5 tips to make content marketing easy

“How do you show up all the time?”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m worried I’ll annoy my followers.”

“Why would anyone want to listen to me anyways?”

… Sound familiar, friends?

Wait, let’s take it back a step.

What is content marketing? And why does it matter?

Content marketing is a digital marketing strategy that includes sharing free, valuable information and telling stories as a way to drive traffic to your website, build trust with potential clients, and draw awareness to the solutions your services offer.

Every online business that wants to grow in 2020 needs to pay attention to their content marketing strategy. People don’t just buy out of the blue anymore. They buy because they know, like, and trust your brand. We encourage know, like, and trust through a detailed content marketing strategy that includes all the channels your target audience uses. Where do your dream clients hang out? That’s where you need to be.

Content marketing tips for 2020.

Back to the stress of creating lots of digital content… If you think any of the above thoughts, you’re not alone. People say the above to me all the time. I’m known for being active online, specifically Instagram, blog posts, and emails. I show up on Instagram Stories daily, post to my feed at least 3-4 times weekly, and send emails to my list weekly as well. Plus, I write blog posts a few times a month and schedule plenty of pins. I go through waves of posting on Facebook and LinkedIn as well, but this still isn’t consistent as I don’t see the true return on invested time from those platforms.

I’m lucky that where I live, in London, Canada, there’s tons of places nearby for me to create quality visual content. I take plenty of photos and videos when we’re exploring on weekends and after work hours, but also check out local coffee shops that I know are likely Instagrammable. Then of course, my social media feed, email marketing, and blog posts are filled with photos of my home office. You can create content wherever you are if you train yourself to look for those amazing snapshots.

Side note: Don’t feel like you have to do all the things just to say that you’re doing them! I don’t share my list of content to make you feel like you should do more, but to be transparent with my efforts. Content creation takes up quite a lot of my time. Just choose what works best for your business and set your own priorities.

Consistency in my business didn’t come easy at first, but it can be easy when you shift your mindset around your marketing and develop a system to get sh*t done. It’s a work in process for lots of business owners and freelancers trying to grow their businesses online. We’re all learning! In the beginning, creating content took so long that I often worked too much just to keep up. As I improved my systems and practiced my skills, it became a lot faster. It will get easier for you too.

Through it all, remember to be patient with yourself. Here’s an affirmation you can repeat to stay on track…

Deep dive into your content marketing strategy with these tips…

Now, let’s get to the tips to improve your content marketing strategy. I know you’re ready to start showing up consistently online too! Here’s my best 5 tips to get started and keep the momentum going.

1. Rest, revisit your mindset, and make a game plan for your content marketing.

Feeling overwhelmed by social media? Can’t keep up with your blog? Email list is collecting dust? Take time off. There’s no benefit in posting just to post, so let yourself relax. Use the free time to learn what’s new on your platform of choice and make a game plan to get back into it.

While you rest, really lean into your mindset too. Are you holding yourself back in some way? Could you let go of unwarranted fears? Repeat after me: I am growing. People need my help. I am confident.

2. Batch create content and schedule as much as possible ahead of time.

I write long-form content, record videos, and plan social media posts on a handful of days each month to save time. My Instagram photos are planned in advance because I often take a handful of photos in one day, swapping outfits throughout. Some captions are as well—typically the educational posts—although I make notes of the topics I want to cover on certain days, I usually like to write captions in the moment. I save time with hashtags by drawing from the resource I created that has hundreds of options.

You can re-purpose content as well. A blog post might become 3 Instagram posts, a graphic, and an IGTV video later on. You can expand on Stories or a live stream. Offer a deeper dive and Q&A session on the topic to your Facebook group.

3. Be real with your audience and yourself, but there’s no need to tell all.

Sure, some days I’m tired. I don’t always tell you that… typically I’ll take a morning or a day off socials quietly without drawing attention to my silence. Do you notice a day here and there? Nope! And I never apologize for taking time off when I come back. Just get back into it without drawing attention to any blips in consistency. People aren’t watching your every move.

Of course, you want to be real and authentic, but also build credibility. If you’re struggling with something, why not wait until you find a solution to share? People will start to look to you for guidance because they know that you offer real solutions. Before you post, ask yourself what the goal is? What are you going to make your audience think or feel? What reaction will they have?

4. Focus on 1 thing at a time until you’re an expert.

Especially if you’re a solopreneur, there’s only so much time in a day. Focus on 1 platform at a time. Maybe it’s LinkedIn. When you’re in a groove of consistently showing up there, add another to the mix. Maybe you start focusing on growing your email list. When you’ve mastered that, explore blogging and SEO.

You don’t need to be on all platforms just to be active. Where does your target client hang out the most? Start there. When that feels easier, show up somewhere else too.

5. Set realistic goals and stay in your lane.

When setting goals for your content marketing, ask yourself why you want to hit a certain milestone. Is that a goal you truly want or one you think you need to do because someone else is doing it? Healthy competition is great, but doing things because you think you should is a quick way to burn out.  Look to the competition only to analyze and improve, not compare and keep up with the Joneses.

Also, posting just to post doesn’t get you anywhere fast. Along the same lines, changing up your plan just because that’s what others are doing will only set you back. Focused effort over time pays off in the long run.

What would you add to this list?

I love to hear from you! Let me know what you think of the above tips to improve your content marketing efforts or leave your own in the comments below. I know it takes time to learn all these marketing strategies, but you can do it. I’m always here to chat, friends.