Swipe Some Creative Ideas to Fight Your Creative Block!

Have you ever struggled to come up with fresh ideas for your project when staring at a blank screen? Or perhaps you’ve spent hours trying to get a design or piece of prose to click? With the minutes and hours ticking by, there is not a single sentence in, the ideas don’t flow like they are supposed to, and you are in a tough spot. 

But you’re not alone, so don’t worry! It’s typical for creative professionals to hit roadblocks and slumps that might limit their output and inventiveness. But what if you had a secret tool at your disposal that could enable you to overcome these challenges and maximise your creative potential? 

Enter the swipe file for bloggers or your own cheat code! In this article, we’ll discuss what a swipe file is, how it functions, and how you can use it to improve your creativity and optimise your productivity. Prepare to boost your creative abilities with this potent tool!

So what is this swipe file that everyone’s been talking about?

Swipe files are your own set of idea banks. You may use it for a variety of things, including email subject lines, workflows, captions, poster design, advertising campaigns and copywriting.

Initially, good copywriters used to compile scraps of marketing material, such as successful sales letters, headlines and print advertisements, and store it in a tangible folder. These writers had something to fall back on when they wanted to produce a fresh piece of material, thanks to swipe files. Now that we have entered the digital era, its importance has barely seen a fall. 

You may be considering, “I need a swipe file, but why? Why can’t I just think of ideas on my own?” Of course, you can think of ideas on your own! But a swipe file can be a really useful tool for a number of reasons.

Save a beautiful poster you find on social media that you wish to use as a reference to your swipe file. Seen a post with a fantastic caption? Add to your social media swipe file! Consider it “selected resources” from which to find inspiration. Businesses that include swipe files in their social media strategy are already seeing the advantages. The more you explore, the more you know!

And how can a swipe file help you further? 

• By giving you ideas when you need them the most, having a marketing swipe file can help you save time. You don’t need to spend hours looking for ideas when you can just browse your swipe file.
• Increase your creativity by looking at samples and sources of inspiration in your swipe file to generate fresh concepts.
• Gain new skills by analysing the examples in your swipe file and using them in your own work.
• Put your inspiration and ideas in one spot to stay organised. This will help you stay focused.

So how can you create your own version of a marketing swipe file?

Creating your own swipe file is a great way to start building a collection of inspiration and ideas that you can draw from whenever you need a little creative boost. But how do you go about creating your own version? The formula can be different for different businesses, but here are some creative ways to explore.

Start with what you have

What catches your attention when you look around your home, office and social media feeds? What causes you to pause and pay attention? Create a note of them and begin gathering them. Take a picture and upload it to your swipe file, for instance, if you like the hue of a flower you see while out walking. Copy and paste a catchy headline you find online into a document.

Use Pinterest boards

Digital swipe files can be easily created on Pinterest. Make a board for each project or subject that interests you, then start pinning photos, articles and other inspiring stuff to it. Pinterest is an excellent tool for keeping everything in one place and organising your swipe file.

Save social media posts

Social media is our favourite when it comes to a spectrum of different ideas. If you come across a tweet or Instagram post that gets your attention, save it or add it to a collection for later. With Instagram allowing you to create your own separate collection of posts, you can easily distinguish the useful posts by naming the folder appropriately. Building your swipe file in this manner can be quick and simple, especially if you already spend a lot of time on social media.

Maintain a physical file

You can make a physical swipe file by utilising a binder, a folder or even a shoebox if you want a more tactile approach. As you find them, print out photos, articles and other sources of inspiration and add them to your physical file. Having everything in one location and a tangible reminder of your creative inspiration can be achieved by doing this.

Here are some swipe file examples 

If you are readying your swipe file content, you must have some examples from which you can take inspiration. Here are a few that will help you kickstart your copywriting swipe file creation!

Headlines

Headlines can be used for blogs, social media posts or ad copies that can act as clickbait, but these headlines provide some good content within. Different niches can have different types of headlines. Here are some examples of swipe file headlines across different industries and niches:

Health and Wellness:

“10 Proven Ways to Boost Your Energy Naturally”

“Unlock the Secret to Weight Loss with These Simple Steps”

Marketing and Business:

“The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Killer Marketing Strategy”

“5 Secrets to Increase Your Sales by 50% in One Month”

Finance and Investing:

“How to Retire Early and Live Your Dream Life”

“Top Investment Opportunities for High Returns in 2023”

Technology and Science:

“The Future of AI and Its Impact on Our Lives”

“How Blockchain Technology is Revolutionizing the World of Finance”

These headlines can give away different emotions – some can have a precautionary alert meaning a threat, or some can have a headline that helps your audience “gain” some insight or profit. 

Copywriting

When you think about pinning some incredible copies that left a mark on you, some rarely leave your mind. Take Nike’s “Just do it”, for instance. Although short and simple, this copy is widely recognised all over the world. This is because the copy is highly effective in conveying a message of motivation and determination. Now that would catch attention, wouldn’t it? Not only this, but you can think along the lines of Airbnb’s “Belong Anywhere”, which taps into people’s desire for connection and belonging. This copy is emotional and aspirational and does a terrific job of inviting readers to experience new cultures and connect with people from all over the world. Your copywriting swipe file example can also be on the lines of emotions that you want your brand to emote. 

What more can you swipe? 

Well, you can swipe anything!

• A blog post’s beginning, conclusion and subheadings
• Excerpts that show excellent storytelling abilities
• Content pieces that skillfully use transitional phrases, bullet points, power words or sensory words
• Articles that follow a copywriting formula, such as AIDA, FAB or PAS
• Compelling Facebook ads, sales pages, landing pages or websites
• Photographs or illustrations
• Quotes, data, statistics and analysis
• Tweets

Now you are all set to create your own swipe file and start boosting your creative output! Although, do remember that a swipe file isn’t just a collection of random ideas – it’s a carefully curated archive of inspiration that you can draw from whenever you’re feeling stuck. Make sure to keep it organised, continue to add to it frequently, and most importantly, continue to use it! Who knows what brilliant concepts could be hiding in your swipe file? Have fun swiping!