Just like The Godfather is the answer to all questions… (What day is it? Maunday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday… What do I take on vacation? Leave the gun, take the cannoli– or is it the other way around?)
“Everything the light touches is content,” is the same answer to, “What do I post?” In fact, it’s actually more about “What NOT to post” because content is literally everywhere! Which is a good reason why people are paralyzed while creating it. There’s so much content, so little time (don’t know where to start!) or I can’t figure out what to create once I have ideas (Also – I don’t know where to start!)
So, here’s where I would start if you’re stuck.
1. You’re going to create content under the umbrella of these three topics: Entertainment, Educational, Emotional
2. Take some time, put some inspirational music on, whatever sparks your creativity, put on your affirmations, your favorite podcast, and then brain dump under these three topics everything you’d like to talk about in relation to your business & possibly even venturing into your personal life a little (if you want).
For instance:
Entertainment: What photos/videos of your products or scenarios at your business make people ooh, ahh, or laugh? Do you like memes? Are there quotes about your products (“desserts is stressed spelled backwards” or “Coffee Spelled Backwards Is Eeffoc I Don’t Give Eeffoc Until I’ve Had My Coffee,”) quizzes, polls, etc. How can you entertain people?
Educate: Identify the paint points of your ideal customer and create content that gives people easy fixes. In this scenario, do not worry about giving away your secrets. Many people think, “Why would I tell them this? Then they won’t need me!” But that’s not true. You are positioning yourself as an expert in your field. You’re a resource. And you’re there for them when they give up (which is many times!) This gives people a place to get to know you BEFORE they book your services, program, or buy your product. By the time they buy, they don’t just like you, THEY LOVE YOU. So, in this umbrella, include your passions as a business/business owner, and philosophies. Find parallel industries that work alongside of yours like real estate works with finance or home decor. Find ways to collaborate with other businesses who have social followings. What are YOUR favorite things that help you? What are LISTS of your favorite things and/or resources? This category answers the question: How can I help, or even better, SERVE, people? How can you guide them through their problems? Each problem is a piece of content. This is giving without the expectation of receiving. (However, in many cases, it does turn into your receiving.)
Emotional: How can you dial into peoples’ emotions? Is there a cause that you are particularly tied to or something you’ve gone through that will help others identify with you, what are you passionate about? This is a good time to TELL STORIES. In platforms like TikToks/Reels, you don’t even have to say anything you can just put words on a screen to music! This is a powerful way to tell stories! (And no, you don’t have to dance!) Do you have success stories from former clients or customers that are just unbelievable and give people all the feels? Do you have stories about how you went through the same thing and that’s why you started your business in the first place? Is there a journey you can take people on – a series you can create, or a way to serve that helps others get involved? Yes, so many options, but think about your stories, the stories of your customers, the stories of your employees (that you can tell with their permission). This is your place to identify with your clients and help them get to know you.
3. So after the brain dump, pick 5-7 of those ideas that you can execute easily in one day. And then schedule them out on your platforms or put them in drafts. Maybe it’s just a photo and a story. Maybe it’s a 10 second video of a problem your customers/clients can identify with. Maybe it’s a blog post (which you can turn into a video/photo/email to your list – 4 pieces of content!) Doing this gets easier over time. You can begin to see what works and what resonates with people, and you can do more of that. You can really see in real time once something hits a nerve, it’s magical!
RELATED: How to turn one piece of content into multiple pieces of content easily
4. Once you have all these ideas in place, take out a calendar and decide what goes where, write it into the calendar. Start with a week’s worth of content and then, eventually, work up to a month planned out. For planning a month of content, maybe you break it down even further to have a series each week. (Ex. This week we’re focused on choosing the right paint colors…this week we’re focused on KETO, this week we’re talking about gratitude…) Remember – you can also repurpose a live video into a shorter video which can also be a photo and also a quote graphic. That’s FIVE PIECES OF CONTENT IN ONE EASY PLANNING SESSION. That’s a start!
NEED MORE HELP? Grab this FREE “All in One Guide to Social Media Planning Guide for Businesses” which includes a content calendar, content ideas & inspiration, and a guide of free (or almost free) tools for content creation!
Better yet, book a call to see how I can help you! Email me at christie@christieo.com.