Take a break from content creation — without sacrificing growth

Ohhhh, the content creation roller coaster. You’ve built some momentum in your business, it’s humming along, and you’re feeling like a total boss. YES.

Then… life happens.

And the thing is, life is SUPPOSED to happen! You built this business for freedom and flexibility — not to squeeze the important stuff into the corners after a 9-5 job.

The importance of breaks

Did you know that according to a 2019 report by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem in any given year?

Maybe a new project swallows up your time (yay! But also… bummer!), or maybe your flip flops are beckoning you from the sunny patio. 🤣

Whatever the reason, these are the times that your marketing gets shoved to the back burner.

Fast forward three months, and, well, let’s just say a tumbleweed blowing through your internet existence wouldn’t feel out of place. You haven’t posted new content in a hot minute, and let’s be honest… your cash flow is pretty dry too.

The feast & famine cycle of content creation is a trap that so many of us fall into. And the biggest challenge of this cycle is that when you’re in the “famine” phase, it’s harder than ever to pull up your bootstraps and put yourself out there again, (1) because you’re out of practice; and (2) the self doubt that creeps in during those times is such a drag!

The good news is that by implementing a few strategic steps, you can create a content plan that keeps your community engaged — even when you’re taking a well deserved break.

Here’s the truth: Taking a break from content creation is not just okay, it’s essential.

1. Recharge & refocus — Temporarily stepping back lets you come back with fresh ideas and creative mojo!
   
2. Maintain a healthy balance — Constant content creation leads to burnout. You’ll always thank yourself later when you put your own well-being first! Take a breather and come back ready to rock your content.
   
3. Let your existing content shine — You’ve created some awesome content in the past. Give those oldies but goodies a chance to reach a whole new audience! Repurposing existing content saves you time and keeps those amazing tips and tricks fresh in everyone’s minds. (We’ve got some tricks up our sleeve to help you with that too!)

Now, let’s get you ready for a well-deserved break that won’t leave your business gasping for air, shall we?

Creating your content calendar

Planning ahead, even (especially!) when you’re taking a break, is crucial. Think of it like getting your honey to drive when you’re on a road trip — you get to relax and enjoy the ride, and still make it to wherever you’re headed. MY FAVE.

Strategic brainstorming questions

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when you dive into a planning session, whether you’re planning a week of content or an entire quarter.:

What are you promoting?

Maybe you’ve got a product launch or special offer coming up. But even if you haven’t nailed down a specific promotion, consider if you want to keep the sales fires stoked for a particular product during your break.

Or maybe you’re as busy as you’d like to be, but want to keep some buzz around your brand!

How long is your break and where will you show up?

A week? A month? Once you know the timeframe, figure out how much content you need.

For example, a month-long break might require scheduling 4 blog posts, 2 newsletters, 12 social media posts, and maybe 150 Pinterest pins.

Breaking it down like this makes it way less overwhelming, right? The exact amount will depend on your typical posting frequency and the length of your break.

Remember: a skeleton posting schedule can be enough to keep the momentum going. Quality & consistency over quantity!

Pro tip: Build out an editorial calendar with your publishing dates.

It doesn’t have to be fancy — personally I have mine scrawled into a notebook page right now and it’s doing the job just fine! Build out a little buffer so you don’t have to dive back in the second you return.

We know that diving into a mountain of content creation can feel like a lot. That’s because it is! If you’re great at talking about your business / passion, but less great about writing about it — especially in a dozen different formats — we’re here to help. Schedule a call with us today and let’s chat about creating content that works for you.

Weaving sales into your content

Now that you have a content calendar drafted, let’s look at how we can make sure that you’re actually pulling in those dollah dollah bills for all of your effort. We all know that constantly bombarding people with sales pitches isn’t fun for anyone. There’s a better way!

Weave it in, don’t shove it

Imagine that your content is like a yummy smoothie. You can totally add a scoop of sales goodness in there — but you don’t want it to overpower the original flavour. Mention your services alongside the helpful tips you share. (If you want to see this in action, we do this all. the. time. on our Instagram stories!)

Spotlight your offers

Sprinkle your regular content with occasional (at least weekly!) spotlights on specific services that you offer. 

The key is to find your own groove — and remember that nothing has to be permanent. Experiment and see what feels natural for you and your brand!

Repurpose!

You’ve created some awesome content in the past. Give those oldies but goodies a chance to reach a whole new audience! Repurposing existing content saves you time and keeps those amazing tips and tricks fresh in everyone’s minds.

We’ll be diving deeper into repurposing strategies in a future post, but for now, here are some ideas:

• Have you ever hosted a workshop or webinar? These are always packed with knowledge bombs and are the perfect place to look for repurposing potential! Pull out key takeaways, pop them into bite-sized social media posts, or even into your email newsletters.
  
• Refresh blog posts. You knew it was a good idea when you posted it, but you’ve probably got fresh insights, stats, or a new angle to keep an old topic relevant for your community. (Bonus: you know if you’ve been saying the same thing for years, (1) you’re a clever fox and (2) your messaging is consistent and memorable!)
  
• Poke through your freebie. If you’ve got a free guide, cheat sheet, or ebook, you can pull nuggets out of there to drive traffic back to your opt-in page and grow your list!
  
• Expand on existing content. Take a high performing social post and create a more in depth blog post or video on the same topic! It lets you dive deeper AND it appeals to a whole new section of your audience.

By strategically repurposing your content, you’ll save time, show up consistently, and maximize the value that you’re providing to your community.

Is this post going to be repurposed at least four different ways? You bet your boots it will!

Annnnnd create the content

We’ve all been there: someone tells you to batch your content, and all you can see is yourself glued to your computer for days on end. Blinking cursor. Lighter at hand because this whole process is making you want to light your desk on fire.

Let’s face it, creating a month’s worth of content in one sitting is just a bad time. It’s not realistic!

The real reason batching content is next to impossible

The reason it’s so dang tough? It’s because you try to tackle it all in one session.

The key is to split the strategy / planning from the actual content creation process. (And that can be split up to make it more manageable too!)

Do this:

Big Picture (plan 90 days out)

Dedicate a session to map out your content for the next 3 months. Grab your favorite comfy pants and a cup of coffee! In this session, you’ll decide what you want to promote (and when), and determine which platforms you’ll be using and how often you’ll show up on each.

To be clear, mapping out content DOES NOT MEAN creating the content. Just outline it. Rough headlines are great.

Headlines (30 days out)

Now that you have a clear roadmap, it’s time to brainstorm! In this session, focus on crafting rough headlines for your 30-ish day content calendar. Don’t worry about perfect content… just get those creative juices flowing. (And get that “research” rabbit hole out of the way while you’re not trying to create content!)

Rough Drafts (7-30 days)

Now that you’re not wasting all of your brainpower trying to figure out what you need to post about, it’s much easier to sit down and crank out those big pieces of content.

Rough drafts are enough for this session! Focus on getting the ideas out of your head and onto the page.

Polish

Take your drafts from good to great! This session is for proofreading, formatting, and whipping up some snazzy visuals to make your content look as good as it can.

By following these steps, you can create a content stockpile that keeps your community engaged, even while you’re taking a break. Or, you know, working your tail off on the actual Thing that you do.

You can pack all four content sessions into one day (depending on how much you’re trying to create), or split them up throughout the course of a week!

There you have it!

With a little planning and some strategic repurposing, you can take that guilt-free summer break (or conquer any busy season) without letting your content creation crumble. Now, go forth and recharge those creative batteries! You deserve it.

Need help?

Oh, and if it STILL feels like a lot — you’d be shocked at how much we can tackle in just 90 minutes of your time. Click below to scope out our services!