The 3 key decisions you need to make before you create content
Do you feel a little overwhelmed every time you sit down to create content for your business? It’s safe to say you’re not the only one. Many of my clients come to me not knowing where to start and in the end get so frustrated or procrastinate so much that they end up creating nothing!
There’s a reason for this. Once you’ve made the following three decisions, your content creation will become quicker and easier. You will be able to create content that connects with your audience and grows your business. It’s all about being realistic, strategic and a little bit selfish.
Key decision 1: Who is your ideal client?
Please don’t eye roll me here. But how well do you know your ideal client? Beyond the demographics of age, gender, where they live and how many kids they have, there is a whole world of information that you can tap into.
My favourite trick to help people get thinking more deeply about their ideal client is to ask them, “who is your ideal client at the party?” Are they handing out food and drink, helping in the kitchen, taking centre stage, quietly sitting in the corner? What are they wearing? What music are they asking the DJ to play? What time do they leave?
Someone recently told me that this analogy helped them understand more about their ideal client, as they didn’t end up going to the party. They gave a lame excuse and opted for a night of Netflix and a cuppa instead!
Knowing your ideal client in such an intimate way really helps you craft exactly what you need to say and how to relate to them. And when you can do this, creating content becomes so much easier!
Key decision 2: How will you show up?
Every business needs to have one piece of focus content. That is a blog, podcast or video-based content. It’s an absolute non-negotiable in my eyes. Once created, this focus content can then be reimagined across your various platforms in many ways, allowing you to create more content in less time.
So have a think about your strengths and what you love to do the most. If it’s writing, then a blog would be perfect for you. If it’s talking then podcast or video is for you!
Whatever you decide on, it needs to be regular. And by regular, I mean whatever suits you in your season of life right now. If it’s daily, then go for it. Monthly is fine too. How often you show up will depend on the last key decision.
Key decision 3: What’s available to you?
There’s no point in committing to weekly podcasts if there is no way that you can accomplish it. What with all the other stuff that needs to be done in your business, serving clients and giving time to family and friends it’s a wonder we ever have any time to create content at all!
You will just set yourself up to fail if you set unrealistic goals.
The way to determine how often you will create your content is by looking at your available:
- Time
- Resources
- Energy
If you’re just starting out and don’t have a full client list yet, then time won’t be an issue. Create to your heart’s content! But as your business grows you may find that you need to create less often (but be smarter about it!).
If you have a team and can hand off tasks within the content creation process, then you’ll have more resources to help you and more time available and therefore the ability to create more often. If it’s just you, then look at what can be achieved with the money and time that you have.
Lastly, take into consideration your energy. 21-year-old pre-kids me would have been pumping out content. 45-year-old, mum of teens and a puppy, not so much! Once again, be realistic. And be kind to yourself.
So, that’s it. Once you’ve passed those three key decision points, your content creation will become easier and quicker. You won’t find yourself staring at a blank screen quite so often. If you’d like to know my secret to creating more content in less time, then join me for my upcoming Content Masterclass on 21 October. You’ll walk away from the class knowing exactly where to start with your content, how to implement my best time saving hacks and gain momentum through content to grow your business. You can join me here.