5 tips for getting unstuck in content creation
Content calendars, automation, graphics - these are all amazing tools for managing the content for your new or established business, but the truth is - these things only work when you have good solid content to plug into them. And in speaking to business owners, I find that this can be one of their biggest concerns - actually creating the content in the first place.
There are so many concerns that cause business owners to get stuck when creating new content, and it can affect your confidence, your client response and your bottom line, as well as the impact you can make if you feel so blocked that you don’t get the word out there about your services. Every business is here to provide value for their clients, and solid content is a great way to show prospective clients the type of value and transformation you can provide to their business and their life.
One thing I will mention before giving you these tips, is to remember to lead with value. When planning your content, consider what you would like your audience to walk away with, and how it will change and improve their lives. Remember that you may think you are in the business of coaching, graphic design, and personal development but the truth is - you are in the transformation business. Your services are there to transform people’s lives, health, bank account and business, and they want to know how working with you is going to help them do that.
You can do this by talking about your own personal transformation, or even raising their awareness - there are so many ways to do this. You can also give them a glimpse into your own life and personality so that they can feel connected to you when they are going to work with you. So first, decide - is the purpose of your post to educate or share information? Is it to learn from your clients what they want? Is it to share more of yourself and your journey? Is it to prompt awareness or reflection? You decided? Ok now it is time to get unstuck with these five tips!
Here are the five main objections I hear, and ways to get unstuck from this.
My writing doesn’t sound like me. In this day and age of templates and quotes, people sometimes find that they feel torn between writing posts that sell/convert and writing posts that sound like them, reflect who they truly are, and the values that they stand for in their business. They are concerned that clients get buyers remorse, because they are attracted to their messaging, and when they get on the phone with them, they are surprised to hear you sound completely different to the posts that you have been putting out there.
One easy fix for this is to record yourself and then use your own words to create your post. I know that this happens to me a lot - even as a writer, I sometimes feel like I can explain something way better while I am talking than in the written format, and that is ok. Choose the questions that you think your clients want answered, and then answer them out loud. Speak into your voice recorder and then write down what you said verbatim, and then make the necessary changes to convert it into blog posts, social media posts etc.
Additionally, you can use video or audio content if you are more at ease with these ways of connecting with your audience. And if you want to write, but find there isn’t enough interaction speaking into your voice recorder, then call a friend on zoom or skype and record the conversation.
I am not a writer. I get this a lot - because I am a writer, and so it is the first thing that people often tell me when I speak about creating content. The great news is - there are so many ways to create content that isn’t written! Videos - including Facebook and IG live, and pre-recording videos to share through a variety of formats - may be great if you are more comfortable talking on camera than you are writing.
This may still require some planning of points to speak on, but the best advice I heard a few years ago is - when it comes to content creation, start with your strengths. You may eventually branch out into all other forms of sharing - including video, but make it easy and start with what you know. I recently helped a friend who wanted to create audio instead of video, but she also wanted to share it on social media. I helped her create the audio and overlay it onto a photo or photo montage (this can be done using the Headliner app), and this allowed her to go with her strength which she felt was audio instead of video. There is so much possible when you decide to go with your strengths first.
I don’t always have something to say. My friends might not believe it, but even I don’t always have something to say - this happens. But you may still want to have consistent engagement with your clients and followers, and a great way to do this is to ask them a question (and bonus points for answering it yourself in the comments).
I belong to a few groups, and in one of my favourites, the facilitator of the group has ramped up her engagement and membership by simply asking a daily question. Some of my favourites - what is one thing about (insert topic here) that you used to believe that you no longer believe? What is one lesson you learned about life or business? (I have an entire blog built around this! It is a question that never gets old) And sometimes the simplest of all - what would you like to know about … - so that you can start to understand what needs your clients have and then creating posts and contents that address this.
I don’t have time to create new content daily - this I feel as well. To follow on from the tip above, consider re-purposing your content. A Facebook live can be transcribed to create a great social media or blog post. And you can also take different spins on the same topic - maybe one day talking about a time that you were successful with it, and another day talking about a time you failed and what you learned from that failure.
I don’t know how to make my content relevant - Sometimes it can feel hard to link your area of expertise to the things you post daily, or it can feel surface to what you do with your clients. In that case, why not consider giving a taste of what it is like to work with you. Do a live Q and A, offer a free session for someone who is willing to have it recorded and shared, or give short tips from a course or program that you are offering. This can also include creating a challenge with some of the elements that you currently teach on. Anything that gives a prospective client an idea of what it would be like to work with you, and even small wins, can give great content.
Which of these has resonated with you the most? You can try that one today!!
