How to Create Content Consistently

They say the best-laid plans of mice and men go awry. Naturally the week I planned to work on my calendars and build in more margin for content, I was sick in bed for 3 days. Though to be fair, this was the first time in 2 years, after successfully avoiding school germs since my kids went back.

My problem, which may be apparent in the content I produced that week, is that it was late or rushed…which is not how I want my content to be. And while I know life happens, there are several ways to be prepared in the event that you can’t produce content when you intend to.

Creating consistent content is hard for a lot of people – but there are a few things you can do to have what I like to call “backup content.”

Batch Your Content

Something I preach about a lot is batching your content so that you have wiggle room for events like this. That actually worked out splendidly for the meetup I was supposed to speak at; I was able to sub-in one of my pre-recorded talks.However, that week was the only episode of How I Built It from January through March thatwasn’tready to go because I wanted it to be more timely.

It’s important to set aside time on your calendar dedicated to content if, like me, you’re producing 4-5 weekly pieces. Even for news-based shows, you can get ahead by having a few timeless episodes – something in the cards for my WordPress podcast, WP Review. I’m in the process of pre-recording more solo episodes to have ready for all of my podcasts so that I have some margin.

If you’re like me (and most people), it can be hard to get motivated to produce one, let alone multiple pieces of content in a single shot. Here’s what I recommend.

Capture Every Idea You Have

You can’t create content if you don’t know what to create. That’s why I’ve put processes in place to capture every idea I have, no matter what I’m doing.

I recommend keeping a notebook handy, or a note on your phone at the ready. I have a shortcut so that I can quickly capture ideas via text or speech.

That doesn’t mean you need to use all of them; it just means that you have a pool of ideas for when you’re ready to batch, or struggling to figure out what to write. Some of those ideas are bound to be low-hanging fruit!

Note: I’ve actually improved my process and created a “Dashboard” note, which Creator Crew members get a tour of. Become a member for less than $5/mo.

Look for Inspriation Everywhere

Similarly, look for inspiration everywhere. I’ve told stories about baby clothes, plumbers, and Rita’s Italian Ice, relating them back to understanding customers and being a business owner.

Drawing those lines is a skill you can learn. It starts with recording the experiences.

Repurpose Content

If you’re really struggling to come up with something, you could repurpose previous content. This could be something you originally wrote for a newsletter, Twitter thread, or even an older post that could use refreshing.

I used to fall victim to the mindset that I already wrote it, so people will find it. But they (probably) won’t…or at the very least, you will know what content is already doing well, and the good but forgotten content.

Taking something and making updates for new perspectives, or for a new micro-segment, could give you a great jumping-off point to kickstart those creative juices.

I’ll take some time every so often to go through my archives and bookmark posts that could use updating. They go in a folder called “Posts to Rejuvenate.”

Block Time on Your Calendar

The final step, when you have the other pieces in place, is to make sure you have time to create the content. I have times (Monday and Thursday mornings) that are dedicated to my own content creation.

Getting it on your calendar and treating it like any other project allows you to get in the right mindset. Knowing Mondays are content days means I go into my office knowing what I’m working on.

One More Thing…

Not every piece of content you create needs to be your magnum opus. As long as you share what you’re doing and offer 1 actionable tip, or share a good story with your audience, your content is a win.

Done is better than perfect – so is cutting yourself some slack.