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 making an attempt 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 little thing shifted after I crossed paths with Mary Imasuen, the Social Media Advertising Lead at a regulation agency the place I interned. Mary shared her success story—options on the Huffington Submit, worldwide gigs—all stemming from her consistency as a content material creator.
Impressed, I revamped my strategy: dedicated to a daily posting schedule, targeted on enhancing 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 never hit the massive leagues with lots of of 1000’s of followers, however during the last 4 years, my dedication to displaying up has led to some fairly cool stuff, comparable to:
Unsolicited job affords:
A present on Africa’s main tech weblog:
Talking gigs:
Unique occasion invites:
Occasional virality:
Spectacular year-on-year progress:
On this article, I will spotlight my tried-and-true ideas for consistency, hoping they’re going to provide help to carve out your personal 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 after 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
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 captivated 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, the African startup and VC scene, and profession improvement – the pillars of my content material technique.
2. What folks need to know
Realizing your stuff is nice, however it’s a two-way avenue. You have to be speaking about what your viewers needs to listen to. It is like throwing a celebration—you need to play the music folks 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 startup constructing. And so, I take advantage of instruments like SparkToro and watch occasions they attend to remain on prime of related subjects.
3. What makes you distinctive
Realizing your stuff and aligning together with your viewers’s pursuits is not the end line. The actual magic occurs once you infuse your uniqueness into your content material. What units you aside? It might be a narrative, a trait, or an expertise.
As an example, if you happen to’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 this is the twist: Do not rely solely in your perspective. Sprinkle in others’ viewpoints by means of 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 , what folks 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 comprehend I wasn’t sticking to any plan. That each one modified after I adopted a simple 3-step course of that has made my content material creation not simply doable however pleasing.
This is the lowdown:
1. Brainstorm an concept
Each Sunday, I dedicate a while to let the creativity stream. Whether or not it is for a weblog submit 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 repeatedly, conserving a treasure trove of inventive concepts.
2. Doc the thought
To maintain these good 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 concept vault – the place no concept will get misplaced.
3. Develop the thought into content material
That is the place the magic occurs. I take the concepts that I consider 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 this 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 cross the torch to you – make content material creation your playground, not a battleground.
Don’t search inspiration; construct a behavior as an alternative
After I began utilizing LinkedIn, I fell into the entice of posting solely when the inventive spark struck. Initially, it appeared to work. Nonetheless, that magic shortly light, and I discovered myself caught in a disheartening cycle of demotivation. It was at this level that I spotted the true secret lies in constructing a behavior.
Inspiration, like a fleeting burst of vitality, is highly effective however transient. Liz Fosslien’s insightful chart fantastically depicts this—displaying how motivation is sort of a fleeting burst of vitality 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 choice remodeled content material creation from a sporadic burst of creativity into a daily a part of my routine. It turned a behavior.
So, relatively 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 progress as a content material creator.
Leverage the facility of automation
Implementing the steps talked about above will not magically erase the challenges that always accompany content material creation – the stress of writing, modifying, and scheduling. This battle is a standard motive many creators battle to keep up consistency. I have been there myself; the calls for of writing and scheduling started affecting my full-time job. Nonetheless, I’ve found sensible methods to alleviate this stress by exploring automation.
Take, as an illustration, the time it used to take me to create an episode of The Traders Nook, my biweekly tech collection, 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 change into a useful asset in expediting this significant step.
- Modifying effectivity with ChatGPT: In relation to modifying and refining content material for readability, I’ve enlisted the assistance of ChatGPT. This not solely saves time but in addition ensures a cultured 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 submit scheduling. Moreover, I make the most of LinkedIn’s scheduling characteristic when it aligns with my technique.
By embracing automation and incorporating these instruments into my workflow, I’ve not solely reclaimed treasured hours but in addition discovered a sustainable option to steadiness content material creation with different features of my life.
Discover your rhythm and keep it up
Earlier than diving into the ideas shared on this article, take a second to find your personal distinctive strategy and decide to it.
I discovered this the laborious means. Initially, I attempted the entire every day posting routine as a result of that is what everybody appeared to advocate. Nonetheless, it burned me out sooner than a candle in a windstorm. Again to sq. one.
Then, I experimented with posting thrice every week. Immediately, 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 means higher than video content material. Seems, I am not the digicam’s greatest 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, maintain experimenting. Discover what you possibly can comfortably maintain over time, and persist with it. Positive, issues would possibly evolve, and that is wonderful. Keep open-minded and at all times be prepared to check new waters.
Key takeaways
Consistency will be laborious to attain as a content material creator, however as you possibly can see from my story, it’s fairly doable. To reiterate, all you could do is:
- Anchor your content material technique on 3 Whats
- Develop and observe a easy course of
- Cease in search of inspiration; construct a behavior as an alternative
- Leverage the facility of automation
- Discover your rhythm and keep it up
Bear in mind, it isn’t about perfection; it is about progress. Consistency is a journey, and with the fitting mindset and strategy, you’ve got bought this!