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I’m peeling back the curtain and giving you a sneak peek into my content creation process.
I don’t class myself as an amazing writer, speaker or designer. However, that hasn’t stopped me from sharing valuable content week after week for years! When it comes to content consistency I’m the queen and I truly believe it is because of my process.
So it is time to stop making excuses and improve your content by having a comprehensive content creation process. I hope reading mine will help inspire you with yours.
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When I sit down and think about how much content I create on a weekly basis it is crazy. Between CharelleGriffith.com, PropelHer and Figuring It Out I create a lot. Every week I create 3 blog posts, an email newsletter and a podcast episode. Then on top of that I send 2 emails per month to my mailing list and (usually) create a YouTube video for PropelHer’s Book Club. I create all of this content whilst I have clients and a full-time marketing job.
So when I hear business owners complaining that they don’t have time to write a blog post or email their list it makes me mad. The only reason to not make content for your business is if your day is filled with working for clients. Even then I would urge you to do 1 great piece of content a week, but if I look at your work calendar and see space then I will definitely tell you to start creating something.
People are always complimenting me on how consistent I am and so I thought I would share a sneak-peek into my content creation process.
PLANNING MY CONTENT
I have a clear schedule of the frequency I publish new content for each brand and on each platform. Here is what my monthly calendar looks like (I know I’m so old school).
Then I plan the long-form content (blog, podcast and YouTube) in advance. I prefer to do this in a minimum of 4 weeks and recently I planned the title of 16 weeks of blog posts. Planning in advance helps me to ensure I’m strategic with the content I’m creating, but also ensures that I don’t sit down at my desk uninspired and think “What on earth should I write or talk about?”. You can find out more about How I Plan My Content.
CREATING MY CONTENT
Usually, when it comes to creating content, I will batch content in advance. The length of my batching will depend. For example, for podcast episodes we may record two, for YouTube videos I have recorded 4 in back-to-back and once I wrote 6 blog posts in a day! The one area where I definitely make the effort to batch is social media content. It feels like every single day I am posting something somewhere and so I find it essential to batch my social media content in advance.
Find out more about batching by clicking here.
Creating blog posts
As I have already mentioned when I sit down to write a blog post I will have already chosen so I know exactly what I need to write about. If research is required I will do that first. Then I create an outline and afterwards I will write the blog post. I have a standard template for when I’m writing a blog post. That template includes sections for:
- Title
- Keyword
- URL
- Number of Words
- Blog Post
- Social Media Posts
Normally I will write the main part of a blog post first, then I write the ending and then I write the introduction.
I always write my blog posts in Word first. I once heard someone say they write their blog posts directly into WordPress and that freaked me out! I like to write them in Word and then copy and paste them into WordPress. At this stage, I will also design a Pin (for Pinterest) and the featured image in Canva.
Last but not least I will check my Yoast plugin to ensure I have optimised my blog post. Whilst I know how a blogging process which usually means they are fairly well optimised there is no harm checking what Yoast says and making some tweaks if necessary.
Creating podcast episodes
For episodes of Free and Figuring It Out, I will create an outline of what I will be discussing before I jump on the mic with Verity. We have recorded all (bar one) of our podcast episodes over Zoom (We’ve only met in real life twice). I’m responsible for editing the podcast and I use Garageband to do that. Once the podcast episode is edited I upload the file into Libsyn, along with the show notes (which the wonderful Verity compiles). Then I create a new post on the Free and Figuring It Out website, where the podcast player for the episode is embedded with the show notes.
Creating YouTube videos
If you have never seen one of my videos for PropelHer they are filmed in my living room: previously at my table and now in front of my bookcase. For videos, I have used a tele prompt in the past, but now I usually just have a few bullet points and I take a break in between each section so I can review my bullet points. To record YouTube videos I used my iPhone, lapel microphone and a ring light. Once I’ve finished recording I transfer the file to my Macbook Pro and then I edit on iMovie. Once completed I will upload to YouTube, write the description and include a designed thumbnail (which I make… you guessed it… in Canva).
Want to know more about the equipment and tools I use to create content. Find out all by clicking here.
PUBLISHING MY CONTENT
Now not all content can be scheduled in advance, but a lot can and I always try to schedule podcast episodes, YouTube videos, blog posts and emails in advance. This means when that the only content I have to focus on sharing in real time is on social media platforms. Unless I’m taking a break or re-sharing evergreen content I post the majority of my social media posts live and natively.
REVIEWING MY CONTENT
You might not think that reviewing your content is part of the content creation process, however, I review my content as that directly informs future planning. Now it is EASY to get lost in data and whilst I could spend forever getting stuck into analytics I try and focus on what matters given my resources. For example, I will review the number of views/listens something received in its first week and compare to my average. This helps me to understand what titles and topics are more popular than others and then I use that to inform future content. In reverse I can also pay attention to what doesn’t perform well, and unless it serves a specific purpose (sometimes it does) then I’ll ensure I don’t make more content like that.
There you have it! You’ve now had a glimpse of my content creation process. Hopefully, by seeing my process you’ll be able to start thinking about your own content creation process.
In the simplest form you should think about planning, creating, publishing and reviewing your content. Most people focus on the creating and publishing aspects, but by spending a bit of extra time planning and reviewing your content I really believe your content will perform better and you’ll make creating it easier.
My content creation process works for me and ensures that I stay consistent. This is the same process I use for content that I create purely as a content creator (blogger and podcaster) and the content I create to support my businesses (blog posts and YouTube videos).
So whether you are a business owner, entrepreneur or content creation you can follow this same content creation process.
Inspired to improve your content creation and ensure it is supporting the growth of your business? If so, why not book a content marketing strategy day. In just one day you’ll have clarity and confidence around exactly what type of content you should be making it and I’ll walk you through how to make it. And if that wasn’t enough you’ll leave with the focus of your next 12 blog posts, podcast episodes or YouTube videos. Find out more and book a content marketing strategy day here.
If you would prefer to discuss your situation on a call then you can book a call here.
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