4 Steps to Easy, Authentic Content
Creating content is HARD when you’re running a business. It’s time consuming. It’s energy-consuming. And on top of that, it probably makes you feel pretty uncomfortable too:
Creating content about your ‘area of expertise’ triggers your imposter syndrome
Creating content about ‘yourself and your journey’ triggers your inner introvert
Sharing ‘news’ is a non-starter, because most days you feel like you don’t have any news to share.
So your good intentions around regular content creation dissolve into a stop-start, feast-and-famine affair that brings you no joy - and no clients either.
You’re constantly wondering what more you can do - without compromising your client-time or your sanity - to use content marketing to grow your business in a way that is affordable, effective AND sustainable.
First the bad news:
1: There is no magic bullet. Content marketing - in fact, most marketing really - is a long game, and I’d be telling you a fib if I said otherwise. The content habit you build today (probably) won’t deliver the measurable result you’re looking for, tomorrow: it will (usually) take much longer than that.
That’s because in your content, you’re building a body of evidence. You’re creating a firm foundation for the way that your future customers experience you and your business. You’re giving them all the evidence they need, to build a positive, accurate impression of what they can expect from you: showing not just ‘what you do’, but how you do it, consistently and with integrity. These things take time.
2: Chat GPT can’t do this for you. Sure, AI is part of our future: but if you wouldn’t trust it to do your client work for you (would you?) then don’t trust it to create your content strategy for you either.
That’s because your content strategy is an extension of your work. Your clients work with you - and get great results from their work with you - because of the unique way that you are able to serve and support them. You’re not the only person who does the thing you do. But you ARE the only person who does it your way - exactly and precisely your way, with the benefit of your unique experience and view point. These are the things that will make your content strategy interesting - far more than the facts of the matter, that Chat GPT could come up with for you.
3: It will feel uncomfortable: at least to begin with. If you’re new to creating content, or if you’re re-starting after a break or a lapse, this WILL feel tough.
Trust me: (almost) everyone feels this way. That imposter syndrome you feel; that aversion to visibility; the self doubt; even the complete mental block that comes from the blank page or screen you’re staring at - EVERYONE has had this. Even the most prolific content creators out there. You WILL get through this phase - so long as you start.
4 Steps to Easy, Authentic Content
Now for the good bit. Focus on these four things, and the burden of creating consistent, aligned, authentic content for your business WILL get lighter.
1: Play to your strengths.
There is NO RULE that says you have to create a certain kind of content (written content, video content, photo content, Canva design, audio content …) - you don’t. Nor is there any rule that says you must be on every social platform going: you don’t.
Don’t start by thinking about ‘what everyone else is doing’ - start with ‘what comes naturally’.
Love writing? Write!
Hate writing? Record a video.
Hate writing AND videos? Make yourself a voice note of the thing you want to say - and transcribe it!
Not a words person? Use images instead! Use your photos or Canva creations as the starting point for your content, and write a simple caption.
2: Build your idea bank.
The blank page is every content creator’s worst enemy - not just yours. So, make it easy for yourself by making sure you NEVER start with a blank page, ever again.
Make notes whenever you talk to your clients and prospects. Capture EXACTLY what they say - not just the general idea; the exact words! - and use those words as the starting point for your next post.
Capture ideas everywhere. Make voice notes on your phone whenever an idea strikes, and scroll back through your idea bank when it’s time to write (or record, or design … whatever works for you!)
Celebrate your values in action. Build a list of the values that you live and work by; the words that you would love to hear used in relation to you and your business - then tell the stories that evidence those values.
Share your clients’ experiences: ask your clients what impact or transformation they’ve felt, through working with you - and share that!
Turn your workflow into content: what are you working on today? Share it! You don’t need to share confidential client information to talk about the work you do: think laterally; talk about your process and why you created it; what you love most about the project you’re working on right now; how you kick off a new project or start a new client relationship; the single nugget of insight that made your client’s eyes light up; the mindset shift that helped you through the toughest part of your day.
Answer THAT question: you know that question that comes up in EVERY client conversation, or in every discovery call. The thing that you find yourself talking about over and over again - answer it in your content. And keep building your list of questions to answer: as content creation becomes a habit, the ideas will begin to flow.
3: Reduce, reuse, recycle.
It’s not just ‘OK’ to repurpose content: it is actually BETTER to re-use your content, than it is to create brand new content from fresh every time. For example:
This blog post you’re reading is inspired by a short video I recorded a couple of weeks’ back. (That, in turn, is an example of the point above - ‘capture ideas everywhere’! - I was out on a run when I recorded that video!)
I’ll be using this post as the basis and inspiration for this week’s edition of Tune In: The Authentic Entrepreneur Newsletter (and if you don’t subscribe yet, you can subscribe, here - you’ll get links to content like this, in your inbox every week)
I’ll also be using it as the inspiration for my social media content throughout the next week - and beyond! I post 3 - 5 x per week, and every blog post provides me with at least 3 social media content posts.
That’s great for me in terms of efficiency - it means I’m getting a LOT of value, from just one content idea. But it’s also good for my community: it means they’re getting consistent, themed content, so they know what they can expect from me.
We humans are cautious creatures, after all: we like to know what to expect. I appreciate my favourite content creators - or my favourite podcasts, TV or radio shows - or even my favourite product brands, for that matter! - because I have a fair idea what kind of things I can expect for them. Sure, I don’t know exactly what’s coming next; but I have a good idea of what kind of thing I’m getting, and that’s why I follow them. It’s the same for you and your content.
It’s good to share the same idea in different ways.
It’s good to come back around to favourite posts and share them again
It’s good to put a single idea or ‘message’ at the centre of your blank page, and challenge yourself to think up 10, 15, 20 different things that you would love to say about it. These are ALL - potentially! - individual content ideas.
4: Set clear intentions.
To be clear, is to be kind - to yourself, and to the people who consume your content.
Be clear and realistic with yourself in terms of what kind of content you expect to publish, and how often. Be clear, too, in terms of what outcomes you expect to see from your content.
That way, you can:
Plan an appropriate amount of content creation time into your week (batching your content creation is a great way to make this happen with more ease and efficiency!)
Sense-check your actions against your desired outcomes. For example, if your goal is to get clients - but you never talk about what you do, or you don’t include a clear call to action - your content expectations are not aligned with your actions. Similarly, if your goal is to get more eyes on your brand - but you ONLY share ‘sales’ content - your expectations and actions are misaligned.
Build relationships with your content consumers, who will get to know what kind of content they can expect from you - and with what regularity. Going back to Point 3, above: your content consumers will enjoy their experience more, if they feel confident of what they can expect from you and when.
Will it feel immediately comfortable and easy to consistently create authentic content for your business, when you take these tips on board? Probably not. It will take time to adjust.
But remember, creating content is a marathon, not a sprint. Start where you are; keep your goals in sight - and play to your strengths, so you can enjoy the journey!