If there’s one thing I find myself saying all the bloody time it’s this:
Your content is not your end goal. It’s the thing that will help you move towards your end goal.
So what that means, in a nutshell, is that you need to focus your content. You need to approach the whole shebang with a bit more strategy and a bit less scattergunning. That doesn’t mean you need to pull out scary spreadsheets and figure out EVERY SINGLE MOVE YOU’RE GOING TO MAKE EVER, but you sort of do need to be able to define your priorities.
It doesn’t have to be one big, all-encompassing goal for the year. It could be a 90-day thing. It could be a monthly thing. Whatever works for you really.
I know that the thought of doing that can feel like the ultimate blank page syndrome, so I’ve asked a few faves from my network of entrepreneurial types to share the one thing they’ll be focusing on this year. You might find a content focus you can swipe for yourself. You might just enjoy a nosy look behind-the-scenes. You might just get that inspiration you’re looking for.
Either way, it’s worth reading on…
Get “out there” as much as humanly (+automagically) possible
Repurposing my content so that as many people as possible get to read it. – Julie Creffield
Find more on Julie here.
If you make the time to be prolific, you will see a big shift in your results. If you’re prolific and then layer on a load of smart repurposing hacks, you’ll get yourself everywhere, in front of all the people.
Extra reading: Tools for repurposing content LIKE A BOSS
Leverage the things you’ve already poured your heart into.
The book, so first is the book launch, then promo and publicity around the book and then once the book has gone live on Amazon we’ll be looking at how we take the strategy with the book deeper, because the book becomes this incredible lead magnet moving forward. I want to look at how we can give my customers an experience of reading the book and then potentially moving into a membership or subscription site, then moving into my other courses, so there’s this beautiful flow of how they’re able to continue to evolve in their own transformation and take in the content. This whole year is going to be about focusing on going deeper within that. – Lisa Carpenter
Find more on Lisa here.
If you have already created your “big thing” and that what you really want to drive people towards… just do that. Make the most out of the assets you already have. You don’t need to keep churning out new stuff just for the sake of it.
Extra reading: Lisa’s rather excellent book!
Stop paying lip service to the content gods.
Deep, authentic, true, insightful content that means something. Whether it’s genuinely teaching people new skills that will make a difference to their business or sharing my opinion on a topic … I want it to have impact and not be ‘content for contents sake’. Lord knows there’s enough rubbish out there on planet Internet, I don’t need to be adding to it with weak content that has no purpose.
Oh and can I have another one?
Repurpose like a mo’fo. Make that content work much, much harder for it’s place on planet Internet. – Gemma Went
Find more on Gemma here.
Repeat after me: create content that is worth consuming and STOP CHASING MEANINGLESS CONVERSIONS. That is all.
Extra reading: Are you writing brilliant blog posts?
Be the guest.
One of the things that gave me a lot of traction when I started was guest blogging and then I stopped doing it for whatever reason – I made money and I started spending money on FB ads, but now in 2018 I want to go back into guest posting. I’m also going to heavily start using medium.com which is something that I used back in 2014 when I started, because it gave me so much traction. I love medium.com. I have like 5 articles on there and I still get traffic from them. So definitely using medium.com, definitely going out and doing guest-posting, because the exposure to new audiences that comes through guest posting? I don’t think it’s possible to do it any other way. You can give interviews, you can show up for other people’s videos and other people’s masterclasses but once you do a guest post for someone, not only does it establish you as an authority by association but also it stays on there forever. Search engine optimisation juice. I wrote a guest post in 2014 and I still get traffic from it today. – Bushra Azhar
Find more on Bushra here.
If your ultimate goal is to reach more people, specifically people who are new to you, guest blogging (or being a guest on someone’s podcast) is the way to go. From a practicality perspective, you’ll be able to use some of that content gold you’ve already got in your archives, reshape it a little, and use it to attract a whole new audience.
Extra reading: Bushra’s no-email-required guide to guest blogging (including a brilliant how-to for getting yourself accepted on big name websites).
Detox your output.
It has become really clear to me over the last few months that too many amazing women do not believe in themselves, or what is possible for their lives. I have seen so many people give up their hopes and dreams and it’s heart breaking… especially when they are incredibly talented! They settle for a life that is crushing their soul and it becomes all about surviving. I want to help these woman to believe in themselves and to take action, so that they can have all the abundance and money they need, with a life that lights them up. So the theme is all about emotionally and energetically detoxing! – Marie Houlden
Find more on Marie here.
We can all very easily fall into the habit of cramming more and more into our content creation schedule. I know I have. I started this year with 2 podcasts a week, 1 blog post, 1 email, 3 live streams and endless Insta posts. Too much. Far too much. Especially when you have actual clients to contend with too. Perhaps instead you could focus on stripping it back and creating some really decent stuff, instead of lots of “ok” updates. Just a thought.
Extra reading: One way to win at content in 2018
Be better (or at least more relevant) than everyone else.
I will be producing more content around the mechanics of mindset and manifestation and the processes people need to employ to break through barriers around wealth, clients and ability to make a serious impact on the world. Everybody is talking about mindset and the Law of Attraction, but too many people are missing the point when it comes to creating the life and business they really desire. Wondering why it’s not working for them, or scared to think a negative thought in case the world comes crashing in around them. This is important to me because this is what I live, eat and breathe and my business continues to grow and impact more people based on these principles, I want more people to understand and be able to apply this knowledge for themselves. – Suzy Ashworth
Find more on Suzy here.
When your niche suddenly becomes the hot topic on everyone’s lips, it’s easy to feel overcome by impostor syndrome. Try to pull yourself back. This is your opportunity to dive into the conversation and create something fabulous, something profound, something that’s BETTER than all the other stuff flooding the internet.
Extra reading: The ultimate stash of time-saving hacks for content-creating business owners
Strap down your butterfly brain.
Less often yet more effective content. To become more productive with my time and create content and resources my new ideal audience craves. – Kerri Watt
Find more on Kerri here.
There’s a bit of a theme here around simplifying your output. Don’t try to do all of the things so that you can tick all of the boxes. Instead, focus on creating outstanding content that will genuinely make a difference.
Extra reading: Content planning fundamentals
Become the one-woman show.
I’m expanding into selling new products + services in 2018, so my real focus content-wise is on building a personal brand. I’ve learned that people will buy anything from someone they admire/like/trust. I’ve also noticed that the more I show people who I really am (especially because I *am* a one-woman show, after all), the more people respond to me…and buy from me. So, 2018 is gonna be all about sharing personal stories and the things I like/am interested in…and of course, tying that all back into my ideal customers desires and my own products/services. – Erica Lee Strauss
Find more on Erica here.
If that end goal you’ve identified is around visibility, God bless you. I know what that feels like. It might mean doing a few things that are way outside of your comfort zone. I’ll use myself as an example – so far this year I’ve really stepped into trying to show up as a 3D human, rather than an unknown entity hiding behind a computer screen. For me, that has meant interviewing all kinds of people that I regularly fangirl over on my podcast, and committing to doing a live show on Facebook every week. Obviously, it wasn’t easy to start with, but I’ve done the work. I’ve made the change and the impact has been phenomenal.
Extra reading: Shine online using video
Experiment with your crusty, old plan of attack.
In 2018, from a content perspective, I am looking for more ways to work smarter, to create compound content that has big benefits from focussed actions, and to experiment more with blowing up the blueprint and bringing creative thinking into everything we do.
Find more on Jo here.
You don’t have to do what you’ve always done. In fact, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got. That might be a tongue-twister but it is also true. Perhaps your focus could be around playing. You could choose to experiment with different platforms, or different formats, or different topics… and then figure out works for you (and your people).
Extra reading: Finding creative fuel for your business
Kill it with consistency.
To be consistent with quality relatable congruent content for my my ideal audience. No more all over the place going from one topic to another, just to make a post. Create a structure and a journey for my tribe to understand and see me as an expert if my field, so that they know, like and trust me.
Creating the system and structure to make social media marketing more enjoyable. Having at least 90 days planned out so that on the days I do not feel sociable, or I am busy having a life and travelling, I will still be in front of my ideal client. – Martine Metaxas
Find more on Martine here.
Consistency is a dream for SO MANY PEOPLE. The idea of having regular content “out there” working hard, bringing leads back to you like a faithful puppy is lovely. And it’s also completely doable. Does it take planning? Yes. A bit of hard work? Absolutely. But that’s the name of the game in business, my friend.
Extra reading: 5 ways to weave content creation into a hella busy work week
Get as far out of your box as your brain will allow.
I’m just going to say this… I REFUSE to let fear stand in the way of my going bigger with my business. And it’s fear that has been keeping me in writing mode. Blogging and sharing written content is my big fluffy comfort blanket… but now is the time for me to step out and do the stuff that feels weird and uncomfortable. I might flop, but I might fly. In my eyes it’s worth the risk.
It is 100% acceptable to choose not to create in a certain way BUT if the reason you’re not doing something is because you’re afraid, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Just try the thing. Try the thing for one month. If you still hate it, scrap it and move on. No decision has to last forever.
Extra reading: A call to content arms
So you’re read the post, absorbed the inspiration, now it’s your turn…
What’s your shiny, new content focus?
