3 Ways to Make Content Work Sustainable
How can we ensure a repeatable, SANE process?
You've got to find ways to make it EASY.
One of the single biggest complaints I hear from clients (and entrepreneurs in general) is that their Content work feels overwhelming.
It feels like an enormous “to do” every month to craft a blog, or pod or newsletter, and because it feels SO HARD to keep it up, the consistency lags, and this is the first thing to “fall off” what gets done.
While I’ve frequently covered the importance of Consistency in terms of building the relationship and fostering trust, finding ways to make the whole process feel EASY is prrrretty vital too!
Making it easier is the only way to ensure it can BE consistent, and sustainable.
#1 - Curate your own Content Library.
A Content Library can be as simple as a spreadsheet, or as complex as a multi-tiered platform.
The important thing is that it works for YOU, and that you can easily navigate it on a daily basis without having to learn a whole new system.
There are simple tools like Excel, EverNote, or Google Sheets, or fancier platforms like Infinity, Asana, and Trello.
You can also house your content inside a social media tool that will post it for you on an ongoing basis, like SocialBee, (which is such a favorite of mine I have become an affiliate).
You don’t have to save every content piece to your Library. You’re looking for pieces that support your Content Pillars and recurring themes in your business. Essentially, the ones you believe you might like to share again, or Re-Purpose.
#2 - Re-Purpose Strategically.
Once you have an ongoing Library, you can begin to decide which pieces are worthy of a Re-Purpose. Usually you’ll want topics that truly support your key messages and pillars, had great engagement, or continue to be relevant to your audience over time.
Some pieces can be re-shared in a very similar form to the original post, perhaps with just a slight tweak, like a fresh new opening line.
People sometimes DO need to see it again – They may have missed it the first time you shared it, or they may have been multi-tasking and didn’t fully ingest it.
Other pieces can be broken down, chopped into smaller bits, or altered in form.
For example, videos can be converted into blogs with a transcript from a tool like Temi or Rev, and blogs can be recorded to become pods or videos.
Transcripts from any form can be diced up into short social media posts with attractive images, or portioned into sales copy that opens with a tip or fun fact.
By re-using and re-sharing some of your most genius insights, tips, and juicy content, you can layer your wisdom onto your audience. And at the same time, save your sanity – and stop trying to fill a content library with constantly brand new items.
#3 - Maximize Your Energy with "Energetic Batching."
The Creation Process essentially includes three distinct energies:
- Creator / Dreamer
- Editor / Critic
- Planner / Scheduler
When we are in “creation mode,” we are idea generators, genius brainstormers. I frequently talk about the importance of the creative, relaxed mind! And with good reason. To create, to be innovative, we approach projects and writing from the fantastical standpoint that anything is possible.
Later on we must crop, kill, edit, and revise those ideas. But to get the juiciest content, you can begin in Creator mode, where there is no bad idea, and temporarily suspend your critic.
Once we have some material generated, then we can step into the “critic” or editor mode to revise and refine the work. We can ruthlessly “kill the darlings,” remove redundant material, and make the work digestible and succinct.
And when we have a finished product, it must be disseminated somehow. Published onto a blog platform, posted to socials. Hopefully there is some strategy incorporated – meaning the content that’s relevant to the service you’re currently promoting is shared in tandem, etc.
Each energy is a little different though. I’m in a different mindset when I’m generating something innovative and want to suspend judgement, versus when I’m deliberating how to get the shortest, most readable sentences.
Trying to do ALL of those energies in one sitting can contribute to the feeling of overwhelm we mentioned.
So, it can help to create in “energetic batches.” For example, you might sloppily handwrite six cool ideas that MIGHT become your next set of blogs. There is zero commitment to any of them, so you can truly just let your brain CONJURE.
At another time, your discerning critic mind can select the most relevant topics, and the process might be similar for actually writing them. I often start with a single line. It might be just the opening line or headline, or it might be some juicy nugget I intend to include.
At that moment, I am not concerned yet with what the 4 key points are, or how long it will be, or what I’ll use to SEO things, right? My critical, analytical, editor mind can worry about all that later! It’s a conjuring moment.
And the same is true with planning – It can be MUCH easier to schedule and plan out fully completed works of content after they’ve already been edited a different day.
So to embody this process, it might look like recording three videos one afternoon (maybe on a good hair day, heehee), and then at a different time, they get cropped for length and directness, or if it’s a blog, the text is edited. And then when you’ve got three nice, complete pieces, you can plug into your “planner” self, and say, “#1 for April, #2 for March, etc.
By separating out the tasks involved with three very different energies, you preserve your own energy more easily, and can spread it out over a few days instead of making yourself mad trying to get it all cranked out in one go.
And please note, it’s really important that you CUSTOMIZE this for yourself. It’s just a proposal, and I do not believe in “cookie cutter” strategies that one works for all. You can take in this information, let it sit with you, assess the aspects that resonate, and craft your own unique process from there!
Take-Away
What is ONE thing you can simplify in your marketing work?
Get creative!
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