How to Avoid Content Creation Overwhelm

When you are building a brand, it seems like there are so many things you should be doing – from writing blogposts to sharing them on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and so on.

Sometimes thinking about all of these things you ¨should¨ be doing can lead to overwhelm, and in the end you just don’t get any of them done.

So, what’s the solution?  Well, the answer is to focus your efforts on one area at a time by breaking what is a very big task into smaller, manageable pieces.  Once one area is up-and-running successfully with some degree of automation, you can start to think about moving on to the next one.

But where should you start?

Focus on Your Own Platform – Your Website

The answer is that, without a doubt, you should start producing outstanding content for your website.

The reason for this is simple.  It’s yours.  You have complete control.  If you post you content on an external site such as Facebook then you are at the mercy of their algorithm updates.   What if you post all of your content on a Facebook or LinkedIn page and from one day to the next all of the rules change and your content is no longer shared with your audience?  This kind of situation has already occurred with Facebook.

So while social media platforms provide excellent outlets for sharing your content, it probably doesn’t make sense to post most of your content exclusively on such platforms.

There is something else that’s great about having your own platform (website).  You can do exactly as you wish with it.  Want to change the calls to action?  No problem.  Feel like including another video?  It´s your choice!

As Robbie Frye, innovation expert and host of The Frye Show puts it: ¨Your website is yours.  Social media is a tripwire to get people to your site, but the main focus should always be your own website.¨

Let others do the hard work

If you focus your efforts on producing quality content, then over time that content will attract readers and listeners and viewers, and you won´t need to spend all of your time posting and re-posting on Twitter.

I like to think back to the ¨old days¨ before social media.  How did it used to work.  Well, if someone was producing awesome content (think The Rolling Stones), then that content is going to be shared, one way or another.  And I know that not everyone is a rockstar (although you should be planning on becoming one in your niche), but the concept is the same: focus on producing quality content first, on your platform or website.

If you produce high-quality keyword rich (not keyword-stuffed!) content then lots of factors will start to work in your favor:  the Google algorithm will recognize your content as authoritative and valuable, you will start to show up more in the search results, and others will start to comment on and link to your content.

So, having great content means that others will help to share your message, others will help to promote your message (because it´s a good / interesting / valuable message)

When Social Media Makes Sense

Now, there are times when sharing via social media makes perfect sense.  I mean, it´s all well and good having awesome content on your site, but what if no-one is reading, watching or listening?  And certain social media strategies (such as sharing content with the correct hashtags, mentioning others etc.) can really help your content to get the exposure it needs.

So, it’s not that social media doesn’t work.   It does.

And it’s not that you shouldn’t be sharing your content via social media.  You should.

Social Media can also be a big help when it comes to time-sensitive content – if the shelf life of your content is short (i.e. it is quickly going to be outdated / less relevant) then it’s important to get it out there as quickly as possible and posting frequently on the right platforms can help you to do just that.

BUT, in general, it all stems from having great content on your site.  So, don´t put the cart before the horse, focus on on quality content creation first.

Robbie Frye has thousands of listeners to his podcast, but social media is only part of the plan: “I focus on producing the best possible podcast I can and getting guests to share their amazing stories – once the content is there, I use social media to give it a little boost, but the main focus is always the quality of the show.”

How to Get Started With Content Creation

Whether you are a doctor, attorney, marketing manager or engineer, you are an expert at what you do, and it makes sense to keep focusing on your area of expertise.  But you also know that marketing is important – it’s just that you don’t have the time, or maybe you need a little technical help.

That’s where we come in!  We do what we do best – create content – so that you can do more of what you do best!

If you would like to get started with content creation, get in touch today and we’ll help you to get started!