3 Reasons Content Creation May Be Taking Up Too Much Time
Content creation can quickly become one of the most consuming tasks for our businesses. First, we have to plan, then we need to create the content, write the caption, and research hashtags if necessary. From there, we need to keep track of data, determine what our best-performing content is, and create more of that.
It can quickly become overwhelming and cause us to not show up at all.
I used to spend hours on hours each week creating content but looking back, I realized that it wasn’t always the content creation that took forever, it was actually the preparation that took the most time.
Personally, I love supporting other female coaches, consultants, and service providers because I relate to you all so much, and I’ve been through a lot of what you’re currently going through.
Because of this, I have made it my mission to create content that will give you actionable steps you can start implementing immediately.
Let’s talk about a few reasons why content creation may be taking too much of your time.
One of the main reasons content creation can feel like it takes too much time is because you don’t have a clear messaging strategy. This is essential to any part of your marketing strategy, and simply understanding who you’re talking to and what they’re going through. You sit for hours trying to figure out what to talk about in your post, and this leads to ultimately just creating a post you THINK your audience wants to hear or see. Having a clear marketing strategy takes the guesswork out of what to say and how to say it. Even if you have your messaging strategy in your head, get it written down so you can keep things consistent. Over time generating content ideas will become a lot easier.
You don’t have a plan to follow. Now, there are multiple layers we can take into consideration when creating content. Whether it’s our overall messaging, social media strategy, or overall marketing strategy. What is the goal of your content? Where does social media fit into your business? How can you use social media as a brand touchpoint to convert followers to subscribers and buyers? Simply understanding how the different avenues of marketing can work together and the purpose they serve in your business will save a lot of time and energy because the end goal is always in mind as you create content and show up. Your plan should also be consistent with your messaging strategy. How do you want your audience to feel when they are consuming your content?
You wait until it’s time to post to actually create your content. I was the worst when it came to this, but when I started to create my content in advance, it got done so much quicker. Maybe it was the pressure of having to come up with the content in that moment, or because I was overwhelmed from a busy workday. Either way, waiting until it’s time to post will cause the content creation process to take two to three times the time it should actually take. Plan out your content in advance, so when it’s time to create the content you can jump right into the creation process. There are a few ways that I do this:
I outline a theme for the month based on my goals and what my audience needs. I normally determine this through market research.
Based on my theme for the month, I outline my content by the week, so I have plan to follow.
I have a set content creation day every week to actually write my content and record videos.
I brainstorm video topics so that when it’s time to create videos, I have a list of topics to choose from.
Content creation is going to take time no matter what, and it may take longer if you’re doing everything by yourself. No matter what, don’t worry. With a clear messaging strategy, plan for your marketing avenues, and a content plan, you can literally cut the time it takes to create content in half.
Set yourself up for success by preparing and getting structure in place. Don’t be afraid to write things out, after all documentation will help refine things once you get the ball rolling.