The startup market is fiercely competitive, and to succeed, up-and-comers need to stand out. To be the next game-changer, creative content will be your most valuable asset.  Even with a rockstar board, brilliant founders, killer products, and deep pockets, your marketing strategy will keep your business afloat.

Pursuing a new venture, however, you’re also running on empty. Your brain is in six places at once, and a content marketing strategy is #568 on your list of everything else to do. If you sacrifice anymore sleep, you’ll become a textbook zombie. And zombies are the opposite of creative.

“Writer’s block feels like the end of your world,” creative coach Mark McGuinness said. “Firstly, there’s the frustration – not being able to do something you love that normally works like a dream…Secondly, there’s the professional anxiety.”

What you need to do is embrace creativity into your everyday routine. You need to make it mechanical. Stop overthinking it – here’s how.

1. Stay focused: shoot for your fingertips – not for the stars

“There are two ways to become a successful blogger – either get an insane amount of traffic or create niche content,” psychology and startup blogger Natasha Murashev said. “Getting millions upon millions of page views on a blog is an extremely difficult task, though.”

When you’re writing about everything, your already-scatterbrained mind is all over the place. Instead, channel your focus down to a topic that you know well and love. Position your company’s blog as the expert in its niche. Beyond keeping your sanity, you’ll also develop a more powerful marketing tool.

“By having a targeted audience coming to your blog every day, you can sell very targeted things… If your readers know exactly what type of content to expect from you, they will keep coming back,” Murashev said.

2. Let your brain rest: your network will inspire you 

Do the math.

542 Facebook friends + 700 Twitter followers+ 30 awesome Quora questions = 1,272 brains.

With 1,000+ brains on your side, inspiration is bound to happen. Next time you’re taking a brain break on Quora, keep your eyes open for questions and topics that are gaining traction. Let these activate your creative minds.

“Learn what your prospective customers want. Write an answer to relevant questions, and link back to your company blog. Thanks to Quora, you’ll already have a built-in audience,” technology consultant Gaia Dempsey said.

3. Stop chasing dust: find inspiration where you already are

“Everything that happens in your life is an opportunity to create content,” blogger and startup founder Shane Snow said. “I’m a creative person, but I don’t think I’m more creative than most other writers. However, I, in my average-level creativity, literally never run out of ideas for posts.”

Your life is compelling to you, so let it inspire your writing for some exceptionally creative and unique content marketing angles. Go ahead and compare your product to your crazy pet dogs. Take your own awkward staff pictures. Publish that hilarious blooper that you videotaped with your team. When you need inspiration, just get up from your desk, talk to somebody, or take a look around. You’re already where you need to be.

About the Author:
Ritika Puri is a Los Angeles based marketing and business blogger who writes about trends in data, internet culture, and entrepreneurship. She’s inspired by the intersection between technology and sociology, which she writes about via UserGrasp.