topic?” To answer this question, design thinking is very useful. By using this approach, creators can collaborate with customer service or sales teams. Since these teams have direct contact with the audience, they are familiar with their problems. Solutions to these problems can be outlined as topics. Moreover, these topics are highly relevant as they originate from the target group itself. 

#Diversity and Agility

Using this approach, different teams communicate solutions to the content team. When different points of views are put forward, the content created will have better creativity and variety. Another characteristic of the design thinking approach is the continuous development of ideas. When content is created following the phases of design thinking, marketers can respond to new trends and development with ease and agility.         

Conclusion

The bottom line is, those who equip the design thinking approach in their content strategy can reap many benefits. This approach initiates interdisciplinary teamwork. Thus, content marketing matures from an isolated project to a holistic collaborative project. Content marketing strategies are undoubtedly powerful tools to engage with customers. If you believe design thinking is the right method for your content marketing efforts, contact us and we can help integrate it into your strategy.