Content: The Fifth Chapter in the Better Bolder Marketing Journey
Why should we bother producing content? Surely our profound website and gift for networking will do the trick…
What makes a good relationship? Love. Conversations. Listening. Being Yourself. Having Fun. Compassionate Reflection.
This, therefore, is the key ingredients to Content Creation.
LOVE
Number 1 — love for yourself. What are your personal limits, goals, boundaries? Are you clear on these? How do they shape what your week looks like and to what degree you want to be “authentic”, “vulnerable” or “professional” in how you show up? Have you considered what “your voice” is? When do you love the most how you present? — is it in a boardroom, at the kitchen table, in a karaoke room, at dinner with friends? What do you think is the most compelling version of you?
Know your limits. Be clear on how much time you have in a day /week / month to spend on your marketing. Dedicate time to content creation but let whatever is moving you most in that moment drive what you put out there. Over-planning gives way to content that is posted without the energy with which it was created. And so the drive to invite conversation (see below) will be lost.
Getting into a Content Mindset is Key
Do a bit of self-work first in getting clear on what you want people to get to know about you. Is it creativity? Reliability? Consistency? Being a great asker of questions? Emergence? All of this can be conveyed through how you produce and share content. What love do you want people to have for you?
Number 2 — who else do you love? Who are your ideal clients? Who does it most motivate you to work with and therefore speak to? Which other experts in your field would it serve you to cheerlead? Who are Your People? What content tribe can you create? Work out your niche. If you don’t niche, you will need to try to speak to everyone. This is hard and you will not come across with authority, empathy, passion or commitment. You ability to commit to a particular audience demonstrates your ability to commit to a process, to a style, to a model and to a cause. Own who energises you and be ok to say, “no thank you” or generously re-direct those that you do not feel inclined to serve.
CONVERSATIONS / LISTENING
When a passion to post takes hold of you, indulge it. With the above self-framing work in mind, enjoy creating something to share. And then it is time to invite conversation. Who do you think will most enjoy it? Are they following you (literally and metaphorically)? Otherwise how will they see/hear/feel it? Can you tag people or send people a note to direct them to you content and ask them to share their thoughts? Are you recording a conversation about it via Crowdcast, Zoom, Youtube? Is there a network of people that you can invite to re-share it? What are the (coaching) questions you are asking of your reader? How much do you care about what people say in response and what are you going to do about their response? How can you follow up? Where can you point them?
BEING YOURSELF
Content creation will allow you, and push you, to grow in confidence.
Imposter syndrome is appropriate and part of the creative process.
Try to avoid the comparison trap, which will get increasingly easy the more you get to know what we call your “Limits Compass” and when you are clear on who your ideal client is. You are not for everyone, and that’s ok.
Remember, you have a lot to say. Your story makes you process, your authority, your product and your value unique. Don’t be apologetic or afraid to put yourself out there. Focus on the fact you are experienced, trained and well positioned to help people, and they will be comforted and grateful when they find you.
KINDNESS
What passion and empathy can you convey through your content? How creative can you be with a metaphor of visual signifier? Content allows us to continually present reminders and prompts for those whom we want to help, offering generous gifts of support that meet them where they are. They are the heroes. You are the guide.
FUN
Content creation might well be the closest you come to poster paints now. Your content is a collage of all of the magazines of your life that can be cut up and pasted together to form a picture of what you are feeling / sharing / able to help with. Play is so scarce in our adult lives. What was all the art room, messy play, writing and building block work of our childhoods for if it was not for this — for making out of found materials, building with friends, using colour to reflect feeling and writing to process thought. Have fun repurposing your content too. Sometimes the less we produce and the more we do with it the better. Also, sharing is caring.
REFLECTION
If you are stuck on your niche, your process, your price, your worth… play with content. Get stuff out there. Don’t be shy but do be alert to — and respect — your boundaries, your surroundings and feedback. This will all help you work out your own journey. It will help you gain clarity about why you stand out as a coach, and for whom. And by “showing your workings” via content, you are helping others to see your Story as a guide for their own potential development. This is how you can also show your approach to coaching through your content.
Relationships are also about sharing jobs like doing the laundry, sorting out the cupboards and looking after the kids. Sometimes it’s sexy, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s necessary for survival. Sometimes it’s painful but you know it helps you work stuff out. It’s your best friend. Let your content be like this.
The Better Bolder Braver community is here to help you:
- Clean up your social media channels, so that you are only using the ones that fit you and so that you are following people whose content you can cheerlead, repurpose and learn from.
- Play with blogging, podcast production, video making, social media posting and email marketing content in a safe and nurturing environment with other coaches playing in the same way.
- Feel supported through the messy bits, celebrate your brilliant moments, help you reflect on your values, limits and boundaries and help you work stuff out.
As a community member you can catch up on, and join the weekly Tips & Tricks sessions to get confident on:
- Making Engaging Content
- Showing up on Social
- Wonderful Webinars
- What Do You Do?
- Email Marketing
- Making Your Website
- Making a Podcast
- What IS TikTok?!
- Repurposing Content
… and I run a weekly session for community members to reflect on how their marketing is making them feel. It makes all the difference to your productivity when you know you are not alone, you can ask for feedback from people whose opinions you trust and care about, and can be energised to keep going.
Will you join us? We’d love to welcome you to our growing community just for coaches, learn more and join today.
