6 STEPS TO CREATE YOUR CONTENT AND WORK SMARTER

6 STEPS TO CREATE YOUR CONTENT AND WORK SMARTER

Are, you sitting at your desk on a Tuesday morning thinking, “what am I going to post about?”

This is usually the point where people kind of say, Ugh, I don't like marketing.

You don't want to stare at a blank page every time you want to promote yourself, your product, or your business.

We may not want to market ourselves. everyone with a business has some reason to want to connect with their audience. Whether that's to sell a service or a product.

Content is simply information that you put out there that reaches your desired audience.

It may sound daunting and a little salesy or icky. Like you have to be selling all the time.

We’ll map this out, create the themes and messages that you want for your brand. You're going to brainstorm content topics, to help free up your time and workflow as you go through the year. Then identify the secret sauce, your unique perspective that will make your content pop.

Why Should Entrepreneurs Create A Content Strategy?

Your message and content are the keys to being visible to your audience and your customer.

This is about positioning you as a go-to expert in your field, service, or product niche.

In the future, when customers need your product or service, they're more inclined to think of you and reach out to you.

Creating a Content Strategy gives you 3 incredible benefits:

You never have to stare at a blank page, wondering what to post.

It becomes faster to share something valuable that benefits your audience.

You sell more products and services.

Does that make sense?

There are different ways to create your content. But I want to share the exact method I use in my business, and with my clients.

I’ve got a bonus worksheet below that you can fill in and follow along.

I’ve always been a fan of content because, in the beginning, I didn’t have a choice. I needed a way to maximize my time and my content so I could grow my business and reach my clients and customers.

CONTENT CREATION TIPS FOR CONSISTENT CONTENT

6 Steps to Create Your Content for any Social Media Platform

I don’t want you to copy any of the actual examples I use unless they work for you and your brand vision. But I do want to give you 6 steps to follow to create your Content Strategy.

Grab your worksheet HERE and follow these steps and you’ll see your content creation start to flow and connect with your audience.

I teach this entire strategy, plus how to launch and grow your online brand inside my FASHIONVIP Program.

First, we’ll craft a one-page strategy, your roadmap you can use on any. You can apply everything we talk about to email, Instagram, Facebook, etc.

For now, let’s keep it simple.

Step 1: Craft Your Content Strategy

How do you map out a content strategy to help cultivate your audience, and engage your customers?

This one-pager is an overarching mission. A roadmap for that encapsulates everything about your business, your customer, and why you're going to market. Keep in mind this work is not a one-and-done. I've done this with my clients and for my brand.

I'm going to walk through it. Fill in the blanks as you go.

Who will you be the go-to resource for? Who's your customer?

If you have two customers, pick the one person you want to be the go-to resource for your product or service.

Visualize that customer in your mind. The more specific you are about who you're speaking to the more effective this whole process is

Next, fill in what your customer wants. What's the result? What's the desire? For someone who's offering personal styling, it may be that client wants to feel put together. They want to feel super chic or confident. If you offer a service, do they want skills and solutions?

How do you want your customer to feel about what you’re offering? Do you want them to it’s fun, or simple? To feel clarity?

How does that serve you, and your business? Do you want to expand your reach, get your product into more people's hands? To help as many people as you can, or educate your customers? How does this lead to more sales, customers, and clients?

Your Content Strategy should read like a fluid sentence. Why you're creating content, who you're speaking to, and how it feels! Remember, that feeling informs your tone, how you speak to your customer or your client in each of the next steps.

Step 2. Define Your Core Messages.

What does your brand stand for? These are the key messages you will come back to time and again. Think about your customer goals. Your message is the response to that desire, the solution.

Listen to your intuition. How you respond to your customer's challenges is most likely what will make your brand unique in the marketplace.

Here’s an example. You’re a Wardrobe Stylist: Your key messages are: Start with the basics, shop your closet.

You want to have three or four, core messages that you and your brand stand for.

Step 3: Create your Themes. Let’s find the recurring themes you can share. Crafting your themes by grouping your messages.

Themes should reflect your brand and guide ongoing content so that you never feel

lost. Is there a theme around who are you? What do you do? How do you do this differently than everybody else?

CONTENT CREATION TIPS FOR CONSISTENT CONTENT:

Add Your Unique Perspective

How is your approach different? When you identify your unique perspective, you start to attract clients that “get it”, customers who want to work with you. Who are happy to buy from you. Your perspective will influence the tone of the content you create.

Step 4: Pick Your Topics. Brainstorm topics that align with each theme.

Think about what you want to say to your customer. You can share your design process. Take customers behind the scenes. Showcase ingredients or materials. Map out a closet detox.

Don’t worry, you're not giving away your secret sauce.

Here’s an example:

Message – Self Care

Theme – Comfort, Pampering

Topics – Daily care routines, pick the right products,

Unique Perspective – You deserve luxury, You’re a Badass Beauty

Notice how the unique perspectives change the approach or tone to each topic.

Getting inspired? Stop reading now and take a few minutes to Brainstorm your topics.

Step 5: Listen to Your Audience. Find out first-hand what they need, desire and love.

(GRAB FREE WORKSHEET HERE).

Where can you hear what your customer is saying?

FREE ways to find out about audience pain points, desires, and challenges include:

LinkedIn comments can reveal the challenges that exist in specific business categories.

Amazon book reviews on your product category. Keep a log of key phrases, words, and problems you see. Be sure to read the 3 and 4-Star reviews to hear candid comments.

Google! Type in the problem and see the customer's top searches and results.

There are placeholder questions on the worksheet to ask your real-life customers. Draft your own questions ready for your audience as it grows.

Step 6: Plan it Out. It's time to create your first content plan.

Use the worksheet to brainstorm Themes and Topics over the 4-week timeframes.

Try to start with your most important (or favorite) brand Theme.

What’s the first Message that you want to begin sharing with your audience next month?

What’re 3-4 topics support that?

Think about how the topics might flow.

Keep it simple.

Choose the platforms that feel good to start with.

Don't stress over having to write one email every week if that feels hard.

You can apply your plan to email marketing, Instagram, Facebook, or any other platform you like.

Everything you do will build the know/like/trust factors with your customer.

And when you offer your product or service, you will already have created a true connection.

You Created Your Content Plan. GRAB YOUR WORKSHEET NOW!

Once you start to get comfortable with the process, you can start to repurpose your content across more platforms. This is something I teach in my FASHIONVIP Program.

Remember, you don't have to stare at a blank page. Think about what you love to talk about that aligns with your customer's goals.

Bring in your unique perspective to every piece of content you create. You have the ideas and the right strategy to communicate with your customers and clients in 2021.

PS: If you need more help, I have a few spots open on my calendar. Book your FREE strategy call HERE and we’ll walk through your worksheet.