A content creation and marketing strategy is a necessity for any business in today’s world.
However, with so many different areas to explore, and tons of content already out there, the process of creating content can get quite overwhelming.
How to not get overwhelmed when creating content
Even if you are not in a place where you can hire help to assist with your content, you need to have a strategy and follow it!
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the idea of managing social media accounts and your business blog, you are not alone. Breathe easy because there are a few simple ways that can help you feel less overwhelmed as you produce the most value-driven content for your audience.
Create a detailed content calendar
While creating a content calendar, most strategists worry about whether the content they are putting out is repetitive, similar to others in their niche, or it will measure up to the competition.
The best advice that I can give you is to “stay in your lane” and focus on what YOU as a business owner have to offer. Same goes if you are a corporation, focus on what makes you different.
A content calendar is an outline of the type of content you intend to focus on during a stipulated time period. This can include post types, schedule, post format such as video, blog, graphic etc.
Keep tedium away by dedicating each day of the week to a specific type of content.
Here’s an example of what you can do. Start your Mondays by sharing relevant industry-specific tips to establish yourself as an authentic and reliable source.
On Tuesdays, focus on doing a live video that answers frequently asked questions.
Reserve another day for sharing client testimonials so your audience can see that you cater to people just like them, and so on throughout the week.
Create a detailed content calendar, so you have little to no guesswork to do on any given day. Planning ahead is a great way to reduce stress in any situation. A well-designed content calendar provides a set of guidelines that you can follow.
Use these guidelines to make it easy to come up with inspiring content that adds value to the lives of your targeted readers.
Use existing content judiciously
Every piece of content you have ever created involved a lot of work.
If you have done it right in the past, you will make your future content creation efforts a breeze in the future. Pick out pieces of content that worked exceptionally well for you, and re-purpose it to fit today’s needs.
Convert a video into a podcast, or break down a well-received eBook into multiple articles or various podcast topics.
If you have an older blog post that served you well, update it to ensure that all of the steps are relevant today, and republish your post.
When it comes to content, one article can become a goldmine for your content process, and it’s all about being wise with your time.
When it comes to content creation, as your business grows, you won’t be able to do everything on your own. Hire a team to help you implement your content production and syndication process.
Not in a place where you can hire? Create a system for yourself where you will create and batch your content in advance. Dedicate a day during the month where you will write, take your article and turn them into posts, podcasts, etc.
Trends are good, but results are better
Your analytical tools will tell you which type of content is trending right now and which of your blogs are performing the best.
It is always a great idea to create content based on what people are looking for. However, this is not a one size fits all solution.
Pay attention to your target audience, and listen in on what they want. If your target audience responds better to a specific type of content, whether or not it is a must-follow trend, give your audience what they want.
Observe what works for your business, and do more of that. For best results, look at your analytics across all of your social media platforms on a regular basis, making this a part of your regular business activities.
Scale volume, increase value
Every time you get bogged down with the sheer amount of content, you feel like you need to produce, take a step back.
Remind yourself that the goal is not to create an overwhelming amount of content but to create valuable content that hits in all the right spots.
Spend more time on individual pieces to ensure that you are focusing on offering value. If you focus on churning out three to four pieces that offer mediocre value and little to no-actionable information for your audience, it won’t help your business.
If you succeed in making your audience feel like your content is adding value to their lives and that the time they devoted to your page is well-spent, your content strategy is a resounding success.
The key is to remember that everyone in your audience is at a different stage in their buyers’ journey, and the term “value” should be taken seriously. Giving value means providing educational content that will serve your audience well, not simply filling your content with “fluff.”
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