Step 1: Choose a Topic

I keep a running list of topic ideas in a notebook. When it’s time to sit down and create content, I have a wealth of ideas to choose from! But let’s say you don’t have this magical little notebook. (Even though you will, a month from now – right?) When I’m trying to brainstorm topic ideas, there are a couple of things that I try to keep in mind.

1. What do I want to promote? What action do I want my audience to take with this content?
2. How can I provide value to my audience without expecting anything in return?

Step 2: Set a Timer

Budget the amount of time that you actually have available to spend on a piece of content. When time’s up, it’s up! We can – and will – polish things forever. But really (no, really) good enough really IS good enough! Done is better than perfect! All of the clichés are true!

Step 3: Outline

What are your key takeaways? Create an outline for folks that are giving your content a quick read through.

Internet reading is different than reading a book – we skim! Don’t feel like everything has to be long. It is MORE THAN okay to keep your content clean and concise.

Step 4: Add more detail

By the time you’ve reached this step, you already have something that’s short and sweet – it’s enough for a social media post! If you’re feeling inspired, flesh it out a little more. It’s as simple as adding 2-4 sentences to each point in your outline. These pieces of content can turn into anything from social media posts, to blog content, newsletters, or podcasts. If they do take on a life of their own and become long-form content, go with it! You can always chunk out bite-sized pieces to pique curiosity and drive traffic to your site from social media. One piece of long form content is a gold mine when it comes to social media posts. You can repurpose them for years to come! Blog posts are going to be closer to 4+ sentences per takeaway, whereas social media posts will look more like a high level overview with maybe 1-2 sentences per item.

Step 5: Polish

Go back and re-read your content a few times, editing as you go. Once I’ve gone through once or twice, I find that it’s really helpful to read it aloud – and finally, I send it off to my editor to get some fresh eyes on it. This blog post was written in 15 minutes! Yay!

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Sometimes you’re just too dang busy bringing home the bacon to sink hours upon hours into your social media. Meet our handy dandy marketing toolbox!