Alright, so you’re clear on who you are and how you want to be perceived as brand (and all the other fun stuff that comes along with that). Now it’s time to get down to the fun that is CONNECTING with the dreamy people who need what you’re offering.
And how do we do that?
Well, many ways, obbbviously (smarty pants). But, the way that most relates to my life as a copywriter and storyteller?
Content.
Yup yup yup.
We take all that magic we’ve found within you and use it to CONFIDENTLY create some magical content for your dreamy peoples to find.
Now, I can feel the stress sweat running down your forehead from here, but I promise there is nothing to be afraid of. Creating content has maybe felt hard before…
You’ve gotten caught up in all the shoulds and woulds of it.
I’m not about that life. I’m here to show you that creating content CONSISTENTLY can be sustainable…more importantly…can be fun.
Let’s dive in.
STEP 0. GET CONFIDENT SHOWING UP IN WHATEVER WAY WORKS FOR YOU
I think Consistency + Confidence are BFFEL (Best Friends For Everlasting Life).
I think they have a ride or die, emergency contact, murder for one another type of soul bond.
Think about it. When you’re confident in what you’re doing, it becomes all kinds of easier to be consistent with it, doesn’t it? The less self-doubt you have to tackle every time you sit down to write…create…record, the easier and more fun it gets so the more likely you are to sit down and do it, no?
Now, there’s no denying it’s kind of a chicken and the egg type situation. Confidence comes from doing the thing, from taking consistent action. But, you first have to confident enough to start doing the thing. Well, I think the trick here is to lay out what works best for YOU and take it from there. Get to experimenting, friend.
Once you’re confident enough in yourself and what works for you to…you know…do what works for you, being consistent for the long haul will seem WAYYYY more doable.
Showing up on the gram daily feels fun for you? Freaking do it.
Fully showing up twice a week more your style? That’s fine too!
Just get solid in “because it’s what works for me” being all you need as reasoning for it being your content strategy. Comparasonitis can be a real b*tch, but getting grounded in what’s best for you will make those moments way more fleeting than they might feel right now.
Reflect on:
- What are your current beliefs around what it means to be “successful” with your content?
- What are you basing those ideas and beliefs around content on? Does that really resonate with you?
- When you feel resistance around your content, is it consistently around the same thing? Can you shift or adapt it to feel more your style?
- When you think of having FUN with your content, what comes to mind?
STEP 1. GET INTENTIONAL
When we start a business we’re often overrun (excited, but overrun) with all of the possibilities, with all there is to do, we sort of forget to take a beat and breathe.
We’ve all fallen into that cycle of doing the thing, create the thing, show up everyday (for a while), connect…and then we fall off.
In my opinion, this struggle for the oh-so-important consistency comes from…sure…getting busier, but also, from having chosen our priorities + action items based on that infamous list of “shoulds” we all hear so much about.
Creating a killer personal brand requires that consistency factor, there’s no getting around it. But, it also doesn’t have to be such a struggle.
The secret? Getting confident in creating, publishing, posting, in a way that works for and feels like YOU (see Step 0).
I’m here to tell you that if you’re not vibing with the way you do something or why you’re going to the effort of creating, you are going to burn out (Trust me. Content burnout is real, friend).
Your dream people are here to connect to the version of you that is having a good time supporting them. They want to see, feel, hang out with, learn from, be motivated/inspired by, YOUR MAGIC. So you need to do what you can to show up in that way.
And that requires you to get mighty intentional with the way you approach your content creation strategies, plans, adventures (whatever word scares you the least).
Now, intentional is a word that gets thrown around a lot lately, and if it doesn’t jive with you, I give you permission to mentally sub it with clear…but, Step 1 on your Confident Content Creation adventure (and all adventures for that matter) is to get intentional.
- Why is it important to you to create content? What is your goal?
- Who are you creating content for? What kind of content are they consuming?
- What is your favourite way to create? What format feels the most fun to you (this is your superpower format)?
- Which superpower content are you going to create (ie. blog or podcast)? What sidekick content are you going to create? (ie. Instagram or Facebook).
- Where are you going to create it? Why?
- How frequently do you want to post/publish? (On each platform).
- What’s the message you want to share?
*P.S YOU CAN REPEAT THIS PROCESS FOR EVERY PIECE OF CONTENT YOU CREATE*
From getting clear to the answers to those questions, things like ideas, inspiration, motivation and a renewed desire to show up consistently will bubble up to the surface on your content creator consciousness.
STEP 2. GET TO COLLECTING
Ideas and inspiration that is.
There are a million and 1 ways to find inspiration in the world, but only you know what is truly going to work for you (my favourites are learning the things, reading the things, and living the things). What I can tell you is that you cannot expect your brain to hold them all for you.
So, now that you’re clear (*cough* intention-filled *cough*) about what your want to say, who you want to say it to, and where, start collecting your stories, ideas, and inspirations through that lens.
Write them down when they come to you, store them somewhere safe, organize them, CATEGORIZE THEM. I know, it doesn’t sound all that romantic, but, let me tell you, there is nothing sexier than an organized idea bank.
Find a system that works for you and then make it a habit. Collect 3 ideas or stories every day and put them in your idea bank. I dare you.
Here are the systems I use to create more freedom and inspiration in my life + business!
STEP 3. GET CREATING
I feel like this step is pretty self-explanatory.
You’re now clear on where you want to post content, how often you want to post it, and why. Now, you’ve just gotta dip into that idea bank of yours and create said content to post.
Here are a few questions to get you started creating some content with purpose:
- What do you want your dreamy person to take from this?
- What’s in it for them?
- Is it relatable? What story can you tell to make it more approachable?
- How do you want them to feel?
- Why should they care?
- What action do you want them to take?
- Where do you want them to go?
***DON’T FORGET***
Create through the lens of YOU. Just because you’re educating doesn’t mean it needs to be formal. If you need to, record yourself talking on the subject in a chilled state and transcribe!
STEP 4. REPURPOSE
Take it from an over-thinking, wheel-reinventing, content creator.
Just don’t.
No one expects you to create a brand new piece of content every day for the remainder of your biz (unless that seems fun to you, of course).
That killer blog post you wrote? I bet it would make some equally killer caption and emails.
Yes, innovation + creating are important, dude, but leveraging all of your awesome is also important. That’s what repurposing is all about; leveraging your awesome.
Sure, leave room for random stints of creativity, there’s always room for that, but be sure to make the most of them when they come!
Since you’re spending all that time creating juicy, in-depth content, you don’t want to just share it once and forget about it! There are tons of ways to break up your big content pieces into smaller, snackable chunks that are perfect for posting to social media or
other outlets.
Create a routine that works for you!
STEP 5. GIVE YOURSELF SPACE
We both know you’re a freaking rockstar, but you sure as hell ain’t a machine. None of us are. So, I want you to do me a solid…
When you sit down to think through your content plan…include breaks. Our brain needs idle time, friend. And, more importantly, WE need time away from the world that is social media. WE need space from that screen life to really be able to step into our UNIQUELY our creative selves.
You might not think it, but every piece of content you consume is leaving an imprint on your brain. So make sure you are taking it back to Step 1 and making sure that the strategies you’re implementing and the content you’re creating actually feel good to you and aren’t just what you feel like you “should” be doing?
- Plan breaks. Literally, schedule them.
- Give yourself space. Maybe you have separate days for ideation, creation, and posting.
- Outsource. Is there any part of the creation or repurposing process you could delegate? A part that maybe feels icky?
- Are there things that make you feel extra creative? Maybe a playlist or a motivational video. Maybe it’s fresh air or a yoga flow. Create a toolkit!
Don’t forget to live your life and create the stories, dudette.
