By Emily Rae Schutte – Emily Writes, LLC
“Emily, I have no idea what to write for my business.”
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard this from a small business owner…
I’d have a lot of nickels! ????
In all seriousness, content creation is the number one marketing struggle of every small business owner or solopreneur I meet. They have no idea what to post on social media, wouldn’t be caught dead in front of a camera, and stare at me blankly when I ask if they have a blog or email list.
And these are very successful businesses!!
But the pandemic has amplified the need for online marketing, and many small businesses and solopreneurs feel buried when it comes to creating content for their organizations.
I’m here to tell you that creating content doesn’t have to be rocket science. Creating content can actually be enjoyable!
The secret?
You need to build a system.
Now, I know that doesn’t sound very sexy. You want me to just reveal my secret sauce to magically conjure awesome content out of thin air.
It might not be not magic but creating a system does eliminate some of the pressure. If you’re anything like me, you find comfort in routine and can’t resist a good to-do list.
Even if you’re not so Type A – stick with me. A content creation system will help you!
Step 1: Choose Your Content Platforms
The best advice I can give you today is to focus your content creation efforts on the content platforms that make the most sense for your particular organization.
And as a small business owner or solopreneur, the organization = YOU.
What fits best with your personality? Are you more of a blogger or a vlogger? Are you an Instagram social butterfly or a straight-to-the-point, Twitter kind of person? Would your audience be more likely to tune into a podcast or subscribe to a YouTube channel?
Choose at least two content platforms from this list:
- Social Media
- Blogging
- Email List
- Podcasting
- Video Series
Not sure what you need? Here are three questions to ask yourself:
- Would I rather write or speak?
Write: Get yo’self a blog!
Speak: Time to start a podcast or video series!
- Can I commit to sending an email newsletter at least once per month?
If you’re hesitant on this, I get it. I’m not ashamed to admit that it took me a full 12 months of working full-time in my business before I committed to building an email list.
But it’s truly one of the best decisions I ever made. We can have the most amazing social media presence, but we don’t own our profiles. Everything we build could be taken down in an instant or destroyed by algorithm changes. Get. An. Email. List.
- Do I want to create a two-way conversation with my audience?
Trick question. The answer to this should be an emphatic YES. This is one of the critical reasons why you need to be active on social media.
I have yet to meet a small business that wouldn’t benefit from a presence on social media. If you visit my website, you’ll find a handy social media quiz that helps you narrow down which social media platforms make the most sense for your particular organization.
Jot down your chosen two (or more) content platforms before moving onto…
Step 2: Choose Your Content Categories
Now that you’ve picked the platforms for which you’re going to create your content, make a list of the content categories you would like to create. Steal from mine, if you’d like!
Promotional
Asking people to take the next step in buying your product or service.
Educational
Providing a resource such as a tip, resource, or video related to your expertise. This could be content you create yourself or content that you curate from a trusted source.
Branding
Talking about your “why” – your mission, values, or purpose of existing.
Behind-the-Scenes
Bringing people behind the curtain of your organization, such as showcasing how something is made or describing what goes into your process.
Company Culture
Showing what it’s like to work with you, such as a group meeting, employee spotlight, or talking about why people want to work for you.
Success Stories
Sharing testimonials or success stories from happy customers or clients.
Engagement
Inviting people to engage with your content with a question, poll, or contest.
Inspirational
Giving encouragement or motivation through a quote, a throwback story from your organization’s history, or other inspirational story.
Humorous
Sharing a funny cartoon, meme, or video. This could be something you create or something you curate from another source.
Write down the 5-6 content categories that speak to you, from this list! Now you’re ready to…
Step 3: Choose Your Content Frequency
Once you’ve narrowed down your content categories, decide how often you will be creating content for each of your chosen platforms.
If you took my social media quiz, your results included a recommendation on frequency for your ideal social media platforms.
And as we’ve already discussed, emails should go out monthly at a bare minimum. Ideally, you’re sending emails on a weekly basis.
Blogs, podcasts, and videos should be created at a consistency that meets your comfort level. I normally recommend at least twice per month but if you can commit to weekly, all the better. Just pick a frequency…. And stick with it!
You’ve picked your platforms, your categories, and your frequency. Now, it’s time to…
Step 4: Create a Content Calendar
Now you’re ready to create a content calendar that reflects the types of content you chose and the frequency that makes the most sense! I utilize Google Spreadsheets to organize content for myself and my clients. Here’s a sample:
Click here for a Google Sheets template that you can copy and use for your own business.
With this system in place, you’re now ready to…
Step 5: Create Content!
Have you ever shut your computer down for the day or week and realized you forgot to post on social media? It’s a sinking feeling!
I always recommend batching your content creation. Not only does it keep you on track for when those insanely busy days take over your life, but you’ll also be in a head space that allows you to create stellar content, because you’re doing so in one sitting.
Aim to create at least one week’s worth of content at a time. I also recommend utilizing free scheduling platforms such as Creator Studio or Hootsuite to schedule your social media posts ahead of time. Most email and website platforms also allow for scheduling content in advance – another win!
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Well, those are all my secrets! A content creation system takes a little effort to set-up, but once you have a structure to follow, it’s smooth sailing.
I hope that this has reinvigorated you to tackle content creation. Please reach out to me if any step in this process is confusing or unclear. I would be happy to provide further advice.
Emily Rae Schutte, MBA, is the owner of Emily Writes, LLC. She joyfully serves small businesses and solopreneurs with content marketing services. Emily’s gift is embodying the brand voice of every individual and organization she represents. She also loves coaching other small business owners to create compelling content. Emily and her team specialize in cutting to the heart of an organization’s message and bringing its story to life. Let’s elevate your brand story – together!
Owner of Emily Writes, LLC
Website: https://emilywritesllc.com/
