Content creation, whether it’s blog posts, videos, ads or podcasts, is a noble endeavor. If you’re a content creator, take a moment and appreciate yourself for putting your expertise out in the world. As a content creator myself, I’m astounded at how challenging it’s become due to the seemingly weekly Google search updates, new social media platforms and the influx of bots/disinformation/misinformation.
I don’t know about you but I think we’re all exhausted.
I’ve been looking for ways to combat the fatigue by focusing on the things I enjoy, re-thinking my content strategy, and determining where the best place is to spend my time and effort.
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I came across this LinkedIn post from Josh Spector and it helped me clarify more about how I can improve the balance between staying relevant/visible online and saving my sanity.
If you’re wondering why I say “save my sanity” ask any social media manager what it’s been like for the past several months. I coach social media managers, and let me tell you, they deserve every bonus you can offer them.
Here are 3 ways to improve your content creation process by doing less
1. Simply Do Less.
Stop doing 25% of what you currently do and watch what happens.
This may sound crazy but trust me on this, it works. If nothing else, it will stop the constant pushing, trying to do too much, and it will force you to review your output and determine which 25% you’ll stop doing.
2. Focus on Distribution
You likely spend 80% of your time creating content and 20% distributing it – you should flip that.
Now, a change like that is probably going to cause you some angst but have no fear, I got you!
Let’s go to the expert on content distribution, Ross Simmonds, who recently wrote The Ultimate Guide to Content Distribution. His credo is “Create once, distribute forever.”
“This means taking content that we know resonates with people and doing everything we can to ensure that these pieces of content soar. We’ve got to get back to the hustle of content distribution. It’s the only shot we have to break through the noise.”
Most people will spend 20 hours to create a masterpiece and spend 20 minutes to promote it. Then they’re left wondering, hmmm, why didn’t that take off?
Distribution, folks. Embrace it.
3. Email Newsletters
Lots of experts have one, so why not you?
With the noise on social media and other online platforms making it impossible to reach prospects, friends, and others in your circle, email is your ticket to bypass all that.
A newsletter allows you to gather your most important thoughts and insights (and curate others’ if you so choose) and share them with your closest, most valued subscribers. You focus on those that matter most and at the same time, relieve the frustration you feel when you throw your content into the wind expecting a positive result.
Do you have to set up a funnel to collect subscribers? Yes. But here’s a chance to create a super-helpful ebook, white paper or video series to offer new subscribers, perhaps repurposing some content you’ve already published into another form.
Bonus: Save time by having one-to-one conversations.
You’ll learn more from a conversation with an individual than one with the masses.
I’ve been creating a new business idea for Kruse Control called AutoCFO-To-Go. It’s going to allow me to utilize my dealership operations and financial expertise, which I’ve been craving to get back to for the last two years. Creating a product or service is a huge endeavor and one of the components is to ask for feedback from people/clients.
I’ve been surveying some of my trusted friends/clients about what they’d like to see in a product/service that fills the current void of dealership accounting expertise. Their insights have been like gold for me. They’ve helped me understand what the market wants or needs, and shows me what and what not to offer.
One-to-one conversations don’t have to happen by phone or zoom, either. Messaging back and forth on social media is an underutilized tactic and when you’re strategic about it, with a genuine interest, you’ll learn so much!
One last thing.
I can’t write about doing less without sharing how much time a social media distribution platform can save. There are a few good solutions out there but I’ve used PostPlanner since its beginning. I’m not a paid endorser, just a happy customer.
The biggest time saver is it allows you to repeat posts. The state of social media is that very few of our followers see our posts so repeating the content that resonates is completely acceptable. I set up posts, choose the repeat frequency, and click publish. I review the content calendar each week to make sure everything is running smoothly, spending 1/10th of the time I used to.
Content creation: Do less, achieve more.
Interacting with customers, co-workers and the boss can easily command the bulk your time. Determining priorities, forming healthy habits, and respecting time will keep you focused and improve your productivity.
If you’re a social media manager, your duties likely vary from day to day, causing even the most organized individual to get off track and fail to meet goals. Try my tips for doing less and see how much better your results are when stress isn’t allowed to take its toll.
Elevate your business with the Kruse Control Newsletter. Get cutting-edge insights, exclusive content, and a dash of humor delivered directly to your inbox. Join today!