By now you probably know I’m a content creation evangelist. There’s nothing I believe in more when it comes to marketing your business. No Twitter tool, Facebook Fan Page, or latest video marketing course can surpass content in all its forms. The problem is most people don’t have a system.
Here’s a simple checklist you can follow to make your content creation as painless as possible. Sure, it doesn’t look fancy and I haven’t attached a $97 price tag on it but it is something that works if you use it. What more can you ask for?
Carry a Notebook With You Everywhere
You’ll be amazed the random times that ideas for articles, videos, and blog posts will come your way. For me, it’s right when I’m about to drift off to sleep. That means I have to keep an index card by the bed whenever an idea comes up. Start doing the same for your business. Having the ideas around you will help even if they don’t directly relate to what you’re trying to create.
You never know when you’ll come across an idea that could be the basis for a teleseminar, e-book chapter, or an entire coaching program.
Ask Yourself “How Does This Apply?”
Everything that happens around you is a potential source of content. Sometimes all it takes is a 140 character Tweet on Twitter to fuel even an entire ebook. The trick is to be mindful of what’s happening around you. Mindfulness isn’t just for Buddhist monks or Eckhart Tolle fans (although I do recommend his books for the insights they give you on life and even on your business). Mindfulness just means turning your brain on to what’s happening.
Asking yourself a question that forces you to look at what’s happening around you is a great place to start.
Write Now, Edit Later
Content doesn’t come out perfectly the first time. In fact, while you may see some people being totally polished and everything looks ‘in its place’, it’s usually just a sign of comfort and practice in creating content on demand rather than innate ability. I’ll admit that I can be a bit of a scatterbrain sometimes. Even as I write this post, I work on one paragraph, skip another, go down to the end, and then back to the middle.
Don’t worry about getting things perfect the first time. No, seriously. Don’t worry about getting things perfect the first time - just don’t!
Hold Yourself Accountable
Once you start writing or creating content, set a date for when you’re going to complete it. You don’t want to be surrounded by half written articles. They’re not doing you any good just sitting on your computer. And they’re certainly not out there helping others who need it. I’ve started to put my blog post titles into Google Calendar. I get reminders 1 day before and 1 hour before I have to post to get the brain going.
With this type of accountability, I know I can’t continue on during the day without getting a blog post out.
I’m excited to write this post too because I’m about to announce a special contest for business owners interested in quicker and easier implementation. It’s called Implementation Focus and I’ll be revealing more details soon. For now, let me know, what type of support do you need to successfully implement your next project?
[...] focus of bringing your coaching practice online should always be producing content - especially through a blog. Fortunately, Squidoo offers an RSS module that allows you to easily [...]