“I don’t have time to produce content” is the general response we get when we talk to new and
prospective customers about having to develop content. “You don’t have 10 minutes each week?” is my volley return.
“I have 10 minutes, but not 2 hours to type up 1,000 words!” they often reply – and perhaps you’re
thinking the same?
So, I’ll tell you what I tell them, if I could show you how you could write a great piece of content and
it will only take 10 minutes of your time – would you do it? Let’s get into it.
The Golden Rule of Content
Great content must come from your head. Sorry to break it to you but you can’t outsource the
creation of great content that Google will love.
You can have people help you with it, but the world needs to know the specialised knowledge that
you have built up over 10-20+ years in your industry as you’ve honed your craft. Your intellectual
property is valuable! So, it’s time to pull it out of your head and share it with the world.
Step 1 – Capture content ideas as you work.
We all get great ideas for content every day – we just don’t always realise it! Those Frequently Asked Questions you answer from current and potential clients, sales objections you overcome,
frustrations you have with the way competitors operate, and technology advances could all be
turned into great content pieces.
If you’re really stuck, you can use a company like Due North to do the right research and identify a
series of topics that prospective customers are searching for, and that you should be creating.
Time taken by you: 0 minutes.
Step 2 – Mind map or outline key points.
Once you know the topic (and it’s one you’re an expert in), take a 5-minute break with a coffee and jot down the key points that you want to cover in the article. It doesn’t need to be War and Peace, just an outline of the key structure – intro, 3-5 main points, and conclusion.
Time taken by you: 5 minutes.
Step 3 – Dictate to your phone or laptop.
Grab your phone or laptop, hit the record button, and talk! We recommend doing this as a video,
but if you’re more comfortable with audio this works too. Talk to each of those points off the cuff.
Don’t worry about the words you use, or how many ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’. In fact, don’t even worry if it
makes sense – just get it out! Leverage your experience and add your own flair and personality to
each of the points.
Don’t worry about what anyone else with think – they don’t need to see the video (unless it’s worth
watching and using! Just do it! Eat the frog and don’t think twice about it, or the quality of it.
Time taken by you: 5 minutes.
We’re up to 10 minutes now. And that’s your job done!
Here is where the magic happens of having a good team.
Step 4 – Email video to your content marketing person.
They will then load your video up to a website like rev.com who will have the script back to you
within 4 hours all typed up and ready to spruce.
Time taken by you: 0 minutes.
Step 5 – Spruce it up!
People have no interest in big slabs of text now, they just won’t read it, so you content marketing
person needs to proof it, add headings, bullet points and make it read well.
Time taken by you: 0 minutes.
Step 6 – Time to review.
Once your content marketing person has finished sprucing, you need to review to make sure it’s all
correct. 8 times out of 10 this is a quick review and it’s good to go. Once again, it doesn’t need to be perfect or cover everything about the topic (save the content for other blogs!), you just want to
make sure it’s interesting and valuable. Does it communicate the main points or not?
Time taken by you: 2 minutes.
Okay, so that’s 12 minutes of your time, but technically only 10 minutes to produce the content.
Step 7 – Get it out into the world!
Once finalised it needs to be uploaded on your blog, featured in your next EDM, and put on your
socials. If you’ve done a good job with the video, consider uploading it to socials and YouTube. When you put it on socials, pay to boost it – it’s the only way it gets out into the social media world, so put some money behind it.
Note to self – It’s always quality over quantity.
Don’t produce content for the sake of it, you want it to be quality over quantity. To get the best
results from your content you should be producing one a week, but this needs to be content that
adds value to the lives of your current and prospective customers. Otherwise, it doesn’t work. Your
target audience will know you’re doing it just for the sake of it and Google will too.
Need help with finding the right content topics or a content marketer to spruce it up for you? Get in touch with us today on 1300 628 086.
