Years ago when you first dreamed of having your own business, it might never have occurred to you that you’d need “content”.

Businesses today are expected to have a presence on social media channels. They’re expected to find ways of staying in touch with customers on a regular basis (without nagging). They’re told they need “lead magnets” – that is, valuable content offered to a prospect in exchange for his or her contact information. In all of these areas, content is key.

What does content look like, exactly? It can be a simple Facebook update, a “tweet” on Twitter, a downloadable eBook, a how-to video on YouTube, a free checklist or quiz, tips and tricks via email, a webinar, or an e-course. There are many ways to successfully use content to grow your business. There’s a reason content marketing gets so much buzz – when it’s done well, it works.

But what stops many entrepreneurs from using content is a simple lack of ideas. What will you write about in that eBook? What will you share in your next email? What do your Facebook followers want to hear from you?

Here are some tactics that will keep you flush with content ideas for as long as you need them:

Collect Customer Questions – Your customers (or prospective customers) are a rich resource for content. Start collecting their questions and feedback. If they’re curious, chances are others will be too. Create content that gives the answers.

Use Google’s Keyword Search Tool – GoogleAds allows advertisers to target ads to people who enter specific keywords or phrases into the Google search engine. For example, a plumber in Smith County, Georgia might run an ad to appear on the computers of people who type “smith county ga plumber” into Google. Google also offers a great tool designed to help advertisers choose the best keyword combinations for their ads, here: https://adwords.google.com/KeywordPlanner. You can use it to help inspire content ideas. Look for the phrases that appear around the keywords that represent the type of business you’re in. Then, create content to answer popular inquiries.

Express Your Opinion – What are some of the big issues being discussed in your area of business today? What’s your point of view? The arguments you make in favor of your POV can become items of content.

Enroll Your Employees – Your employees may be on the frontlines with your customers and clients, day in and day out, even when you’re not. Ask your team members what questions or requests they hear most frequently from prospects and customers. Create content that addresses these issues.

Teach How-To – Are you in the business of selling something that a customer must use without your help? Write down step-by-step instructions on how to use your product for best results. You might also suggest uncommon ways to use your product.

Keep Up With the News – What’s everybody talking about today? How can you tie your products and services to today’s hottest trends? For example, if everyone’s talking about the big blizzard coming later in the week and you’re a wine merchant, look for the link between wine and snow. You might take a photo of three wines you recommend and post it on Facebook, reminding followers to stop in and stock up on spirits before getting snowbound.

Once you’ve become good at identifying topics for your content, then you’ll want to take the next step: looking for ways to repurpose your content. An eBook can be broken into several smaller blog posts, for example. Quick tips from the same eBook manuscript can be used as “tweets” on Twitter. A blog post can also be used as the script for a short YouTube video. Just one idea could provide you with content for miles. You just have to know where to look for inspiration. Now, you do!