Brandmerry Blog Archives
Types of Content for Social Media, Blogging, Videos, and More
As an entrepreneur, you know that content creation is really important and it's something I like to talk about a lot on this channel. But how should you be organizing your content, and what happens if you run out of ideas? Do you have some sort of magical thing that you can pull ideas from?
Yes. Yes, you do.
Today I'm going to share with you the main content buckets that you can have for promoting your business.
Content is such a phenomenal tool for business owners, because not only can it get you in front of your ideal customer AKA get your brand seen, but it can also support you in moving your potential customer through the stages of the buying process and ultimately signing up, making a sale, paying you for your programs, for your products, and for your services.
So content is just such a crucial tool for entrepreneurs, but it can also be a main stressor. This is one of the top struggles that we get from new members inside of Brandmerry Academy, which is my marketing program.
This idea of consistently creating content and always having to come up with new ideas can be super overwhelming. And I'll be honest with you, if you're 100% relying on social media to market your business, it is overwhelming.
Inside of the Academy we teach a different approach where we focus on SEO strategies, things like blogging, Pinterest, showing up on Google search, and YouTube, so that you are creating core pieces of content that are consistently bringing in your ideal customer and don't require you to come up with something new every single day. But still, no matter which strategy you're following, it can sometimes be really hard to feel inspired.
So today I want to share with you some of my top buckets for content. As a small business owner, as an entrepreneur, you can begin to create different ideas under each of these buckets and pull from them whenever you need an idea or you're filling out your 90-day content calendar, which I talk about in this video right here.
So let's talk about six, yes, six content buckets. One of the ways that I like to organize these buckets for my clients is inside a Trello board. So if you're using Trello, it's a fantastic tool. We actually give our clients inside of Brandmerry Academy these six buckets, along with a ton of ideas under each one. Sixty-plus content ideas for them to get started and we're constantly adding to them.
So what I recommend is that you take these six different buckets I'm going to share with you and add them to a Trello board or a document or a spreadsheet or whatever you want, and start to input ideas that you have under each bucket.
The idea here is that you can always reference this anytime you're scheduling your content, or you run out of ideas.
6 Content Creation Buckets
Content Bucket Number One: Share Your Story
Yes. Brand storytelling. I love it so much. It is such a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and completely underrated when it comes to marketing.
Now I am, of course, referencing your brand story, but I'm also talking about all the different ways that you can break up your brand story or just share personal stories as you go about your life. Of course, the key here is to make sure that the stories that you're sharing do relate or resonate with your ideal customer.
I share a bit more about that whole process inside of this video right here. The idea here is that you are positioning your brand as an authority while also offering empathy and connection with your ideal customer. This is why storytelling is so important.
So think about things like your brand story, your mission, sharing your values, any client stories that you have, anything that comes up for you in your day-to-day, and how it connects to your work.
The possibilities here are seriously endless. I have been sharing random stories as they come up in my life since the beginning of starting my business. And it's often these types of stories that really resonate with my ideal customer and kind of spark them to take action to purchase from my brand.
The reason for that is because of the connection piece. Storytelling is a fantastic way to build trust, and we know that people will buy from you when they trust you.
Content Bucket Number Two: Share Behind the Scenes
Now, this could quite literally be showing the day-to-day of your business, a fantastic place to do this is on Instagram, on social media. And I still love using social media as a way to warm up my new leads. So someone who has found me through Pinterest or YouTube or Google will then typically follow me on social media and it's a way for us to build that connection.
So showing behind the scenes via video content is a fantastic way to do that, and I find that things like Instagram stories are a really simple way to show up and share content in this bucket.
But you can also create small snippets of behind the scenes of your business. If you make jewelry, for example, creating videos showing you actually creating the jewelry. If you have a new design that you're coming out with and you've sketched it, show a photo of that sketch.
That's what we mean by behind the scenes in your business. What are the inner workings that are happening? This is fantastic for transparency, which we know is incredibly important with brands and people really want to see how things are made. From a service-based perspective, you can of course share your day-to-day.
I actually love to share how I create content, record podcasts, record videos, my client calls, all of those different things, but it can also mean that you're sharing kind of the behind the scenes of your framework of your business, what you're teaching, how you're teaching it, and of course, client results.
Content Bucket Number Three: Educate Your Audience
The third one I have for you is my second favorite. Storytelling, obviously, my fave. This one is my second fave, and this is where education comes in.
I really believe that every single brand and business can have an educational component to their content strategy. And the beautiful thing about educational content is that it builds authority. It shows people you know what you're talking about, and they can see that through the content that you're creating. It really, really, really helps with the client buying journey.
I have had multiple clients who find me on good Google and immediately inquire about working with me one-on-one. I respond to them via email and they will respond right back and say, great, fantastic. Where do I pay? I listened to your podcast, or I watched your YouTube, or I read your blog and I already know that you are the right person to support me. It's through that educational content that they're able to make that decision very, very quickly, often without a discovery call, I might add.
So educational content is so powerful and this list could go on for days and days and days. This bucket is literally anything, anything that you can help your ideal customer with, how you can help them solve their problem.
So for instance, this video is a great example of educational content. I know content creation is a main struggle for my audience so I'm constantly talking about it and sharing all these different types of videos.
We have this one right here, I've got a video on brand storytelling. We've got a video on planning 90 days worth of content. Video, video, video.
Now, you don't have to use a video, you can use a blog or podcasting. Of course, video is a fantastic tool in 2022 and beyond. But the idea here is that you're helping solve a micro problem for your ideal customer. You're giving them information that they've been searching for, or that they need in order to move forward with their transformation.
All my product-based businesses, you can also share educational content. I'll give you a great example from a brand that I love. They have a skincare line and they have a lot of blog content on the types of skin care that you can use, how to use their specific products, how to apply your skin care, tons and tons of information that will help someone through the client buying journey and will also help them get discovered.
Content Bucket Number Four: Connect with your Potential Clients
Number four is all about connecting with potential clients. So where storytelling was really focused on something you've experienced and how it applies to your ideal customer, this is really focused on your ideal customer front and center.
So thinking about things like client journey, transformation, clients that you've worked with, or customers who have bought your products, or a before and after. You can also create stories around specific results that your customers have experienced, as well as talking about and addressing things like obstacles that might be standing in their way.
So there is a bit of a crossover here with storytelling. Honestly, I find storytelling should be applied in all of these buckets, but the main focus here is how can you connect with your ideal customer and let them know that you 100% know where they're at and where they want to be?
Content Bucket Number Five: Build Brand Authority
Now, as we've mentioned before in the storytelling section, empathy and authority are huge when it comes to making purchase decisions. When it comes to brand authority, this is where you want to dial up your expertise. So while you're already sharing information on educating your audience, the different little pieces that you know, or that you teach in your business, this is where you're really highlighting your framework. What is your signature framework that you are providing your ideal customer, and what are all the different elements that you can share around that framework?
This is also a fantastic place to kind of differentiate yourself within your industry. So if there's something that you believe that a lot of people maybe don't do within your industry, or aren't talking about, you can really turn up the dial on that and position yourself as a leader in that thought process.
So one of the things I started doing really early on in my business was talking about brand storytelling and emotional branding. At the time, a lot of entrepreneurs were not talking about this. So I started kind of leading the way and that got me featured on multiple podcasts and in guest interviews and as a guest expert in programs. So I would talk about that a lot as a way to build brand authority.
Then as I started getting kind of picked up on these podcasts and things like that, I would share those underneath this bucket, which again, elevates my brand authority because I've now been featured. So there's a lot of different things that you can do within this bucket. But what I want you to focus on first and foremost is your signature framework. How do you deliver the results that you deliver? How do you solve the problem that your ideal customer is facing? Then you can also integrate features where you have been featured as an expert within your industry.
And, of course, my personal favorite, offering an industry disrupt.
Does someone believe something? Or does the industry believe something as a whole that you don't? A great example of this is my belief that you absolutely do need a website if you are marketing your business sustainably, and many entrepreneurs don't think you do. So I love to talk about my own personal angle.
Content Bucket Number Six: Promotion
That leads us to the final bucket. You'll probably notice that a lot of these buckets we've been talking about are really about building that brand awareness, starting to build that brand authority, making that connection, getting leads in the door, and building that trust to lead to the sale.
So this sixth bucket, and a crucial bucket if you actually want to get paid, is promotion. Making sure that you're consistently promoting what it is you're selling. I find that entrepreneurs really struggle with this, but at the end of the day, if you want people to pay you, you need to tell them what you have available for them.
If your ideal customer has a problem that you're solving, but they don't understand how you help them solve it, they're not going to pay you for it. So this promotional bucket can mean a bunch of different things, but here are some ideas to get you started.
→ You can focus on the return on investment of your program or your product. So really highlighting what they're investing and what it's going to get them in return.
→ You can also share client testimonials and clients before and after, as it relates to your particular program.
→ This is also a fantastic place to talk about objections. What might your ideal customer be thinking if they come in contact with your promotion? If they come in contact with your sales page, what might be holding them back? Really creating content around these objections and offsetting these objections early on can speed up the purchase decision process.
→ And of course, making the ask. A big part of the promotional piece of content creation is just putting your product or service out there and giving them a CTA to take the next step. Asking them to make a decision and go all in.
So the promotional content bucket is something that you want to be repeating quite often in your business, whether you're launching or you just want to talk about your products or your services multiple times a week.
So there you have it, six buckets to start organizing your content. I hope that this really got the juices flowing for you.
I recommend you take these six buckets and organize them into a spreadsheet or maybe a Trello board, or even just a Google doc so you can consistently add ideas to it. I love having an idea bank so when I think of something random at the grocery store, I can add it to my idea bank, and then when I go to plan out my 90 days' worth of content, I can just pull from that specific section. I don't have to feel overwhelmed like I have to create something new. The ideas are already there.
So again, you can use the ideas under each of these buckets to show up on social media, if that feels good for your brand, but also to write blog posts. And of course, within your email marketing, video marketing, and podcasting as well. As I mentioned at the beginning of this video, this is the type of stuff that we're teaching inside Brandmerry Academy.
You can learn more at brandmerryacademy.com. Our goal is to give you advanced marketing strategies that help your brand get seen and paid without relying on social media. You can learn more at brandmerryacademy.com and find out when doors are opening again.
P.S. Planning and creating your content doesn't have to be a constant struggle. There is a better way to research, plan, and create your content as an entrepreneur and it's all inside the Content Planning Blueprint!
The Content Planning Blueprint is perfect for online business owners who know the power of content creation but are tired of spending all of their time coming up with ideas, organizing their content, and wondering what will attract their dream clients.
In just a few hours, you'll have 90 days of content planned, a repeatable workflow to save you hours on creating and distributing your content every week, and content topics that will keep performing for your brand for years to come! Get your blueprint now >>
- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -
DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS
MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
MEET MICHELLE
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.
Marketing Funnel Explained for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs
BY MICHELLE KNIGHT
Understanding the purpose and the power of marketing is incredibly important. There are a lot of moving parts. I talk a lot about content creation, video marketing, podcasting, SEO, etc…
It can feel like there are so many pieces to market your business, and you might be wondering how they all fit together in this mysterious puzzle that is marketing.
So today we’re going to take a deep dive into marketing, explore the different phases of marketing, and help you understand where all of these different elements fit in.
If you prefer to watch the video training, you can watch it here on my YouTube channel.
THE MARKETING FUNNEL
The first thing that we're going to dive into is the marketing funnel.
In the first section, the largest section, you have your cold audience. These are people who don't know you at all, nothing about your brand.
Then in the second section down, we have your warm audience. So once someone has gotten to know you a little bit, they've been warmed up via your content, some of the things that they've seen online, they've joined your email list, and they're starting to really build up that trust with your brand.
At the very, very bottom, we have your hot leads. These are essentially people who are ready to purchase or are already paying customers. And we're really focused on retention with them. So as you can see from this diagram, we want to make sure that people are coming in through the top of the funnel consistently.
This is where marketing comes into play. Often in the industry, we talk about it like a faucet. You want to turn that faucet on so that new people, leads, and money are constantly coming in. Anytime you turn it off, the bottom is going to dry up and that's where your paying clients are coming from. So this idea of consistent leads coming in is incredibly important.
Now, one thing I want to mention is that the timeframe from cold to hot is going to be different for everyone.
CUSTOMER BUYING PROCESS AND MARKETING
I talk about that process a little bit more in-depth in my Customer Buying Process video, which you can go ahead and watch here. That explains a little bit more about the phases that customers go through before making a purchase.
You might attract someone at phase one, not even thinking about buying anything, or phase five, ready to purchase. They could be coming in at any one of those markers. And that's important to note because even though we have this upside-down triangle, this funnel that’s focused on bringing in leads, someone could move through this funnel in as little as 10 minutes.
Or, somebody might take six months to a year.
But let's explore a scenario right here. Let's say that someone finds you on Google. They are Googling your niche, they find you on Google, they land on your website, and they consume a piece of your content.
So now they've moved from cold to warm, and then they're immediately like, "Okay, yes, this is perfect." They’ve gotten what they need, they feel connected to your brand, they know you’re the right person for them and they submit an application or make a purchase. And it all happens within 10 minutes. That person was a little bit further along in the buying process when they initially discovered your website. But as you can see, they went through your funnel very quickly.
One of the things that I love to teach inside Brandmerry Academy is the power of SEO. We have an entire marketing course on SEO and how to use it to your benefit as a business owner.
Now, the same might happen when someone discovers a piece of your content on Pinterest.
They go to your website, they read your blog, and they opt into your email list. On your email list, you give them an offer to buy something and they buy immediately. We see this happen quite a bit when it comes to evergreen marketing strategies, which is why we're obsessed with teaching them inside of the academy.
Then we also have members who have been on our email list for years sometimes before they're ready to buy. But it's been through that warm-up phase, creating content, and showing up for them that they stayed. And when they were ready to purchase, they came to my brand because of the relationship that I had built.
So I always want you to remember this diagram because this just shows us how important it is to consistently focus on marketing and getting in front of a cold audience so that we can then move them through the funnel.
MARKETING PHASES
A few years ago, when I launched Brandmerry Academy, I wanted to think about a way for my clients to simplify how they approached marketing.
We have this “fancy” upside-down triangle with your cold, warm, and hot audience, but what does that mean?
What's happening at each of those stages?
That's when I created a three-part marketing system. This is the foundation of everything that we teach inside of our marketing membership when we teach our different strategies like SEO, Pinterest, blogging, podcasting, and video marketing.
Inside this three-part system is where we're going to talk about all the little bitty things that you're doing with your marketing and where they fit into the bigger marketing picture.
AWARENESS PHASE
The very first one is going to be the awareness phase. The awareness phase is when someone is suddenly aware of your brand. So they didn't know about you before, but then they discover a piece of valuable content that makes them aware of your brand and what you provide.
This phase right here is just more proof that evergreen marketing strategies are so important. Because evergreen marketing strategies, like the blog that you’re reading, or the video that you might watch next are pieces of content that continue to perform over and over year after year. So by putting those pieces of content out there, you always have ways for someone to discover you and enter into this awareness phase.
ATTRACTION PHASE
Then the second phase that they would move into I call the attraction phase. This is when they're suddenly like, "Oh, I am totally into this brand and what they're sharing and I want to know more." I often use the imagery of a little bunny where their ears perk up and they're like, "Yes. Oh my gosh, tell me more. I am ready. What else do you have for me?"
That's the attraction phase. This area right here is where your email list-building strategies come into play. So typically someone who's moved into this phase will be ready to give their email to you, which I always say is like currency, and invite you into their world, invite you into their inbox so that they can learn more about you and from you and ultimately how you can help them solve their problem. So this phase is incredibly important.
CONNECTION PHASE
Then we move into the third phase, the connection phase. This is the moment when someone has moved from being attracted to what you're saying to being fully connected to your brand. At the connection phase, this is where we find that you're building that trust - the know, like, and trust factor that gets people to buy.
We know that purchase decisions are based on an emotional connection. One of my favorite quotes that I discovered when I was starting my business from Zig Ziglar says, "If people like you, they'll listen. If they trust you, they'll do business with you." So this connection phase is focused on building trust. And we have a lot of different marketing strategies that help us do just that.
The triangle shared in the beginning shows the power of marketing and why it's so important to constantly be getting people in front of your brand. This second part, these three phases of marketing shows the step-by-step process that someone might be going through.
Now, let's talk about the different strategies that you're going to use at each of these phases.
MARKETING STRATEGIES FOR EACH PHASE
STRATEGIES FOR BRAND AWARENESS
In the awareness phase, individuals are completely unaware of your brand. This makes content creation super important as it serves as the strategy for attracting new audience members. Whether discovered through Google searches, email shares, or platforms like YouTube and Pinterest, strong content is key.
Focusing on evergreen marketing strategies is essential during this phase. Strong SEO practices ensure visibility on search engines like Google, Pinterest, and YouTube which rely heavily on keywords and can put you at a major advantage.
Unlike social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram where content is not searched for, but rather stumbled upon, platforms like Google, YouTube, and Pinterest attract users actively seeking solutions to their problems, making them further along in the consumer buying journey.
For those of you who still like social media (more on this in a bit), short-form videos on platforms like TikTok or Instagram Reels can be effective. However, it's important to note that these platforms may not give you as high buyer intent as search-based platforms.
Another valuable strategy at this phase is to invest in public relations. This can be an investment of an expert, or just some time in your calendar weekly. With a PR major and years of experience in the industry, I love to emphasize the importance of guest appearances on podcasts or other channels to my clients. Being invited into someone else's community establishes an amazing level of trust, speeding up the audience's journey to a paying client.
The awareness stage is about consistently reaching a cold audience. Rather than constantly seeking out your ideal customer, focus on optimizing your content delivery and platform selection to allow your audience to discover you—a principle we emphasize at Brandmerry Academy.
STRATEGIES FOR BRAND ATTRACTION
Now, let's talk about the second phase: the attraction phase. This is where your social media skills will come into play.
I've shifted my approach to social media over time. Initially, I used it for awareness, trying to scout for clients on the platform, but it wasn't yielding the results I hoped for. However, when I began integrating evergreen strategies, I realized I could reposition social media into the attraction phase.
Now, those who already know me from other platforms might follow me on social media. It alleviated the pressure. I could focus on building trust, sharing expertise, and even have a bit more fun, knowing this audience was more likely to convert because they were already familiar with my brand. Social media became a nurturing tool rather than a hunting ground.
Social media serves as an excellent tool at this stage for building connections that lead to sales. Think video content, posts, Instagram stories—all those engaging elements, whether you love or loathe creating them.
Moreover, at this stage, email marketing takes the spotlight. Once someone is attracted to your brand, getting them onto your email list is crucial. This is where having a compelling lead magnet comes into play. It's vital for marketing success.
We advise all our clients to get their lead magnets set up quickly. In fact, inside Brandmerry Academy, clients get a bonus called Funnel in a Weekend, which guides you step-by-step through setting up your opt-in page and funnel in just three days. If this has been a challenge for you, I highly recommend checking it out.
In the attraction phase, our focus is on moving our audience closer, encouraging them to follow us on social media, and join our email list. We continue to create and share content, sometimes repurposing what we've already produced in the awareness stage. The goal now is to ensure our attracted audience sees it, utilizing social media and email marketing to maximize visibility.
Additionally, public relations can be a game-changer at this stage, enhancing authority and trust with our existing audience. I've had the privilege of being featured on esteemed platforms like CNBC and Fast Company, and each time, I make sure to inform my audience. It's incredible how these features can boost authority and reassure those who've been on the fence about working with me.
So, while we're not creating new PR content, we're leveraging it to enhance this phase of the marketing process. It's a reminder that a single piece of content or action can serve multiple stages or phases of marketing.
STRATEGIES FOR BRAND CONNECTION
Now, let's dive into the connection phase. Here, it's all about maintaining the momentum of sharing our content and building trust with our audience. However, there's one element that I believe is absolutely crucial in this phase: storytelling.
Storytelling is my passion; it's where I shine. I adore discussing brand storytelling and, more specifically, how to craft compelling micro-stories within your content—whether it's on your blogs, social media, or videos.
When I first started my business, I stumbled upon the power of storytelling. As I integrated it into my content, I noticed an amazing shift. My small audience began to engage more, and ultimately, they started making purchases.
I vividly remember one of my early live streams, where I spoke to the same small audience I'd been nurturing for months. To my surprise, someone reached out via email afterward, expressing their readiness to schedule a discovery call. The only thing I changed was the addition of storytelling.
I firmly believe that it was the humanizing effect of storytelling that made the difference. By sharing more personal stories, I became more relatable and approachable, and my audience responded positively. Storytelling can be a powerful tool for converting your audience, especially when they're small. It's a strategy I've employed numerous times in my business, including in this very video. I highly recommend integrating storytelling into your approach and leveraging it to your advantage in the connection phase.
Whether you're launching a new offering, seeking to fill spots in your program, or introducing a new product, storytelling can speed up the transition of your audience from attraction to connection, ultimately leading to conversions.
I share my Storytelling 101 training inside Brandmerry Academy. Entrepreneurs with more knowledge can explore my course Storytelling Made Simple for a deeper dive into digital storytelling and how to use it in all of your marketing efforts.
CONCLUSION
Alright, let's do a quick recap and discuss some of the top tips to master your marketing. I know I've covered a lot of ground, and honestly, I love diving deep into this stuff—it's the kind of detailed knowledge you'll find inside the academy.
First off, ensure you're consistently generating leads for your business. Evergreen marketing strategies are key here—keep that flow of leads steady. Remember, it's not about doing more; it's about being strategic with your marketing efforts.
For example, if you're solely relying on social media, you might be missing out on opportunities in the awareness stage. Shifting your focus to creating evergreen content like blogs, YouTube videos, or podcasts can expand your reach across different phases. Add storytelling into the mix, and you've got a winning formula.
Always keep the client journey in mind. Don't buy into the notion that if someone doesn't buy right away, they're not worth your time. People move through the buying journey at their own pace. By honoring each phase, you guide them along the journey, building trust and connection with your brand.
This early trust and connection also lead to better client retention rates. When clients trust you from the get-go, they're more likely to stick around for the long haul.
As I've mentioned before, everything I've covered here is available inside Brandmerry Academy. It's a marketing membership designed to help you market your business without relying solely on social media. It's all about reclaiming your time as an entrepreneur and focusing on what matters most to you.
Head over to Brandmerry.com/Academy for more information. I'd love to support you on your journey and see how these strategies transform the way you run your business.
P.S. Have you tuned in to the Authentic Brand Builders podcast? I release new episodes every Thursday on topics around branding and marketing! Check out past episodes and be sure to subscribe at brandmerry.com/podcast
- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -
DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS
MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
MEET MICHELLE
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.
Email List Building Tips for Online Entrepreneurs
BY MICHELLE KNIGHT
I'm going to make a bold statement, that you may or may not like!
Email Marketing and having an email list is a MUST.
And of course, I'm sharing exactly why that is in today's podcast, but here's my general rule of thumb. As a business owner, you absolutely need a database (something you can take anywhere) of your prospective clients. That my friend is an email list.
Relying on social media to build a community is just asking for disaster!
So, not only are you getting the full rundown of why an email list is important, but I'm also sharing how to grow one and my top tips for email marketing in 2022.
It's all happening in Episode 33 of The Brandmerry Podcast, where you'll learn:
The truth about marketing and how building a community via your email list is just good for business, and profits.
The step-by-step process that's needed to build your email list (yes, even if you're starting from ZERO just like we all did).
4 of my top email marketing tips for 2022 and what to look for when choosing a platform so you can make your email marketing practice more effortless and streamlined.
Tune in now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to hear the full episode and all the tips.
P.S. Good news! You don't have to master your email marketing alone this year! And, you don't have to wonder HOW you're going to drive traffic to your grow your email list. My top strategies are taught in great detail inside of Brandmerry Academy. From Search Engine Optimization to Pinterest marketing to Video marketing, The Academy helps you market without relying on social media! 12 advanced marketing courses at your fingertips when you join. Learn more and join at brandmerry.com/academy.
- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -
DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS
MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
MEET MICHELLE
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.
8 Content Creation Tips for a Consistent Content Strategy
I love creating content. You might not feel the same way now, but I promise it is possible to find joy in this process. And, while I genuinely love creating content, I do not want to spend all of my time and energy making it happen.
It's one of the reasons that I have focused on more evergreen strategies in my business, like relying on Google, Pinterest, YouTube videos, podcasting, and blogging, rather than focusing on social media. But no matter where you’re showing up, I want to share with you some of my top tips to streamline your content creation process.
On my YouTube channel, I shared ways to streamline your workflow process in this video. But, I want to take it a step further and share how to consistently create content, while not hating the entire process.
When it comes to consistent content creation, I’ve discovered that most people get hung up with the first step - What do I share?!
So, today we’re going to focus on this struggle and give you 8 ways to improve your process so that coming up with content ideas and creating your content becomes a breeze.
CONTENT CREATION TIP #1: KEEP RECORDS
As you begin to create your content, it's really important to keep clear records of the content you've already created. Inside of my ClickUp, we have an entire Content Database. This includes the title, release date, links, what’s promoted, etc… so I can easily locate past content.
If I ever want to revisit a piece of content, maybe repurpose it, or create a series, I have all of the information right there. This is incredibly helpful when you take an SEO approach to your content and will want to update keywords, and other factors to help with rank.
It’s also great if you want to reference an existing piece of content, and create internal links on your website (which Google loves)!
However, one of the things that's going to help you as you show up and consistently create content is to analyze the content you've already created because your audience will show you what they resonate with most.
On YouTube, we find that planning videos, content creation videos, and messaging videos do really well. So I know that every few weeks, I want to have a video that is in one of those categories. The only reason I know that is true is because we review our analytics every 30 days.
The same goes for social media. On Instagram, you can see what type of content has done really well with your audience. You could repurpose that content exactly as it is. Yes, I give you permission to post the exact same thing again on social media, because the reality is your audience is not going to remember that you already posted it. Or you can use that idea and you can create something new or refresh that content and post it again.
When you’re struggling to come up with content ideas, the answer might be right in front of you. Don’t stress yourself out by always worrying about creating something new, you can often repurpose your content/ reshare your content on a different medium, or with a different angle rather than creating something entirely new.
CONTENT CREATION TIP #2: ASK YOUR AUDIENCE
This is something that I think we often overlook. But if you have an audience, even if it is 10 people, you can ask them what type of content they would love for you to create.
They're already your warm audience. They're already there, creating engagement. They're already speaking with you, reading your blog, answering your emails, opening your emails, looking at your posts, and watching your videos. Why not ask them?
This is something that I do multiple times a year in my business. Every 90 days, we try to send out a market research survey to my audience. And in that survey, we ask very specific questions on the type of content that they would like to see from us at Brandmerry.
This post came from a market research survey. If you utilize your audience, people who have already expressed interest, you don't have to sit there and guess about what your audience would like. You can simply ask.
Whether it’s a simple Instagram story, you DM a few people, you ask in your email, or you have them fill out a complete survey, it doesn't matter.
The first people to help your content get seen will be your existing audience, so why not deliver what they are looking for, provide insane value, and build authority?
CONTENT CREATION TIP #3: ORGANIZE YOUR IDEAS
The third tip I have for you is a way to organize all of your amazing ideas. Okay. I don't know about you, but do you get ideas for what you can create with your content in the most crazy places? Whether you're on a plane or at the grocery store or your kid's soccer practice or doing dishes. You're not in a place where you necessarily are going to sit down and write down all of your ideas and completely map out, but you do need a place to jot down that idea that you have.
So I like to have an idea bank, and this idea bank is simply a note in my Google Drive because then I can access it from my phone, from my computer, no matter where I am in the world. And I can just jot down that idea. Then when I go to map out my content strategy for 90 days, something I talk about in this video right here, I can pull from my idea bank.
I am telling you, if you start implementing this practice, you are going to find how easy it is to come up with ideas. What I have always found is I will get these ideas in the moment when I'm feeling inspired. But then the second I sit down to write out my content plan, I'm like, "I can't think of anything."
But I have an idea bank, so I can just go look at that. And I allow that to get my juices rolling. So create some sort of idea bank, preferably digital, where you can jot down these ideas and circle back to when you're mapping out your content.
CONTENT CREATION TIP #4: CORE BRAND MESSAGES
Another tip I have for you is to create core messages or core offers for your brand. This is something that I teach in my membership Brandmerry Academy. They're called core brand messages, or CBMs.
I teach you how to create structured messaging for your brand as a whole.
What this does from a branding perspective is it gives you focus.
So whenever you're thinking of content ideas, you can look at your Core Brand Messages and say, "What does my audience need to know in order to take advantage of my offers? What are some obstacles that are standing in their way that are keeping them from taking advantage of this offer? What are some objections my audience might have regarding this offer?"
Then you can create various forms of content that are actually going to help you sell your offer.
Having these core brand messages, having these signature offers with these pillars, is a great way to streamline your content and make sure you never run out of ideas.
CONTENT CREATION TIP #5: STORYTELLING
One of the things that I talk about a lot at Brandmerry is the power of storytelling.
Not just your brand story, although very, very important, but also your ability to incorporate micro stories into your marketing, everyday things that are happening, things that you're seeing, things that are happening with your customers and your clients and really start to incorporate storytelling as just a natural form of marketing. It’s called Digital Storytelling, and it’s something I’ve been utilizing and teaching for years.
One of the strategies that I use when I am not feeling inspired is to think about my own story. I will just sit there and start to brainstorm things that have happened or things that I have heard or core pieces of my Brand/ Founder story, and I will use that to inspire my content.
This works incredibly well on social media and in email marketing because we know storytelling is such a powerful tool on those platforms.
If you’re not already incorporating storytelling into your marketing this can be a great way to start, and can help you come up with a long list of content ideas. Simply take an hour every 30 days to go into your content idea bank and write down a bunch of story ideas.
Storytelling allows the personal side of your business to come through, increases trust with your audience, and as I’ve already mentioned can take the headache out of coming up with content ideas.
These stories can be your own (the personal branding side), but you can also share stories about your clients and their results as well which just builds more authority with your audience.
The last three I have for you are really some time-saving strategies that I wanted to make sure that we touched on.
As I mentioned in the beginning, a big part of the stress that comes with content creation is just coming up with ideas. We've talked about a lot of those, but let's talk about some little strategies that you can implement to save you time overall.
CONTENT CREATION TIP #6: HAVE BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS
One of the things that I talked about in this video, is the power of sitting down for two to three hours every 90 days and mapping out your content for that particular quarter. We call it the 90-Day Content Plan and it’s the foundation of what I teach here.
This is your opportunity to sit down, look at your idea bank, look at some of the things your audience has been asking for, look at your keyword research using Google or a tool like Ubersuggest, and just sit down and write out all the different ideas that you have.
This strategy works incredibly well when paired with an SEO-centered marketing approach, which includes focusing on one core piece of content each week (specifically one on an SEO platform) and repurposing it. This means you only need to come up with 12 topics for the full 90 days. It’s all taught inside of the Content Planning Blueprint here.
Then you take that information and organize it in a spreadsheet or ClickUp, where you’ll choose the title, assign the keywords for your specific platform, and choose the date that you’re going to release it.
I find this simple brainstorming session saves me so much time in the long run, because I’m not wasting time each week trying to come up with a topic. If you struggle with inspiration, like the rest of us, this can be the difference between consistently sharing content and posting when you feel like it.
And, when you’re taking an SEO approach to your content strategy, you’ll also find the content you’re creating lasts a lot longer!
Learn more about the 90-Day Content Blueprint Here.
CONTENT CREATION TIP #7: SET A TIMER
Having a system or workflow for your content can save you a lot of time in your business, however when you’re just getting started it can still feel like content creation is taking a long time.
That's because you're building up that content creation muscle. It's going to take some time. But one of the things that I started doing in my second year of business is setting timers, and I would use these timers as motivation to see if I could create stuff in a specific chunk of time.
Rather than giving myself a whole day to create content, I'd say, "All right. I've got two hours to record as many videos as possible. My goal is four." Or I would say, "All right. I've got 45 minutes to write this blog post." And I would set a timer for 45 minutes.
Now, when I was first starting, I always went over, always, because I was still trying to refine my strategy. But, through the process, I was becoming a better content creator. I was getting better at talking on video. I was getting faster at writing blogs.
And, over time, I started meeting those mini-deadlines that I set for myself. And as a result, I was saving hours every single week.
So I highly suggest you play with it, set a time that feels a little challenging, and see how you do.
CONTENT CREATION TIP #8: STREAMLINE YOUR PROCESS
That leads me to my last tip. You're not going to master this out of the gate, but every single time you create content, I want to find ways that you can streamline your process.
So every time you do it, have an opportunity to analyze and say, "How did that feel? My blog took a really long time. Why do I think it took a long time? Is there anything that I can do to speed up this process? My graphics are taking forever. Maybe if I create templates, I'll save myself time in the long run."
Look at these little opportunities to analyze every week in your business, or maybe every 30 days, to find where you can streamline your process.
This is honestly a strategy that's just great for marketing and business in general, but using it with your content creation will save you time and it will save you energy. Having these clear systems is what's really going to support you to show up consistently for your audience.
Inside Content Planning Blueprint, I teach you my tried and true workflow and even include a ClickUp workflow for your business.
Even 8 years later, I’m still using my content workflow list to make sure I’m hitting all my marks.
CONCLUSION
I hope those tips got the juices flowing in your brain, and you are thinking about all the ways that you can gather ideas for your content creation and also save a little bit of time. As I said before, I have a lot of videos on this channel that can be incredibly helpful for you in your content creation journey.
You can also look for my videos on market research, planning out 90 days of content, as well as our content creation video on saving time with your existing workflow.
If you want more support with content creation and your overall content marketing process, then I encourage you to get the 90-Day Content Blueprint here.
Planning and creating your content doesn't have to be a constant struggle. There is a better way to research, plan, and create your content as an entrepreneur and it's all inside the Content Planning Blueprint!
The Content Planning Blueprint is perfect for online business owners who know the power of content creation but are tired of spending all of their time coming up with ideas, organizing their content, and wondering what will attract their dream clients.
P.S. In just a few hours, you'll have 90 days of content planned, a repeatable workflow to save you hours on creating and distributing your content every week, and content topics that will keep performing for your brand for years to come! Get your blueprint now >>
- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -
DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS
MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
MEET MICHELLE
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.
6 Time Saving Tips for Content Creation
If right now, your content creation feels like it takes hours out of your life, this post is for you.
I mean, there's a lot that you have to think about when it comes to content creation.
You’ve got to pick your ideas, you've got to organize those ideas, you have to choose your SEO if you're blogging or using YouTube, you've got to create the content, record it, write it, schedule it, edit it, make graphics.
I get it. I 100% get why content creation feels overwhelming.
But, it doesn’t have to be!
Content creation is my sweet spot. It’s something that I absolutely love doing. I have a lot of strategies up my sleeve, and today I’m sharing 6 of them to help you save hours every single week with your content creation.
Content Creation Tip #1: A Clear Content Strategy
Let's dive into my very first tip, which is to have a clear content strategy. It’s not enough for you to willy-nilly be creating content, posting, and kind of flying by the seat of your pants.
Honestly, that's probably taking the most time out of your schedule.
Having a clear content strategy is incredibly important. At this point, what I want you to think about is where you are showing up. You do not have to be everywhere, on every single platform. In fact, I don't recommend that at all.
You want to be really strategic with where you are showing up.
Some things to consider are:
Where is my audience?
What type of content do I like to create? Is it video? Do you enjoy writing? Do you enjoy recording yourself as podcasting? Do you love making reels or TikToks? Do you enjoy posting on social media?
That's going to be the easiest way for you to create content when it feels good to you.You also want to think about the type of content that your audience is consuming. So not only do we need to think about the specific platform, and what you like to create, but of that bucket, what is your audience consuming the most of?
Now, maybe you don't have this information right out of the gate, but this is something that I want you to pay attention to in order to streamline your content strategy.
Really dive deep into exploring:
Is your audience watching YouTube videos?
Do they prefer short little snippets of videos on Instagram?
Is your audience reading blogs? Most audiences still are.
Is your audience really utilizing Google?
Do they listen to podcasts?
What do we know about your specific audience that is going to help you streamline your content strategy?
This is incredibly important, because I want you to have a clear base of, "This is where I'm showing up, and this is the type of content that I'm creating."
Content Creation Tip #2: Create a Repurposing Workflow
The next thing I want you to do is create a repurposing workflow. I talk about it quite often over here at Brandmerry, it's one of the core pillars inside of my membership Brandmerry Academy, and I broke down that entire process in this video right here.
I share the entire step-by-step of designing a repurposing workflow in that video, so for our purposes today, let's talk about a bird's eye view of a repurposing workflow.
The idea here is that you take the platforms that you've chosen to show up on, and you think of how you can repurpose your content on each of those platforms.
So for instance, you're not creating videos, and then creating a completely different blog on a different subject, and showing up on social media every day, talking about something different. That is wasting your precious time.
One of the best things that you can do as a business owner is repeat yourself. It's through repetition that really builds that brand authority, and that expertise, and why individuals will continue to follow you, invest in your products and your services, and tell their friends about what you do.
So with this repurposing plan, which again, I talk about in this video right here, you want to figure out how you can create one core piece of content, maybe it's a video like this one, which was turned into this blog and then repurposed onto multiple platforms.
This is going to save you a bunch of time for two reasons.
Reason #1: You're able to utilize repurposing, transcribing this video, creating social media posts, taking the audio and turning it into a podcast, whatever that looks like for you. And that's going to save you a lot of time, because you ultimately don't have to create as much new content every single week.
My clients who have a very clear repurposing workflow typically create one core piece of content every week, and then they push that out in various ways onto different platforms.
Reason #2: The other way this is going to save you time and energy, is that you can repeat this workflow every single week.
What I recommend you do is you take this weekly workflow, and put it into a task management software. We like to use ClickUp, but you can also use Asana, or any other task management software that you prefer, and set it to repeat every single week.
This is really going to take the guesswork out of what you should be doing in order to create content, which is going to save you a ton of time.
Content Creation Tip #3: Plan Your Content
The third tip that I have for you today, is to choose one period of time every 90 days to plan your content. One of the things that I think takes entrepreneurs so much time, is they'll sit down to write their content, or record their content. And they're also sitting down to think about what they're going to talk about.
They're switching gears back and forth.
"Okay, let me do my research on my ideas. Now I’ve got to go ahead and create it. Now I have to create graphics."
And it's this switching back and forth that can really waste a ton of time. So I recommend that you map out 90 days worth of content at a time.
What I mean by map out is not create, but choose your core topic. Remember back to the repurposing tip that I just shared, there's one core piece of content that you're creating every week, and then you're repurposing it to push out to multiple platforms.
So if you're planning 90 days worth of content, you're choosing 12 topics for 12 weeks. So it shouldn't take you that long. But what you're able to do is maybe carve out three hours at the beginning of the month to sit down, finalize all of those topics, and then walk away from it.
When you revisit, and actually create the content, you don't have to think about what you're going to talk about. You can just dive right into creating it.
Content Creation Tip #4: Have a Content Creation Day
My fourth time saving tip for you, is to have a content creation day. Yay for batch scheduling! Yay for batch recording!
In fact, the video for this blog is one of four videos that I recorded for an entire month in one day.
This is a fantastic way to save time and energy.
Now I'm not suggesting that you create 30 days worth of content in one day. I've been doing this for a long time. I have a very refined system. But when I was first starting out, and what most of my clients do inside of Brandmerry Academy, is they choose one day a week that is dedicated to content creation.
Now, based on your schedule, you want to choose the day that works best for you.
When I was first starting, it was Sunday, because I worked a full-time job, and Sunday my husband was home. So I could create content on Sunday.
Once I left my nine to five, I was able to create content on Monday, because I had my mother-in-law taking care of my son.
So you want to pick a day that works best for your schedule. Best if it can be repeated on the same day every week, because that's going to help you get into that habit.
Try and pick a day every week, where you can carve out two to three hours, and get that on your calendar right now.
Honor that time.
Don't schedule anything else during that time.
Really just focus on your content creation for that week.
Content Creation Tip #5: Batch Your Content Creation Tasks
My fifth tip for you kind of falls in line with the last one. On that content creation day, I encourage you to group like tasks together.
What I mean by this is don't try and write a blog, and then hop over and create your graphics for that blog, and then jump back and edit it, and then go ahead and schedule it, and then switch to scheduling your graphics, and then go back to this.
Try not to jump from one core task to another. Really group them together.
For instance, if you are creating content once a week, then you would sit down and you would do all your writing in one chunk. Write your blog, or write your script for your video, and write anything else that you need to do. Maybe it's the social media post, maybe it's the email you're going to send. So you're doing all of your writing during one chunk of time.
Then you can switch gears.
Maybe then you decide you're going to create your graphics. You're going to go ahead and create your graphics that you need for that piece of content. Maybe it's a thumbnail for your YouTube video, maybe it's a Pinterest image for your blog, your social media content that you're going to be doing. You're creating all your graphics in one chunk of time.
Then you're moving into the third phase, which is scheduling your content. More on that in a minute.
What you want to do is you want to make sure you're not hopping back and forth from task to task. This is such a time suck.
If you are doing something like batch creating content for 30 days, or 90 days like I do, and I talk about in this video right here, you want to really group together your full day.
For instance, I will record a bunch of YouTube videos on one day.
Then I might choose another day to record podcasts.
And then I might choose another day to create graphics.
Grouping the tasks together is such a fantastic way to focus on what you're doing and not distract yourself.
Content Creation Tip #6: Scheduling
That leads me to my last tip, which is scheduling. This needed its own little pocket of time from me.
Please schedule your content in advance.
I know, there are so many tips and tricks to getting your stuff seen, and they tell you to maybe not schedule it because you won't get as much of a reach.
But listen, if you're already strapped for time, if you're already really struggling to streamline your process, you're just contributing to that overwhelm by having to post things in real time.
I'd rather you start scheduling, and consistently showing up, and start to streamline your process, and spend less, and less, and less time on creation than not post at all.
We know consistency is important.
We know content creation is important at every single stage of the buying process.
So if scheduling your content is going to help you actually post your content, then please do it.
You can pretty much schedule anything, except for Instagram reels. But I got a fun strategy for that in just a sec.
You can schedule your blog post, schedule your emails, and all of your social media content.
If you're using carousels on Instagram or Facebook, you can schedule those in advance inside of the Creator Studio on Facebook.
You can schedule your Pinterest posts.
You can pretty much schedule anything.
You can't schedule Reels just yet, but a tip that I have is after you batch create them, and download them to your phone so they don't get deleted. After that go ahead and just save them as a draft. Then you can put a little reminder in your task management, or on your phone to just go in, and hit publish when the time is ready.
Scheduling is going to be a fantastic way to save you time and energy. Please do it if you find that you're not consistently showing up, because that is more important than maybe the 1% boost that posting in real time is going to give you on the platform.
CONCLUSION
As you can see, there's a real benefit to having systems in place for your business. And I want you to remember that you are going to refine your system as you go.
The more that you actually implement the system that you have in place, the more you'll notice that it's taking you less and less time.
This happens very often with my clients, and it happened in my own business as well, where it would feel like it still took me a lot of time to implement a system.
Maybe it was taking me four hours to create everything and schedule it all. But then, as I kept doing this week after week, after week, I noticed that it was taking me less and less time.
And that's just like anything, right? You have to build up that muscle and having these systems in place is going to help you.
It's going to support you in saving hours, every single week, with your content creation.
This is something that we teach inside of my community Brandmerry Academy. This membership is all about marketing without relying on social media.
If you want to learn more, you can go to brandmerry.com/academy for some details. Join the waitlist, and be the first to know when doors open again.
P.S. Planning and creating your content doesn't have to be a constant struggle. There is a better way to research, plan, and create your content as an entrepreneur and it's all inside the Content Planning Blueprint!
The Content Planning Blueprint is perfect for online business owners who know the power of content creation but are tired of spending all of their time coming up with ideas, organizing their content, and wondering what will attract their dream clients.
In just a few hours, you'll have 90 days of content planned, a repeatable workflow to save you hours on creating and distributing your content every week, and content topics that will keep performing for your brand for years to come! Get your blueprint now >>
- FREE GIFTS YOU'LL LOVE -
DISCOVER YOUR BRAND STORY IN UNDER 5 MINUTES
LEARN HOW TO WRITE AN ‘ABOUT ME’ PAGE THAT CONVERTS
MAP OUT 30 DAYS OF CONTENT IN UNDER AN HOUR
- READ THE LATEST POSTS -
MEET MICHELLE
Hey there, I'm Michelle Knight and I an online branding and marketing consultant for female entrepreneurs.
I believe in the power of storytelling and using that superpower to brand and market yourself online...oh and to set yourself free.
I'm obsessed with living a life of freedom, so much so, that my family and I now travel full-time while running my business from the road.
This blog serves as a home base for all things branding, marketing, content creation and more.