The full guide

5 ways to find content ideas your customers actually care about

Most owners don't run out of ideas. They just don't write down the ones their customers hand them every day. These are the 5 places we pull from for the businesses we work with, with where to look, the questions to ask yourself, a simple template, and a real post that came out of each one. Give it 20 minutes the first time.

Our one rule: every idea starts with something a customer actually said. If there's no customer behind it, we cut it.

  1. 1 of 5

    The question you answer every week

    Where to look

    • Your DMs, texts and voicemails
    • The front desk and the phone
    • Consults and estimates

    Ask yourself

    • What did I explain twice this week?
    • What do customers ask right before they book? Right after?

    Turn it into a post

    "We get asked [the question] a lot, so here's the straight answer." Then answer it in under 60 seconds, the way you would in person.

    Cincinnati Skin Center's IPL Reel.
    We're getting asked a lot lately about IPL so let's break it down.

    @cincinnatiskincenter · a question patients kept asking

    See the post
  2. 2 of 5

    What first-timers always get wrong

    Where to look

    • Check-in and first appointments
    • The reminder you send before a first visit
    • Anything your staff corrects without thinking

    Ask yourself

    • What do I fix on almost every first visit?
    • What do new customers wish someone had told them?

    Turn it into a post

    "First timer tip: [the thing]." Show it happening, then say why it makes their visit better.

    DEFINE Oakley's first-timer tip Reel.
    First timer tip: arrive at least 15 minutes before class.

    @defineoakley · what new members kept getting wrong

    See the post
  3. 3 of 5

    What your reviews keep praising

    Where to look

    • Your Google reviews
    • Thank-you texts and emails
    • What people say on their way out

    Ask yourself

    • Which word shows up in 3 or more reviews?
    • Who on my team gets thanked by name, and for what?

    Turn it into a post

    Put the review on screen in their words, then show the moment it's talking about: [the person, the room, the work].

    Up and Running's customer review Reel.
    These kinds of reviews remind us exactly why we do what we do.

    @upandrunningoh · a customer review, posted as a Reel

    See the post
  4. 4 of 5

    What they hesitate on right before booking

    Where to look

    • "Let me think about it" and quotes that go quiet
    • DMs that ask one question and disappear
    • The questions on a sales call before they commit

    Ask yourself

    • What happens after they reach out that they can't picture yet?
    • What are they afraid it'll cost, take, or feel like?

    Turn it into a post

    "Nobody tells you what happens after you [the first step]. So here it is in [3 to 6] steps."

    Atlas Systems' 6 steps Reel.
    Nobody tells you what happens after you fill out that contact form. So here it is in 6 easy steps.

    @atlasys.io · the worry right before reaching out

    See the post
  5. 5 of 5

    The myth you keep correcting

    Where to look

    • "I heard that..." and "my friend said..."
    • Whatever they read online before they walked in the door
    • The thing you start with "actually..." every week

    Ask yourself

    • What do customers believe about my work that isn't true?
    • If I could fix one belief for every customer at once, which one?

    Turn it into a post

    "Let's clear this up: [the myth]. Here's what's actually true." One myth per post.

    Cincinnati Skin Center's sunscreen Reel.
    Let's clear this up: Sunscreen season is actually 365 days a year.

    @cincinnatiskincenter · a myth they hear all the time

    See the post

Before you film anything: our 3-question test

  1. Would they stop scrolling?
  2. Do they keep reading or watching?
  3. Is it worth saving, sending, or booking from?

A no on any one? Cut it, or find a sharper angle on the same customer words.

Your next 3 posts

Pick any 3 of the ways. For each, name the way, then write their words, not yours. Your notes stay in this browser and nowhere else.

Want a second opinion on one?

Reply to my DM with one thing a customer asked you this week, and I'll tell you how I'd turn it into a post.

Open my DMs

Chase Gianattasio · Scroll Media. The examples are real posts from businesses we work with, linked and credited.