Creating a Sustainable Content Strategy

Content. We love it. We need it. It is both King and Queen, the beginning and the end, and the make or break part of many businesses. In order to have things to share, to teach, and (yes) to sell, we first have to create.

Putting content creation first isn’t always easy. There are so many other things that get in the way! And, there are so many types of content that need creating, such as:

• Course content - Includes video/written/visuals/and hand-outs
• Collateral content - Downloads, teasers, white papers, and mini courses
• Blog content - Written or visual
• Social content - Written, visual, and optimized per platform

It all takes time, and that time adds up! When your workday is already jam packed, content creation can feel really overwhelming, and you might find yourself letting some fall by the wayside in order to focus on more pressing matters. But in the back of your head, you know that each type of content contributes to your business and your bottom line, and deserves just as much time and focus as other areas of your work.

So how do you do it? How do you fit everything in, and make time to get all of the content you need created and updated on a regular basis? Since human cloning technology still isn’t on the table (yet), we have a few other suggestions.

Create a manageable schedule for putting out content

Depending on the size of your team (even if it’s a team of one), there is only so much you can do. So create a realistic content schedule. Sure, a team of people can put out 8 blog posts a month, but can two people? Probably not. When creating your schedule, ask yourself the following about each category of content and the amount of posts you choose:

“Do I have the time to create, edit, schedule, and promote this?

Will this get the attention it deserves?”

If the answer is Yes, put it on the calendar! If the answer is Meh or Maybe or No, cross it off. Cutting down on the frequency of content allows you to put out higher quality content.

Make space for creation

Your daily schedule is probably pretty hectic with all the things you have going on. (What? You don’t have a daily schedule. Oh my……. That’s another topic for another post!) Make creation a priority. Put it in your calendar, set an alarm, put a reminder Post-It on your computer - whatever it takes to get you to stop and spend time creating your content. If you feel the urge to skip it for “just one day” or want to plan a meeting over your content time, just remember what I wrote above; content contributes to your business and your bottom line, and deserves just as much time and focus as other areas of your work.

Learn the tools of the trade

If you want to make videos, find a video editing software and learn how to use it. Buy a nice light and background to give your videos a more professional look. Learn how to create your own images, or find a good (and legal!) source for images. Familiarize yourself with photo sizes for all the platforms you use, and learn how to effectively crop and edit your pictures. Take a quick course on laying out a ‘white paper’ or an infographic to make it informative and readable. Brush up on your instructional design skills to ensure that your courses are optimized to hold the attendee’s attention and be easy to understand. In short, put your most professional foot forward with all the content you put out.

Commit to your content

At the end of the day, it all boils down to one question; Are you committed to your content? Ask yourself what level of commitment you are willing to make, then stick to it. You deserve it.

Have you created a content calendar? Do you have a specific time to create? How do you hold yourself to it?

Ready to expand your training work or teaching online? Try this free course to learn how your own interactive, online learning community can increase your impact and client retention.