In this post, we get into how I filled up my calendar with questions from my community.

I have a tendency to treat coming up with content ideas as a solo sport.

I’m used to sitting with my thoughts, combined with a post format I saw that I loved and want to recreate. And when I’m stuck, I scroll through my bookmarks with hundreds of post ideas for something to remix.

I’ve been fortunate that that system works time and time again for me — but it’s not the only way to create.

So, a few weeks ago, instead of forcing it, I tried something different that I should be doing way more often: I asked my community.

Not in a vague, “what should I post about?” way — but with a specific, open-ended question. And what followed was a flood of thoughtful, deeply relatable replies — the kind that made me realize that the best content ideas aren’t buried in your own brain. They’re hiding in your comment section.

In this post, I’ll share how I ran this mini experiment, the types of responses it sparked, and how I turned those replies into content that resonated — a self-sustaining flywheel. I’ll also break down how you can try it — whether you’re running a brand account, building your personal presence, or just feeling stuck on what to post next.

The experiment: Building content with, not just for, my community

I framed the whole thing as a lightweight experiment — one post, one question, one goal: to see what would happen if I handed the mic over to my audience.

In many ways, it functioned like a mini AMA — an open door to ask anything without the pressure of needing the “perfect” question. But it also went beyond that. This wasn’t just a Q&A — it became a content loop. The questions turned into posts, the posts sparked new conversations, and suddenly, my content strategy was rooted in real-time dialogue with the people I’m trying to reach.

It was an honest attempt to flip the script: to treat the comment section as the discovery, not the aftermath of a post.

Here’s what I posted:

“What’s a challenge, moment, or question you’ve faced related to personal branding or career growth that you’d love to see me unpack in a post?”

The most important factor in the success of this post is that it wasn’t me fishing for easy engagement. And it worked.

I heard from freelancers, strategists, job seekers, creators, and community managers — each with their own angle on what they were navigating. Some wanted help simplifying how they explain what they do. Others asked about balancing personal and company brands, or how to know when it’s time to pivot your content focus.

And somehow, every response sparked fresh ideas.

That was the moment it clicked: When you ask a question rooted in your content pillars, you don’t just get random replies — you get ready-made posts, straight from the people you’re trying to reach.

What my community asked

The responses covered more ground than I expected. In fact, although I was going to post more questions, I have so much content that I’m covered for several weeks from now, so I ended up only doing the one post.

Some questions were tactical:

• “How do I stay consistent with posting while working full-time?”
• “What should I tweak when my freelance pitches go quiet?”
• “How do I talk about my brand strategy work when it’s not visual?”

Others were more personal:

• “When do you know you’re ‘experienced enough’ to teach?”