Take into consideration 5 content material creators you admire. No matter who they’re, there is a widespread thread: consistency.
Now, consistency would possibly sound easy, however let’s be actual—it is robust. I do know firsthand as a result of I struggled with it myself.
Earlier than 2019, I used to be a contract author attempting to make a reputation for myself. I joined LinkedIn hoping for alternatives, however my sporadic and lackluster posts went unnoticed, and my on-line presence was, to place it bluntly, a flop.
Then, every thing shifted once I crossed paths with Mary Imasuen, the Social Media Advertising and marketing Lead at a regulation agency the place I interned. Mary shared her success story—options on the Huffington Put up, worldwide gigs—all stemming from her consistency as a content material creator.
Impressed, I revamped my strategy: dedicated to an everyday posting schedule, centered on bettering the standard of my content material, and engaged with my viewers. Quick ahead 4 years, and I am nonetheless right here, extra constant than ever.
I have not hit the large leagues with tons of of 1000’s of followers, however over the past 4 years, my dedication to exhibiting up has led to some fairly cool stuff, akin to:
Unsolicited job gives:
A present on Africa’s main tech weblog:
Talking gigs:
Unique occasion invites:
Occasional virality:
Spectacular year-on-year development:
On this article, I will spotlight my tried-and-true suggestions for consistency, hoping they will assist you to carve out your individual path.
Anchor your content material technique on the three Whats
Earlier than 2019, my content material creation was like throwing spaghetti on the wall. I printed based mostly on my emotions on the time. Even once I dedicated to consistency, the outcomes had been elusive till I cracked the code with what I name the three Whats. These aren’t simply fancy phrases; they’re the heartbeat of a content material technique that clicks.
1. What you already know
Earlier than diving right into a content material technique, pinpoint the subjects that gas your experience and set your soul on hearth. Ask your self, “What am I each educated and obsessed with?” You need to create content material that showcases your experience and real enthusiasm.
In my case, I discovered my candy spot in content material advertising and marketing, the African startup and VC scene, and profession growth – the pillars of my content material technique.
2. What individuals need to know
Understanding your stuff is nice, however it’s a two-way avenue. You have to be speaking about what your viewers desires to listen to. It is like throwing a celebration—you need to play the music individuals need to dance to. So, dig into social media, hearth up some key phrase analysis instruments, and get nosy about what your viewers is buzzing about.
My audience – VCs, CMOs, founders, and fellow content material entrepreneurs – crave insights into content material advertising and marketing and startup constructing. And so, I exploit instruments like SparkToro and watch occasions they attend to remain on high of related subjects.
3. What makes you distinctive
Understanding your stuff and aligning together with your viewers’s pursuits is not the end line. The actual magic occurs if you infuse your uniqueness into your content material. What units you aside? It may very well be a narrative, a trait, or an expertise.
As an illustration, in case you’re a scientist-turned-marketer, that is a story goldmine! I carve out my distinctiveness by highlighting my numerous journey – from company roles to in-house positions and freelancing.
However here is the twist: Do not rely solely in your perspective. Sprinkle in others’ viewpoints via interviews, professional roundups, or curated content material. It provides layers to your narrative and retains issues removed from boring.
Armed with these three guiding ‘Whats’ – what you already know, what individuals need to know, and what makes you distinctive – I’ve discovered my content material creation groove. No extra exhaustion, no extra sounding bored – only a real reference to my viewers amidst the noise.
Develop a easy course of
Creating content material was once an actual puzzle for me. I might spend an excessive amount of time searching down planning templates, solely to appreciate I wasn’t sticking to any plan. That every one modified once I adopted an easy 3-step course of that has made my content material creation not simply doable however pleasant.
This is the lowdown:
1. Brainstorm an thought
Each Sunday, I dedicate a while to let the creativity circulation. Whether or not it is for a weblog put up or social media content material, I brainstorm concepts. Generally, I am so pumped with inspiration that I can generate concepts to final me nearly a month. I do not field myself right into a inflexible timeline – concepts can hit me anytime throughout random actions like studying or simply taking a stroll. I’ve discovered to jot down notes recurrently, preserving a treasure trove of inventive concepts.
2. Doc the thought
To maintain these sensible sparks from fading away, I make it a behavior to doc all my concepts, even when they’re simply of their infancy. My trusty Google Sheets is like my content material thought vault – the place no thought will get misplaced.
3. Develop the thought into content material
That is the place the magic occurs. I take the concepts that I imagine will ring a bell with my viewers and switch them into precise content material. Google Docs, Grammarly, and my good pal ChatGPT play key roles in shaping my ideas into participating items.
And here is just a little secret weapon: I save time by repurposing long-form content material into bite-sized bits. It is a game-changer that retains my weekly content material creation workload to a candy spot of two to 4 hours.
In adopting this strategy, not solely have I made content material creation extra manageable, however I’ve additionally discovered pleasure within the course of. Now, I move the torch to you – make content material creation your playground, not a battleground.
Don’t search inspiration; construct a behavior as an alternative
Once I began utilizing LinkedIn, I fell into the entice of posting solely when the inventive spark struck. Initially, it appeared to work. Nevertheless, that magic rapidly light, and I discovered myself caught in a disheartening cycle of demotivation. It was at this level that I spotted the actual secret lies in constructing a behavior.
Inspiration, like a fleeting burst of power, is highly effective however transient. Liz Fosslien’s insightful chart fantastically depicts this—exhibiting how motivation is sort of a fleeting burst of power whereas consistency turns into the cornerstone of lasting progress.
In response to this realization, I made a dedication: a thrice-a-week publishing schedule. This determination reworked content material creation from a sporadic burst of creativity into an everyday a part of my routine. It turned a behavior.
So, somewhat than ready for inspiration to strike, domesticate the behavior of constant motion by sticking to an agreed-upon frequency. Set a publishing schedule that aligns together with your capability and resonates together with your viewers. This is not only a routine; it is a dedication to your development as a content material creator.
Leverage the ability of automation
Implementing the steps talked about above will not magically erase the challenges that usually accompany content material creation – the stress of writing, enhancing, and scheduling. This wrestle is a standard cause many creators wrestle to keep up consistency. I have been there myself; the calls for of writing and scheduling started affecting my full-time job. Nevertheless, I’ve found sensible methods to alleviate this stress by exploring automation.
Take, as an example, the time it used to take me to create an episode of The Buyers Nook, my biweekly tech sequence, over 5 hours. Now, with instruments like ChatGPT and Airgram at my disposal, I’ve streamlined the method to just a little over 2 hours.
This is how I make it work:
- Transcribing interviews with Airgram: To chop down on time spent transcribing interviews, I depend on Airgram. It has develop into a useful asset in expediting this important step.
- Enhancing effectivity with ChatGPT: In the case of enhancing and refining content material for readability, I’ve enlisted the assistance of ChatGPT. This not solely saves time but additionally ensures a sophisticated and coherent content material.
- Scheduling with Buffer and LinkedIn: To remain organized and guarantee well timed content material supply, I make use of Buffer for put up scheduling. Moreover, I benefit from LinkedIn’s scheduling function when it aligns with my technique.
By embracing automation and incorporating these instruments into my workflow, I’ve not solely reclaimed treasured hours but additionally discovered a sustainable solution to steadiness content material creation with different points of my life.
Discover your rhythm and keep it up
Earlier than diving into the guidelines shared on this article, take a second to find your individual distinctive strategy and decide to it.
I discovered this the onerous method. Initially, I attempted the entire every day posting routine as a result of that is what everybody appeared to advocate. Nevertheless, it burned me out quicker than a candle in a windstorm. Again to sq. one.
Then, I experimented with posting thrice every week. All of the sudden, creating content material felt much less like a chore and extra like one thing I genuinely loved. Since then, I’ve maintained a constant schedule.
Furthermore, I found that written content material fits me method higher than video content material. Seems, I am not the digital camera’s largest fan. And that is completely okay.
So, my recommendation to you is to transcend the one-size-fits-all strategies. What actually clicks for you?
To determine that out, preserve experimenting. Discover what you possibly can comfortably maintain over time, and follow it. Positive, issues would possibly evolve, and that is high-quality. Keep open-minded and all the time be prepared to check new waters.
Key takeaways
Consistency could be onerous to attain as a content material creator, however as you possibly can see from my story, it’s fairly doable. To reiterate, all that you must do is:
- Anchor your content material technique on 3 Whats
- Develop and comply with a easy course of
- Cease searching for inspiration; construct a behavior as an alternative
- Leverage the ability of automation
- Discover your rhythm and keep it up
Keep in mind, it isn’t about perfection; it is about progress. Consistency is a journey, and with the correct mindset and strategy, you have acquired this!
