Do you sit there, staring at a blank screen or perhaps staring into space, hoping that inspiration will strike?
You’re not alone. Creating content doesn’t come easy for many people, but sometimes this is because you overthink it, rather than keeping things simple or you don’t know where to start. After all, you don’t know what you don’t know.
First, you need to ask yourself some questions:
- Why you are creating content?
- What is the purpose?
- Where is the content going? e.g. website, blog post, social media etc.
- Who is your audience?
- What is your message?
- What is your brand voice?
Why are you creating content?
It might sound like a silly question, but are you creating content because you feel you ‘should’ be creating content or because you want to do it?
What is the purpose?
Are you creating content because you want to increase brand awareness, attract sales, to educate people, to bring people to your website? Maybe it is because you want to start conversations, get opinions, market research, there are many reasons for creating content but understanding why you are doing it will make the creative part easier.
Where is the content going?
Now it is time to consider the type of content to create, and there are lots of options, but it also depends on where the content is going.
For example, if it is a social media post for Instagram, it needs to be a visual post, but what type of visual post? There are so many choices from a video post (IGTV, Reels, Stories, grid) or a visual with an image or text, and that’s before you get started on the accompanying text and hashtags.
Over on LinkedIn, again, lots of choices from a text-only post to a visual post, perhaps an article (blog) or a document post (think PDF – landscape or portrait).
Do you need to be considering keywords for SEO, this is especially important if it is for web content and blog posts.
Who is your audience?
Again, this might sound like an obvious question but if you’re just trying to get content out there without really thinking about who it is for, the opposite can happen and you can leave people confused.
If you are clear about who your audience is, think about the language they use and the questions they have. Put yourself in their shoes and produce your content based on what will attract them rather than what you like.
What is your message?
You may have heard this term before, but think about the pain points.
What are you looking to address?
In some ways, this links to the question about what is the purpose for creating the content, are you looking to educate or to inform?
Once you are clear about what the purpose is, you can be creative about how you address the message, what I mean is you can tell your message in different ways. After all, some people respond better to more visual content and others prefer text and videos.
It’s said that there are 7 touch points before someone considers purchasing from you or working with you, so consider and play around with different styles BUT remember brand consistency. Don’t be too flamboyant or explosive with your message if that differs too much from how you usually are.
What is your brand voice?
This is thinking about the perception the reader will have of you/your business.
Think about your tone of voice and the language you use.
Do you want to come across as informal or formal?
Friendly or more authoritative?
Are you happy to use slang or profanities or is it against your values?
Yes, you might feel slightly overwhelmed reading all of this, but those questions will hopefully give you clarity.
Once you are clear on all the above, at that point you can think about creating your content and what to consider.
What approach do you take for creating content?
Do you even think about any of the above?
If this is something you need help with or you could benefit from some guidance, book an Energiser Session with me.
About Louisa van Vessem
Hey there! I’m Louisa, and I’m all about teaming up with freelancers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and contractors to help ignite your journey to success.
Think of me as your go-to creative companion, business confidante, and your personal sounding board and cheerleader, all rolled into one. My goal? To serve up a mix of awesome ideas, strategic wisdom, crystal-clear guidance, and a dash of accountability and camaraderie. We’re not just about the destination. We’re all about enjoying the ride and keeping things refreshingly simple and fun.
If you’re on the lookout for a friendly guide to help navigate your business adventures, I’m all ears! Let’s grab a virtual cuppa and chat about the exciting possibilities ahead. Can’t wait to connect!
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Don’t worry, I’m not spending lots of time on social media, I repurpose content across channels at different times.
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