How to get off the content creation hamster wheel

Do you feel as if you are constantly creating content and you want to know how to get off the content creation hamster wheel? Content plays a major role in marketing a business online. Whether you are writing emails, posting on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, or creating long-form content such as blog posts, podcast episodes or YouTube videos the fact is it can feel never-ending.  However, it doesn’t have to be. You can have a successful online business and not be creating content every day. Keep on reading to find out how to get off the content creation hamster wheel.

 

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Signs that you are on the content creation hamster wheel

There isn’t really a dictionary definition for what it means to be stuck on the content creation hamster wheel, but most people who know when they are at that position. Here are some signs that you are stuck on the content creation hamster wheel.

 

• You feel burnt out – You are exhausted and fed up of creating new content. It feels like all you do is create content and you’ve had enough

• You feel like you are always making content – It feels as if your to-do list always includes some form of content

• You feel as if you can’t take a break – The volume of content you are creating means you can’t foresee being able to take a sufficient break

• You are running out of ideas – You feel as if you have create content about everything is

• You are bored of creating content – You no longer feel inspired to create content. You are doing it because you ‘have’ to, rather than because you want to.

 

HOW TO GET OFF THE CONTENT CREATION HAMSTER WHEEL

1. Repurpose your content

If you  have been creating content for a while then the first thing you should do is look back through your content and see what you can repurpose. It is all too easy when creating content to get stuck in the habit of always thinking you need to create something new but you don’t. There are multiple ways that you can be repurposing. 

 

• Posts can be directly posted to somewhere else – For example, Instagram posts automatically also posted to Facebook. You can also use a tool like StreamYard to post a live video on multiple platforms simultaneously

 

• Same visual asset use across multiple platforms but with a different caption – An Instagram Reel can be repurposed to be used on TikTok and an Idea Pin on Pinterest.

• Caption can be reused with a different visual (or no visual) – An Instagram caption can be lifted and used just as a text post on LinkedIn or could be used again with a different visual asset.

 

2. Reuse your content 

 

In additional to repurposing your content you can *shock horror* reuse a content in its entirety.  This is particularly true for social media posts. It is important to remember that you are the only person who sees all of your content. On most social media platforms a max (and I’m being super generous) of 10% of your followers will see a post. I also highly doubt that everyone on your mailing list opens every email you send. That means that rather than feeling that you have to keep on creating new content you can reuse what you have.

 

A great way to do this is to look at all of your timely content. If you have created content for specific awareness days in the past then check if you can simply reuse the whole post in the following year. If you are someone who uses launches in your business then you can also reuse the social media posts and emails when you re-run the launch again.

 

3. Check whether your current frequency is necessary 

If you feel as if you are always creating content then it is good to review the amount of content you are producing on a weekly or monthly basis and question whether it is  necessary. It is easy to have been following the same frequency for months or even years without properly questioning whether that is right or not. Reduce your frequency and then check your analytics. Is the reduction having a negative impact? And even if it is having a negative impact is the drop acceptable for what you gain by creating less content.

 

4. Reduce your reliance on social media marketing

Most of the business owners I talk to who want to get off the content creation hamster wheel have one big problem – they are too reliant on social media.  There is no mistaking that making content for social media is a time-consuming activity (that is why big businesses have people who are devoted just to social media or even just one platform). Now as I just mentioned you can look at reducing your frequency, but maybe you have reduced your frequency as far as you can go to still see results on the platform. If that is the case and you still feel stuck on the content creation hamster wheel then you need to seriously look at how you reduce your reliance on social media. This means looking into other marketing channels, because there are so many other options.

 

You could decide to focus on building your email list and maximising sales through email marketing. You might decide rather than focusing on organic social media marketing to use social media advertising instead. With advertising you can make one ad and then that has the potential to run for weeks or even months without much involvement (you’ll need to review and ensure it is performing well).

 

WANT A BESPOKE MARKETING STRATEGY FOR YOUR BUSINESS THAT DOESN’T HEAVILY RELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA? I’m a Chartered Marketer and have over a decade of professional experience. I specialise in creating integrated marketing strategies that can be delivered by one person (in most cases the business owner). I’m a generalist marketer which means I have no preferences when it comes to marketing and create strategies based on the ideal client, the business and the business owner. So if you are ready to take your marketing to the next level, without having to work more hours then I’d love to help you.  You can book a free, no-obligation, introduction call to discuss your business here.

 

5. Focus on platforms where content has a longer life

 

Content is not all equal. Some can have a much longer life than others. The precise life changes too quickly to document here, but for example, a tweet has a shorter lifespan than an Instagram post, an Instagram post has a shorter life than an Instagram Reel and an Instagram Reel has a shorter life than a Pinterest Pin. If you are creating content on platforms with a shorter lifespan then there will be the pressure to keep your frequency higher. However, if you switch to platforms where content has a longer life such as Pinterest and YouTube then you will be able to confidently reduce the amount of content you create, because you know old content is still working for you.

 

6. Outsource 

If you’ve looked at all the other options and still feel like you are stuck on the content creation hamster wheel there is one thing that will definitely help you get off the content creation hamster wheel – and that is by outsourcing it. There are a range of agencies and freelancers who are ready and willing to throw themselves into content creation on a daily basis. Depending on your needs and budget you might find someone who could take away part of all of your content creation and delivery for you.

 

7. Batch create and schedule in advance

If you are creating content multiple times a week then sooner or later you are going to feel as if you are always having to create more content. Even if you are publishing content on a daily basis it doesn’t mean that you have to create content on a daily basis. Batch creating your content can mean that you create once a week (or even less than that) and then you can schedule everything in advance.

 

8. Plan your content in advance

If you want to truly get off the content creation hamster wheel then I highly recommend you start planning in advance. Planning will not only enable you to properly consider what can be reused or repurpose, but it will also allow you to have a successful batching session. A good content plan will allow you to outline what the format is (podcast episode, video, written post, graphic etc), where you are distributing the content, what the focus of the content is and what is the purpose of the content.

 

If you aren’t currently planning your content in advance then I have a great blog post and workbook to help you get started. I walk you through the whole process of creating a content marketing plan for your business here. 

And then you can access the free accompanying workbook by filling in your details below and if you want to get great weekly emails to grow your business be sure to join my mailing list too!

 

That’s it. You know now how to get off the content creation hamster wheel.

 

It is very common for business owners in an attempt to create more demand for their business to find themselves stuck in a content creation hamster wheel, but if you are in that place right now know that it can change.  There is no reason why you can’t get off the content creation hamster wheel.

 

Content creation won’t go away entirely (unless you outsource it), but you can get to a point where it is just part of running your business and doesn’t feel like it is the main thing you are doing.

 

Let me know in the comments what tip you are going to try out for yourself.

 

WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR MARKETING AND BUILD A BUSINESS YOU LOVE? I know for most business owners marketing is just a necessary evil. It is something that has to be done in order to build the business they dream of. The fact is without good marketing your business growth will suffer, which is why I offer a range of 1:1 services for solo coaches, consultants and online service providers.  Whether you want to upskill in specific marketing area, have a bespoke strategy created for you or have ongoing support I can help you.. You can check out all of my current services here.  You can book a free, no-obligation, introduction call to discuss your precise needs here.