Using SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing.
SCAMPER technique is a creativity tool that you can use to generate useful ideas. It consists of a checklist that guides creative thinking. You can use SCAMPER technique to help you write content that is useful to your audience or customers.
Entrepreneurs make use of the SCAMPER technique to generate new ideas about their new venture, products or services. However, this creativity tool can also be used in any area where, you need to generate new ideas.
The recent helpful content update by Google, emphasizes the need for content writers to create content that provides helpful information.
Content creators are expected to focus on producing, people-first content, and to avoid search engines-first content.
The creative mind-set, and the techniques applied to creative thinking, play a big role in the creative process of creating something new and helpful.
This article is a simple guide on how content creators can apply the SCAMPER technique for generating new ideas for writing helpful content.
How do you use SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing?
SCAMPER is an acronym for the seven checklists or methods that you can use to develop creative ideas for your content.
You can use SCAMPER technique for content writing, to ensure that you are creating content that will be successful.
Using SCAMPER technique makes you think creatively because you are reorganising and combining information to create completely new concepts and ideas, and improving existing ones.
Steps to using SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing
These are four steps you can use to write helpful content using the SCAMPER technique:
- Initial research.
- Rough draft.
- Narrow down.
- Finalise the options.
Steps to using SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing – initial research
Writing helpful content starts with having your audience in mind. Remember that writing helpful content is not the same as writing for search engines.
It is about being sensitive to the needs of your readers. A content that starts with the reader in mind would most likely be search engines friendly, because, you have taken time to think like your audience.
The initial research stage is point where you brainstorm your topic area. Start by making a simple guess about what your readers/customers are searching for around the topic area. Think of specific words and group them into themes and subthemes.
SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing – the acronym
SCAMPER acronym represents the following:
- Substitute
- Combine
- Adapt
- Modify/Magnify
- Put to other uses
- Eliminate, Reverse/Rearrange.
SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing – rough draft
The next stage is the rough drafting stage, it involves using the SCAMPER technique to develop draft questions.
The answer to each question covers aspects that you can use to develop a working title for your article or blogpost, which can then lead to an improved and helpful content.
Substitute – what source materials, keyword tools or can I use for my article?
Combine – can I combine or integrate keywords to create a new one?
Adapt – how can I adjust the keywords to the new article?
Modify/Magnify – what aspects can I change, increase or reduce?
Put to other uses – Are there other uses?
Eliminate – what parts should I remove?
Reverse/Rearrange – can I rearrange the layout, move things around to make the article more succinct?
SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing – narrow down the questions
Finding the right answers to your drafted questions helps to be more specific and to narrow down your keywords.
Your source material could be previous articles that you want to improve or build upon.
I wrote an article about how to encourage creative mind-set in organisations, and I wanted to build upon that article. Arete For Businesses is about Business skills, tools, and resources.
Examples of keywords relevant to the business tools theme are, creativity tools, creative mind-set tools, and creativity techniques, etc. I also wanted to use the keyword -” helpful content”.
Rather than combine creativity tools and helpful content, I adjusted it to SCAMPER technique (a creativity tool). The modification helped to reduce the scope of this article. I then removed the aspects that were not relevant to the website theme and this article. Those will be repurposed in the future.
As you continue to answer each question, you are building options for writing your helpful content.
SCAMPER technique for helpful content writing – finalise the options
At this point, write your working title. The title will sometimes change as you write the actual content, but it is a great way to start.
Your final title structure and content will be influenced by factors such as your writing style, how you rearrange the layout, and move words around to make the article more succinct.