8 Tips To Create Better Content, Faster
Does creating better content in less time sound like an oxymoron?
If you’ve been in the online business arena for more than a second, then you know it is soul-sucking to be on a content creation treadmill to nowhere. Being stuck in the day-to-day creation cycle without knowing if it’s making a difference for your brand makes most business owners dread content marketing.
So what’s an entrepreneur to do with so little time and such a large demand for content? In this article, I’ll share proven tools, techniques, and habits for creating better content, faster.
a Content Bank
As a business owner, you know that social media is a crucial part of your marketing strategy. But coming up with fresh, relevant content on a regular basis can be a challenge.
One way to make the content creation process easier is to create a content bank. This is simply a repository where you can store all of the ideas and materials you might want to use for future social media posts. You don't have to add everything at once - just add ideas as they come to you. This can be a great way to keep your content ideas organized and also provide inspiration for future posts.
If you're not sure where to start, try brainstorming a list of topics that would be relevant to your business and audience. Then, start collecting content that falls into those categories.
For example, if you own a pet store, you might create categories such as "pet care tips", "fun pet facts", "new pet products", and so on. Then, anytime you see an article, video, or other piece of content that fits into one of those categories, add it to your content bank.
Before you know it, you'll have a wealth of content to choose from when it's time to create your next social media post. And best of all, you'll be able to do it in a fraction of the time it would take to start from scratch.
Pro Tip: A disorganized content bank is almost like having no content bank at all (trust me, sigh)
As you collect your content, you’ll want to organize all the different pieces so you can access them effectively and efficiently. You can use platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive to create swipe files for your content bank. This allows you to divide the files into folders with appropriate titles so they can easily be pulled for future use (i.e. Headlines, Subject Lines, Articles, Ads, Images, Quotes)
2. Use Examples In Your Content
When you give clients an example, you make your copy more digestible.
Use examples to back up statements and illustrate the concepts that you’re sharing with your audience. You can accomplish this by:
Using ideal client-specific language to make your points relatable
Validating a claim with a reputable statistic
Sharing past client testimonials
3. Rewrite Headlines
Writing quality content is crucial, but to make sure your audience reads it, you’ll want a headline that’ll grab their attention – this might be the most crucial piece of your copy. Whether you’re writing a blog, email campaign, or Instagram post, take your time to generate as many headlines for one piece of content as possible. This way, you can get many ideas and options in front of your eyes.
RELATED: HOW TO WRITE KILLER INSTAGRAM HEADLINES
4. Repurpose Better
One of the top ways to speed up your content creation is by repurposing old content through the use of the ACE model. Pick a piece of the content you want to reutilize (preferably something with prior success), and then complete the following:
Adjust: What needs to be added, removed, or re-worded?
Combine: Where can you combine related content to provide new value and meaning?
Expand: Is there an opportunity to expand on something you’ve already done to dig deeper into the topic?
Doing this will leverage the previous success of your original content while still making it new for your current audience.
5. Nail Your Unique Message
Are you ready to up your content marketing game? If you're nodding your head, then great!
But before you get started, there's something you should know: churning out the same kind of content as everybody else isn't going to cut it.
If you want to create quality content that will help you stand out from the competition, you need to start by addressing common pain points through the lens of your unique brand message and values. Start by diving into common pain points.
Dive Deeper Into Common Pain Points
You'll connect more deeply with customers when you write with their motivations in mind. It’s why you often hear the advice to use emotional words in your marketing copy. The goal is to see the problem or desire from the audience’s perspective — and make them say, “Wow, you really get me.”
Think about it this way: Dad isn't buying a new pool slide, he's buying his kids awesome summer.
In his book, A Self-Help Guide For Copywriters, Dan Nelken teaches to find the benefit of the benefit of your offer. He gives this example of a benefit of a benefit for a hypothetical Internet service company promoting high speed WiFi.
“You won’t get a frozen face on video calls.”
“You won’t have to spend time waiting for your streaming shows to load.”
These are situations someone searching for a new Internet provider could definitely relate to.
6. Start at the End and Work Backward
Another efficient way to make valuable content is by starting at the end and working your way backward.
For example, if you’re writing a blog, what should the last paragraph summarize? What’s the driving point that you want your readers to take from it?
Once you write that out, work backward.
What points did you need to make to come to that conclusion?
What’s the problem you’ll address at the very beginning to kick things off?
Working backward can ensure the right content is used to make your intended point.
What’s another useful tool to work backward? Templates, or pre-written outlines that guide your writing! Templates can be have fill-in boxes that allow you to identify your target audience, address the different products or services that you want evaluated, and conceptualize the desired end-goal of your content.
7. Batch Content
If you’ve never batched your content before, get ready because this will help free up some of your schedule! Right now, you’re likely creating content on the fly and hurriedly making the graphics to accompany it.
But with batching, you set aside time every month to get these tasks done ahead of time.
One day may be dedicated to strategizing. One day may focus on writing the content. Another day may consist of graphic creation, and another day may be for scheduling.
By batching this work ahead of time, you’re not allowing the to-do’s of your day to rush you into making content that you’re either not happy with or that doesn’t land well with your audience. Instead, you’re spending dedicated time creating the best content you can and getting it out there as efficiently as possible.
8. Create Transformation-Based Content
My final tip for creating better content faster is to get crystal clear with your audience on the transformations you can give them.
Potential clients need to see themselves achieving the same results. This process puts the focus on transformation-based content.
That means the transformations you provide and how you provide them (your unique selling point) are categorized to appeal to all buyer types (sales psychology).
Transformation-based content strategies are tops for attracting buyers who need, desire, and can benefit from your product or service.
In short, the transformations you deliver are your expertise. You are the expert in the transformations you deliver. Once you can voice those transformations succinctly, you’ll be able to come up with an endless stream of content ideas and, more importantly, attract people who truly resonate with your brand.
Happy Creating!
Cyndi, Owner of Ascent StoryCraft
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