Content Creation Doesn't Have to Be Hard
When you think about content creation for your business, do you feel overwhelmed? Do you imagine spending hours brainstorming ideas, staging perfect photoshoots, and crafting the ideal caption? If so, you're not alone. Many early-stage businesses struggle with social media, but here's the good news: content creation doesn't have to be hard.
Start with Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle to define your Brand’s Purpose.
Understanding Your Brand
The first step to simplifying content creation is understanding your brand. Think of your brand as the foundation of your content strategy. If you have a clear grasp of who you are, what you stand for, and what message you want to convey, creating content becomes much easier.
For instance, I worked with a furniture brand that faced constant inconsistencies on their social media. Each social media manager they hired brought their own interpretation of the brand, resulting in a disjointed Instagram feed. By developing a Social Media Strategy, a brand asset to be used by all contributors, we aligned their content with their brand identity, making the creation process smoother and more consistent.
Brainstorming Ideas
Once you’ve clarified your brand, brainstorming content ideas is the next step. Start by identifying the themes that resonate with your audience. These could be:
Display: Showcase your products or services in action. Highlight the features and benefits that set them apart.
Story-tell: Share the story behind your business, your team, or your products. Personal stories create a deeper connection with your audience.
Inform: Provide valuable information regarding your business. This can be hours of operation, updates, new locations or policies. This will make your business reliable.
Inspire: Post content that motivates and inspires your followers. This could be quotes, success stories, or motivational messages.
Connect: Engage with your audience by celebrating local holidays, or global days that align with your brand and community.
Entertain: Add a touch of humor or fun to your content. Memes, behind-the-scenes bloopers, or entertaining videos can boost engagement.
Educate: Share tips, tutorials, and how-to guides. Educational content positions you as an expert in your field.
Engage: Create interactive content such as polls, quizzes, and contests. This keeps your audience actively involved with your brand.
Advocate: Feature testimonials, reviews, or case studies from satisfied customers. This builds credibility and trust.
Remember, content doesn’t always have to be high-budget or overly polished. Simple, authentic posts can often be the most engaging. Share a photo of your team at work, a quick tip related to your products or services, or a heartfelt message to your customers. Authenticity trumps perfection every time.
Organizing Your Content
A common struggle for small businesses is maintaining a consistent posting schedule. This is where organization comes in. Plan your content ahead of time by creating a content calendar. This doesn’t have to be complicated – a simple spreadsheet or calendar app will do. Outline what you want to post and when, and make sure it aligns with your overall brand strategy.
Deciding how much to post of each content type allows your to plan your content in bulk.
Bulk Creation
To save time, try bulk creating your content. Set aside a few hours each week or month to create and schedule your posts. This approach not only saves time but also ensures that your content is ready to go, even on the busiest days.
Simplifying Delegation
If you're a busy founder with a small team, delegating social media tasks can be daunting. You might feel that no one else can represent your brand as well as you can. However, by creating a clear brand strategy and organizing your content, you can simplify the delegation process.
Imagine downloading your vision into a capsule – this is what a solid brand strategy does. It makes it easy for your team to understand and align with your brand, ensuring that your social media content remains consistent and authentic.
Key Takeaways
Content Creation Doesn't Have to Be Hard: By understanding your brand and using efficient strategies, you can simplify the content creation process.
Consistency is Key: A clear brand strategy and content calendar help maintain a consistent and recognizable presence on social media.
Authenticity Over Perfection: Authentic content resonates more with your audience than overly polished, high-budget posts.
Need to build foundations for your business?
I’ve developed a tool to guide you through it. You can buy it on Amazon and DIY or you can sign up for my workshop and be guided through it.
This asset has to live within your company if you want control the voice of your brand, scale your business and efficiently get your team aligned.
