Steal my New Year’s resolutions and keep your content creation on track

Improve efficiency and consistency with content creation. Steal my New Year’s business resolutions and keep your content strategy on track

Happy New Year to you!

Have you enjoyed your first week back?

Much as I love Christmas and the festivities that abound it, I have to say I’m grateful to see the back of mince pies. What’s more, I’m glad to settle back into some normality and routine.

Of course, I’ve made some New Year resolutions. But as New Year’s resolutions are all about improving things in our lives, I’ve also made some business resolutions too. As a copywriter, unsurprisingly I’ve centred them on content creation.

I know my buyers’ journeys can be long. And copywriting can be seen as a luxury. So it is important for me to build a relationship with my audience and establish myself as the ‘go to’ person for all things business writing.

Writing content that demonstrates how my services solve business problems, such as generating enquiries and sales via marketing communications helps me do this.

However, I’m mindful of the fact that we break most resolutions by the end of January.

So I’ve tried to make mine realistic and achievable by breaking my goals down into manageable tasks.

Here are my resolutions for building and maintaining a successful content marketing strategy in 2018.

Resolution 1. I’m going to brainstorm topics that’ll keep my audience engaged

Do you leave it until the last minute to dream up blog posts? Also, do you worry about how to get readers interested in your content?

In these cases, start by writing down a list of all the questions you get asked in your business. Then, brainstorm all the problems that your products and services solve.

What’s more, think about how you can walk readers through any processes you may have.

As a result of your efforts, you’ll have a good list of topics to write about, that you can pop into your editorial calendar…

Resolution 2. I’m going to have a plan… and stick to it!

As the saying goes, ‘fail to plan, plan to fail’.

It’s all too easy to let content creation fall down your list of priorities. You’re busy, and your paying customers come first.

But the problem is, the more irregular you are with your posting and social media activities, the less likely your audience is to pay attention to you. In the worst case scenario, they might forget you altogether.

Of course, it takes time to create content. So, to make sure you can fit content creation into your busy schedule, create an editorial calendar.

Not only will it help you map out your content for the entire year, but also it’ll help you plan content far in advance.

As a result, you’ll never miss an important date again.

Resolution 3. I’m going to think about different ways I can structure my blog posts

As English teachers will tell you, a good story has a beginning, middle and an end.

Of course, when writing blog posts, you can also choose from a variety of different structures to get your message across quickly and engagingly.

• List posts (7 tips for writing emails that get opened, read and acted on). These are easy to write and easy to read.
• Educational ‘how to’ posts (How to write a business blog post… quickly). Walk your reader through an easy to read and useful tutorial
• Case study posts. Provide third party proof that you can do what you say you can do. Show readers how you have solved a real-life problem.

Oh, and don’t forget to end your posts with a call to action!

Resolution 4. I’m going to make content creation a breeze

Fear of the blank page. It is the one thing that is guaranteed to make me procrastinate when it comes to writing blogs.

I find breaking down my content creation into manageable and bite-sized tasks helps me to keep my writing consistent and on track.

• Blog outline and research
• Writing
• Scheduling and publishing
• Promotion

Set deadlines. And plot each task and its deadline into your editorial calendar.

Resolution 5. I’m going to save time and recycle my content

When you blog regularly, you’ll find you have an abundant content bank you can draw on.

This is especially the case if you create evergreen content. Why? Evergreen content is timeless. It’s relevant now and in the future.

So take a piece of evergreen content you have created. Then give it a new spin.

• Gather blog posts together and create an e-book
• Turn your blog post into an infographic. Not a designer? Then use a programme such as Piktochart to help you do this
• Conducted a Facebook Live? Transcribe your video and turn it into a blog post
• Turn list articles into individual blog posts
• Turn blog posts into presentations and post them on SlideShare.

Resolution 6. I’m going to make sure I get my content in front of the people who matter

You’ve spent time creating your content. So you need to make the time to promote it… as widely as possible.

• Make it searchable. Write your content around the search terms your audience is using. Then weave them into your meta titles, descriptions, headlines and body copy
• Post to social media platforms
• Take key points from your blog post and promote again on social media
• Post to interested social media groups
• Email your blog to your prospect and customer base.

Resolution 7. I’m going to make content distribution quick and easy

First off, you need to know who your target audience is and where it hangs out.

Then make use of tools such as Buffer and Hootsuite to schedule social media content updates in advance.

And if you are emailing content, then most email service providers equip you with the ability to schedule sends in advance.

In summary

According to the experts, the secret to keeping New Year’s resolutions is making them simple.

Start with small steps and then build on them as and when you get confident.

Also, track your progress and don’t forget to reward yourself for your hard work.

The New Year is upon us. It’s the perfect opportunity for a fresh start.

I’m ready to build and reap the rewards of a successful content strategy. Are you?

And finally

If you would like help writing persuasive communications, then do get in touch. You’ll be surprised at how straightforward writing can grab your audience’s attention.

About Claire Hawes

Claire Hawes is a marketing communications copywriter. She enjoys writing engaging copy that helps businesses to get noticed and attract enquiries. Claire’s experience mainly lies in the business to business sector. Her clients include both businesses and digital marketing agencies.