How to Make Time to Create Your Own Content
What is your experience with time during lockdown?
Are you one of those people who has been able to take on new projects learn a language, launch a new business or get fit? Write a novel? Marie Kondo your whole house?
While I hope that you had time for yourself to do something different, fun and creative, I understand that you might have had even more duties and responsibilities heaped on.
Fresh new challenges may have included homeschooling resistant kids, taking on extra work, losing work or simply having to get used to a completely new set of circumstances.
So much to do and so little time.
We all have the same 24 hours, but do you act as if you should be able to do more than is feasible?
When running a business there are already so many things you want to accomplish and it’s impossible to do them all.
One task that may have slipped down the list is your content marketing.
Providing authoritative and engaging emails or articles on your blog is a great way to build a relationship with your customers by providing useful and entertaining information they can apply to their situation.
Unfortunately, it can take hours of work to research, brainstorm, draft, write, edit and proofread. What started off as a good idea to create inbound traffic to your website becomes another time-consuming task.
Don’t let that put you off. Here are some ways you can get going with populating your blog with fresh, relevant content.
5 Easy to Implement Ideas to Help You Write Your Content
Warning: some of these require willpower!
1. Make time each day
The important thing with doing anything is to just do it. I would say it’s better to set 30 minutes a day to focus on a specific task and do it regularly than to wait until the fabled ‘stretch of time.’ It never comes - but if it does come you want to be primed in the writing habit.
Set the same time each day to dedicate to creating content - whether that’s brainstorming sessions, research, drafting, re-drafting or editing. Over time the effect of these short practices will accumulate and before you know it, you’ll have heaps of useful content.
2. Just get started.
Sometimes it’s easier to hold off until you feel the time is right. Maybe you need to read a book on content writing or you feel you’re not an expert in your field yet.
Books are great guides, but the best way to learn to write is to do it. And trust me, you know more about your business than your audience so just start with what you know and write.
3. Consider this part of your ongoing career development
The bonus of writing blog posts about your business is that the more you write the more you learn about your subject.
When I played the cello in high school my teacher told me to start teaching others to play because it would help me to improve.
In the same way, writing about a subject you know is a form of teaching. You are educating your audience and it not only helps them, but it reinforces concepts and deepens your knowledge of that skill.
So if you think it’s a waste of time to write content that might not be great at first, realise that you will not only improve at writing but also gain a deeper knowledge of your business.
4. Stop wasting time doing other things.
My goodness, in today’s world the sky’s the limit in terms of distractions and if you are honest with yourself you know the ones that are unhealthy.
So, to avoid the risk of shaming you, I won’t list any.
Limit distractions by (in contrast) intentionally allowing yourself to indulge in them. Set a specific time during the day to knock yourself out in enjoying whatever sweet distraction you choose. This will free up more time for other things and your monkey mind is less likely to try and convince you that you’re missing out on the fun.
5. Take breaks.
You are allowed to take pauses during your busy day to relax, check-in with yourself, sit down with a cuppa or sit at your window and watch the birds (for example). These little pockets of calm in your day are essential because if you keep going at breakneck speed through your daily grind you can soon burn out.
It may seem counterintuitive, but you will get more done - including the things you don’t have time for - when you look after yourself.
I know it’s easier said than done…
Lockdown has created stress by removing many of the support networks people take for granted - the school system, friends and neighbours popping by to take the strain, or simply being able to get a change of scene to refresh your mind.
Time marches on and most days you won’t accomplish everything on your ‘to do’ list. Make peace with this fact while understanding the importance of continuing to take steps forward. Make the most of your time by identifying the most important action to take next and do it.
Finally, here’s a wee Dylan quote:
You do what you must do, and ya do it well.
Bob Dylan, Buckets of Rain
Whenever I hear this line it always makes me consider that if something is important for me to do I want to do it well. Not in a perfectionist way, but in a loving, taking pride kind of way.
Do what you must do. Do it well. And if there are things that you don’t have the time for, let someone else help.
Anyway, that’s my thought for the day. If you need fresh marketing content that engages your audience, without the stress of doing it all yourself get in touch. rachel@rachelhunterwriting.co.uk