Everyone is telling us to produce content. Content marketing is the cure for all our social media ills according to the experts.
Great. Problem solved. I'll just go and create some content.
Once that's finished, I'll create some more. Then some more and then, you guessed it, some more.
Does anyone else see a problem here?
Most of us don't have the time to keep producing original content on an almost industrial scale.
I think the issue here is that a lot of the advice we read is written by people who do this full-time and their advice doesn't always take into account the readers available resources.
So below are 3 simple ideas which I have found work for me as a part-time content producer.
1. Always Take Notes
No matter where you are, if you see something interesting, useful or inspirational, make a note of it.
It doesn't matter if you think it's relevant at the time, you never know when it might come in useful.
Once you've been taking notes for a while, you should have a resource which you can refer to when you want ideas.
I wrote a blog post about how a series of vacuum cleaner commercials had inspired me to make use of specific domain names in marketing campaigns. At the time I made the note I didn't have my current blog but later when I was reviewing my notes, it planted the idea for a post.
Try to make your notes meaningful so that when you come back to read them later you can still understand them. Otherwise you end up like me with a note that only says "cake rent." I still have no idea what that was about!
Originally I used the iPhone Notes app as I always have my phone with me but I have now graduated to Evernote.
I love Evernote. There, I said it. It's the most important tool in my digital belt.
I have it installed everywhere. If I could install it in the shower I would.
2. Use Content Suggestion Tools
It is good practice to add other people's content into your social media mix. Adding relevant external content to your social updates identifies you as a hub for interesting info. Only posting your own content would probably create a lot of repetition which adds further pressure to you to produce more and more content.
So mixing it up is good but where do you find relevant content without using up too much of your valuable time?
Use content suggestion tools like Buffer and Swayy. There are other tools available but these are the two I use and they have free versions. (Free is my favourite type of version.)
These tools show you content which is relevant to your followers and allows you to add links to your social networks with a couple of clicks. They also have analytics so you can review your followers engagement.
You can also use a combination of Buzzsumo and the Buffer Chrome extension to post content which is currently trending.
These sites are also a good resource for gaining ideas for your own content. Remember to make a note about it!
3. Go Easy On Yourself
There is a lot of info on the web about how regularly you should be posting new content but do you know the best schedule for you?
To create content whenever you can.
Don't misunderstand me, you still need to set aside specific time for your digital marketing work and try to keep to that schedule. However, if another deadline is pressing or you are just struggling to come up with an idea, don't worry. Come back to it when you are ready.
In February and March of this year, I posted 10 articles each month on my blog. It was exhausting. I was doing this in my spare time and it just wasn't sustainable.
So in April I took the pressure off and worked on ideas when I had them. I only managed 4 posts.
That is a big drop off in quantity but the quality of my posts is greatly improved from previous months and it's allowed me the time to work on outreach and research.
I feel more relaxed and I'm happier with the quality of my work.
Finally...
Creating content shouldn't be a burden, it should be an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately a lot of advice suggests a conveyor belt of content is the only way to succeed with social media.
Once you free up your time using the ideas above, you can focus on other equally important areas to create a more balanced marketing strategy.