Enough content for one year…. are you already questioning if it’s possible? Listen, I’ve prepared for multiple month long sabbaticals and a maternity leave, and I’m here to tell you that it IS possible to create content for your business well in advance so that you can rest. I always say that stressed work is never our best work and so let me help you take advantage of a little concept called intentionally working ahead in your business.

I’m peeling back the curtain to let you in on the secrets behind my content creation process and how you can create a content schedule that you can actually stick to. We all know how important content is for our businesses, so let’s get you started on some routines that will get you creating content that you (and your audience) loves in no time.

What the heck do you mean by “content”?

Content can come in many different forms depending on what industry you’re in or what type of business you run. Chances are, every single day you’re creating content for your audience and you may not have thought about it as “content”. Content includes: any words, copy, or posts you are writing for your business to serve and educate your audience or to simply let them into your life and business. This includes: Facebook, Instagram, Instagram Stories, Pinterest, YouTube, Blog posts, email newsletters, podcasts – content is what you are putting out into this world from your business and I’ll bet you’re creating a lot more content than you think and it’s time to put some systems in place to maximize how you’re accomplishing this in your business.

The JK Content Schedule

I create a lot of content each week, so let me break it on down for you! I post to my blog 3 days a week. Mondays are show notes for the podcast episodes where I interview women entrepreneurs, Wednesdays are the show notes for my solo teaching podcast episodes and Friday’s are either a personal post on my life or a deeper dive into a business topic that teaches tangible takeaways that you can apply to your business.

I also send out a weekly newsletter to all my email subscribers with content you can’t find anywhere else (I reserve the good stuff for people who have opted in!) I also post 5 days a week to Facebook which will often include links to my blog posts or my podcast episodes! I also love engaging with my followers by sharing personal posts, asking questions, or sharing resources!

On Instagram, I typically post once a day and I plan my posts in advance and they vary in topics from inspirational posts, body image, sponsored posts, style inspiration, my photography work to personal updates. All of this content (blog, Instagram, podcast episodes) is also pinned in Pinterest and we pin about 5-10x a day. I get it, we’re creating  A LOT of content each and every week. So how do I actually accomplish this and actually stick to this schedule?

Prioritize Your Presence

The first step is to realize that you can’t do it all, have a presence everywhere, and do it well. It’s important to pick the places where your target audience is hanging out, and places you love so that you’re more likely to be consistent with showing up there. Not everyone needs a blog. Not everyone needs to do Facebook Lives. Not everyone can commit to a consistent blog schedule.

I’d rather you pick two areas online where you will devote your time and energy than be mediocre trying to do them all. Be realistic with what you can create and where you want to create it and you’ll be so much more successful. In other words, start small and work big. Go into your strategy with manageable, measurable goals so you don’t go big, fail and then be disappointed if you derail.

How much time do you have each week? How can you repurpose content through different channels? How are you going to block off this time and stick to it each week? What will you do in advance to set yourself up for success?

Above all else, be consistent

Being consistent is key. Let people know when to expect new content and where they can find it! Communicate when they can show up to consume your latest and great and what type of information they can expect to get from you. This is one of the ways to be seen as reliable and build a relationship of trust. In staying consistent you’re helping your followers create habits that include the consumption of your content and you’re showing your audience that you are dependable and that they can trust you. This is the first step to creating awesome relationships with your audience online. Inconsistency can create doubt in your clients minds which is the opposite of what we want.

Never create and publish in the same day

You need to have space from your work. Give yourself the time to create, the step back so that you can return to re-read and check for typos, check links and think strategically about how you’re going to promote it. Our work is generally better when we can have a second to reflect on it before we put it out into the world.

This tip is going to change things for you because it will give you a sense of accomplishment when you’re putting your best work out into the world and you’re able to work ahead and give yourself the headspace and room you need to look at your work with a critical eye. I love creating in advance and then reviewing it before publishing!

The biggest efficiency tip for your content: batch work

Do you ever feel like your brain has a million tabs open? Yeah, it’s because you’re not focusing on one task from start to finish. Here’s the thing, you’re going to be so much more successful if you’re doing one type of task at a time. As much as we all think we’re multitaskers, it really affects the quality and efficiency of our work. If you’re focused and zoned in, the content is going to flow easier and you’re going to be spending your time doing your best work and a much quicker way.

What would it look like if you blocked off a chunk of time and were able to go really deep into creating specific content for one platform? How many blog posts could you write in a couple hours if you didn’t have the stress of hitting publish that day, and the distractions of a million tabs open, emails popping in and social media notifications? Check out all my batch working tips here.

Take a look at your year as a whole

Take the time to map out your posts and schedule them into your workload. What is the big picture thing that you’re working on each week, month or quarter? What is the direction you’re heading that you could build up to promotions or launches so that when you’re in the thick of your busy time, you’re not worrying about what type of posts or blogs you need to be writing because they will already be done. If you know what these dates are going to be, you can create the supporting content in advance so that you’re freed up to focus on your launch or promotion instead of worrying about your blog or social media posts.

Now it’s time to plan

If you know what your year at a glance will look like, what if you could draft up what the next quarter of posts will look like? Create a master content calendar so that you can see your plans in front of you. We created a Google Spreadsheet that lays out each week’s blog posts, emails, podcast episodes, and focus. That way, we know what is coming up, who is doing what, and how everything is working towards a greater cause. There are no question marks, no creating content on the fly, and we all feel freed up to work ahead, stay creative, and try different things because we are aligned on the main goal.

When you think about planning out your content, you want to focus on strategic creation — not just creating for the sake of creating. Each piece of content you create should serve a purpose! When you can take a step back and see where you are headed it’s a lot easier to create the supporting pieces of content that will get you closer to that bigger goal that you have in mind. Remember, don’t just stop at the creation, promote it, share it, and get the word out about what you’ve made!

 

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