The things no one tells you about creating content.
Creating content can be a complicated process. It requires time, energy, skill, resources, insight, a kidney, your firstborn child, and maybe a little goat's tongue to help amp up engagement. In short, it can be draining. Keep reading to learn 3 solutions to overcoming the most common challenges to content creation.
Challenge #1: I don't have time to write quality content.
Creating quality content takes time. Unfortunately, time is a finite resource, and you're being pulled in several directions. There's maintaining your social media, responding to emails, meetings with partners and clients, picking the kids up from school, working out, and if time permits, eating. How are you expected to write 3-4 blog posts a week? Instead of neglecting food or resorting to producing skimpy articles that lack substance and makes a weak impression on your readers, consider repurposing your content.
Solution: Repurpose your content.
Repurposing content extends its expiration date and its value. By transforming your current content into other formats and mediums, you can save time and money, while establishing your brand as an expert in your industry. For example, you can convert a blog post into a video or infographic; the same message but a different channel and format.
Repurposing content gives you another opportunity to rank within search engines, reach a new audience, and in result, lightens the burden on you and your team. There are two methods to repurposing content; republishing and recycling.
Republishing content is what most do when reposting photos and videos on Instagram and Facebook. But you can also republish the content from your website to other sites and social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, Medium, or even reputable publishing sites like Business Insider.
Pro tip: Be sure to use a canonical tag and to include a call-to-action within the article that links back to your original post.
Recycling content requires a bit more work. Look for the opportunities to combine like topics into a new post or another form of content; as well as, areas where you can expand and dig deeper. For example, you could combine a series of short-form posts into an email campaign, or if you received many questions from a blog post, you could create a short how-to webinar or video.
Repurposing content extends its expiration date and its value. By transforming your current content into other formats and mediums, you can save time and money, while establishing your brand as an expert in your industry.
Challenge #2: I don't have the resources or skills to produce quality content.
Have you ever met someone who could create an app, but found writing painful and torturous? Is that you? No matter how much you try, you can't seem to create content that captures your audience. Not everyone is a writing whiz. If this is your dilemma, then you need to invest in learning a new skill or hire an expert.
Solution: Register for free and affordable training courses or hire a writer.
Hubspot is an excellent resource for anyone doing business online. They offer several free training courses and certifications in online content writing and marketing and provide additional support, including templates and management tools. Other sources to consider are General Assembly, Skillshare, and Udemy. While many of the courses on those sites have some associated cost, they're affordable, with some courses as low as $10. Implement what you learn and test your knowledge to determine what works for your brand what doesn't. It may take some time to find your groove, but it will be worth it in the end.
If you have the means, hire a writer; precisely, one who is knowledgeable about your industry or product. Delegating your content to a writer will allow you to concentrate on other areas of your business. It's pivotal that you vet writers thoroughly during the recruitment stage. Questions to ask are: What areas do you have experience writing about or in what industries have you worked? What is your process for creating content? And always ask for writing samples. Nothing is worse than having to rewrite an article that you paid someone else to write. Facts.
Challenge #3: I don't know what to write.
You can write until your fingers are cramped and your brain is fried if your content is irrelevant to your audience, your efforts will be in vain. But what do the people want? Striving to answer that question can have a paralyzing effect. ]
You find yourself staring at a blank screen wishing a raven will appear with a word from the North with a scroll of writing ideas. Writer's block is real; especially when attempting to craft an article that will appeal to a specific audience.
Solution: Ask, observe, and listen.
You must connect with your audience on a deeper level; get to know them inside and out, their need, most commonly asked questions, barriers to access, fears, and deepest desires.
But how do you find this information without stalking your subscriber list?
You ask, observe, and listen.
Ask -- Simple and effective; ask, and you shall receive. Ask your audience what they want? You can do this in the form of a survey, during one-on-one conversations you may have with readers, by posting the question on your social media accounts, or asking through a campaign.
Observe -- Take note of recurring issues and topics your audience posts on sites like Quora and Reddit, and in Facebook groups. What common themes appear in their comments section? Also, pay attention to what your competition is writing and the feedback they receive.
Listen -- Your audience will likely tell you what they want at some point. Listen to them. It's easy to have your blinders on when following a plan. But what good is your plan if it doesn't offer any value to your audience? Your content provides the perfect opportunity to build trust and loyalty by having an ear to the ground, will be able to help you to learn about audience firsthand.
Learn more ways to improve your content, strategy, and engagement at whitneystovall.com/blog.