When content creation is done correctly, it takes a lot of time. The subject is planning, research, editing, revision, the list goes on.
As a busy entrepreneur who has a ton on your plate, it seems impossible to do it all without investing a huge chunk of your time. There is, of course, a way to optimize the content creation process.
The good news is: there is! There are ways to streamline the process and save time, while still creating meaningful content that will keep you noticed by prospects and top you off with existing customers.
Here are my top six time-saving hacks for content creation so you can get back to the other tasks that come with running a business.
1. Quantity cut
Remember: It’s about quality, not quantity. You don’t need to build mountains of material. You’re better off creating short, high-quality content than filling your audience with tons of blank content.
You can try writing short, long format content pieces. These pieces take longer to create, but provide more value to your audience and have a wider impact on authority.
Along with quality, consistency is equally important. When you set a cadence for your content, you want to stick to it. Releasing content every single day and then being silent on the radio for a week and a half is not the way to build an audience.
Most prospects need to look at a brand several times before they even start to think about doing business with them. If you can be a frequent presence in their inbox and on their social media feeds, you’re more likely to get their attention than if you spam them with meaningless content one week and then disappear the next. Huh.
2. Plan it and Create an Editorial Calendar
How do you make sure you’re creating high quality content on a regular basis? Put together an editorial calendar, and compile several ideas at a time.
Don’t make the mistake of forcing yourself to come up with a topic the day you’re going to write it. Set a plan and stick to it. It’s a more efficient use of your time to sit down and plan the month’s content, rather than scrambling to pull the pieces together every day.
Set aside a few hours at the end of each month to plan your content approach for the next month. Centering your content around a specific topic can help you create content that works well together and provides the depth of information your audience needs. It also aligns with the strategy of Creating a Hub Page for your content, which will empower you to continue using your content even after it is published.
3. Refresh Existing Content
Just because you’re regularly sharing content doesn’t mean it all has to be brand new. Repurposed content is packaged with value and Can increase your traffic by 300%, Refreshing old content is a great way to get extra life out of your content while staying relevant.
Some themes will never go out of style, but they may need to be updated when details change. Let’s say you own a business that does home renovations. Perhaps you have a blog post about choosing the right kitchen countertop. While some principles of countertop selection will always remain the same, some trends will change. You can refresh this material to reflect changes in consumer trends (for example, accepting a change from granite to quartz as the material of choice). This keeps the content relevant, while allowing you to continue to profit from the physical meat of the original post.
4. Turn To Guest Poster
If you’re trying to create content on a regular basis, sometimes you know it will be difficult for you to keep up with the pace. If there’s a week when you’ll be out of town at a conference, or a month when your business is launching a new product that will take a lot of your time, it might be time to tap a friend to create the content one. Guest.
Whether it’s a blog post, webinar or podcast episode, guest content can serve a few important purposes. First, it frees you up to spend less of your time on content that week. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it allows you to tap into an existing network of guest posters.
Like any strategic partnership, you want to find guests who are connected to your work and complement your business work. Not only does this add value to your audience, but it also introduces you to the guest poster’s fan base (and vice versa – it’s a mutually beneficial arrangement).
5. Build a Repository of Ideas as You Have It
Don’t wait for a deadline to force your brain to be creative. Keep a running list or notebook for ideas. When things come to you, write them down. See an interesting article? Think of a catchy title? Add it to the list.
Even when you set aside time for brainstorming, you are likely to come up with new ideas. Take advantage of this by making it a point to add it to your views file. If you find that you are still struggling to come up with material ideas, Doing these things will help you to remove the blockage of the writer,
6. Consider Outsourcing
There are too many small businesses that aren’t big enough to build their own marketing department, but are a little too big for an owner or small team to handle marketing on their own. this is when it It might be time to outsource Some of your marketing efforts and content creation.
Fortunately, in today’s highly connected world, it’s easy to find contractors who can work remotely to help you with content creation. Outsourcing allows you to put your marketing work in the hands of a professional, without worrying about finding resources to add to your permanent team.
Content creation can eat up a lot of time and attention for small business owners. But it is not necessarily so. If you get smarter in planning your content and turn to others for help, you can continue to create meaningful, effective content without wasting too much time in your day.
If you’re looking for help managing your content creation, Check out our Certified Marketing Manager Coaching Program, We will train you or a member of your internal marketing team to help you grow faster.
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