In this post, I’ll explain how to prioritize content creation efforts between your blog, email list, and social media, so you can grow your coaching business and still have a life!
“How do I manage content creation?” I’ve gotten that question a lot lately from life coaches who want to provide value online to potential clients. BUT figuring out how to prioritize that content creation is a struggle for them.
They want to create engaging content for their website, email list, and social media…
But they also want to spend time with their loved ones and simply have a moment to breathe.
I’ll share with you the advice I gave to them: You have got to practice constraint to get a maximum return on the time you invest in content creation.
Look at the purpose of each channel
To set some context for that constraint, it’s helpful to examine the purpose of each content creation channel for marketing your coaching business. What’s the value you’re trying to offer there? What actions do you want people to take from that channel?
Do you want someone to get on your schedule for a mini session? Do you want them to opt into your email list? Do you simply want them to engage with the content by commenting or sharing it?
Knowing your intent behind each channel will help you get clear on how to prioritize them.
Writing blog posts
What’s the intent of a blog post (or podcast)? Generally, it’s a longer piece of content. This gives you an opportunity for you to dig deeper into a topic than you might on social or email.
Not only are you providing more value with this longer piece of content, but it also helps to position you as an authority with your target market.
Blog posts and podcasts are also extremely shareable if social sharing buttons are put into place on each post.
The purpose of a blog post is generally to call someone to action to join your email list.
You can call website visitors straight to action to sign up for a mini session with you.
But from a psychological standpoint, the smaller the commitment they’re making, the more likely they are to actually take the action you want them to take.
That means they’re more likely to opt into your list from a blog post than they are to sign up for a mini session — the former requires less commitment.
Writing newsletters
What’s the intent of your newsletters? Generally, it’s a shorter piece of content, and an opportunity for you to be more promotional in your content. People expect it, with an email.
By opting into your list, the subscriber has indicated that they’re interested in what you offer. Newsletters are a further opportunity for you to build trust and rapport with your target market.
The purpose of a newsletter is to generally call someone to action to sign up for a free mini session with you.
They’ve made the micro-commitment to join your list – now the next micro commitment is to get on a free phone call with you.
This phone call is where you will sell the on working with you as a paying client.
What if I don’t have anyone on my list?
“But Jennie,” you may say, “I only have 12 people on my email list.”
We all started there, my friend. Even Brooke Castillo had 12 people on her list at one point.
But she looked ahead to the day when she would have thousands and tens of thousands of people interested enough in her work to sign up for her list.
And she wrote for that future. So can you.
Writing social media posts
What’s the intent of social media? Social gives you the chance to promote the free content available on your website.
This means using social to share your latest blog post, podcast, or even directly promote your freebie (i.e. the valuable free content they must opt in for).
I also think that social media should be the last place you prioritize your attention.
Why? Because the purpose of social media is drive traffic to your website. It’s to get people consuming your blog posts, opting into your list, and getting your coaching offers in your newsletters.
If you’re promoting on social, someone comes to your website, and there’s nothing there…then what was the point of the social media content?
Sometimes I see coaches who create a website complete with a blog and a freebie…but then they never send an email to their list.
It’s like setting up a lemonade stand on the side of the road, then never coming to sell lemonade. Kind of disappointing if you are a thirsty passer-by.
Blog Posts vs. Newsletters vs. Social Media
Here’s how I recommend prioritizing your content creation.
Write newsletters first. This is providing value to those who are most interested in your work first.
I like to call my list my “VIP” list. My goal is to take very good care of them. I’ve gained their trust, and I don’t want to betray it by neglecting their inboxes.
Then, write blog posts or record podcasts. This is what will entice people to your site to opt into your list.
Even if you’re running ads and driving traffic to a website funnel, you still need to have valuable content on your website.
Ads may by-pass your main website to get people straight onto your list. But you know where they’ll go once they’re consuming your newsletters?
That’s right, if subscribers are serious about hiring you, they’ll likely check out more of your website content.
If there’s nothing on your blog or podcast that’s useful to them, then that’s a missed opportunity for you to provide value and build rapport.
Lastly, post on social media. This is where you will drive traffic to your website.
I recommend you pick ONE social platform to really go all-in on, the one that your target market spends the most of their time on.
Then post on other social platforms as you decide to make time for them.
Can’t I just use social media without a website?
You can use social to make offers without having a blog or an email list. In fact, that’s a great way to start your business.
But if you’re serious about scaling, you’ll likely need to expand eventually and build a website.
You know you’re at that stage for a website when it’s costing you more to NOT have a website than it does to have one.
If you’re losing potential clients because you don’t have a website (or a professional one), you know it’s time to make that investment.
Does the content need to be unique?
How do you come up with unique content for your blog, newsletter, and social?
Well, one option is you don’t need unique content. It’s completely possible to create one sort of “category” of content each week, one topic, then reuse that same topic for all your channels within that week.
Say you want to talk about the value of doing a thought download one week.
You might write a thorough blog post about how to do a thought download. You go in-depth about the benefits, the how-to, and even provide a free worksheet that people can download in exchange for their email.
Then, you might take that blog post and shorten it down a bit. You might send that shortened version as a newsletter to your list, and encourage them to check out your blog post at the end for the full blog post version.
You might split that blog post into 4 sections, revise the wording, and post it as a series on your Instagram captions that week.
There are SO MANY ways to repurpose content, and this is just one way.
Or, you can come up with unique content for all your channels. It’s totally up to you. #everythingiscontent
The main point is that all your content should provide value to your ideal client.
How to capture content ideas
Sometimes inspiration strikes at the most inconvenient times. In the shower, on a walk, or about to hop on a client call? It seems like those are when I get my best ideas.
But they aren’t the best times to flesh out the idea!
So instead, I recommend keeping a page on your desk, or use Google Keep, to note down content ideas as they come to you. This will prime your brain to notice valuable content ideas as you go throughout your day, and you can quickly capture them for later use.
I hope this post has been helpful. Now go and create content!
Jennie
P.S. There are so many opportunities to provide value online. But balancing it all can feel tricky.
