Is your current content creation workflow a total time suck? As if creating content couldn’t be any more overwhelming than it feels like. You’d give anything for that simple, streamlined workflow for creating content.
While it might not feel so attainable, it is possible to have a very simple & organized content creation workflow that is stress-free. You won’t have to wonder what goes into planning high-quality content. From beginning to scheduling content, I’m giving you 6 steps to implement in your content creation workflow.
How to Keep Content Creation Simple
If you aren’t using Google Docs and Sheets as part of your workflow, you should be! Using these tools is definitely an important piece of keeping content creation simple.
I’ll be the first to admit.. It’s hard to plan ahead when you don’t know every single step of creating content. Especially when you turn to Google for answers and search results gives you the most basic answers. 😩 *Cue the overwhelm & tears*
Planning ahead is also a HUGE piece of creating content.. Along with knowing what to prioritize and how.
Content creation is the valuable free content that we create and that solves the #1 problem for our ideal reader. So it’s important to have a specific process for content creation that solves, and that is high quality. You know your content is quality when your ideal reader keeps coming back to read & learn. That’s exactly the kind of content you want to create!
Content creation is the valuable free content that we create and that solves the #1 problem for our ideal reader.
6 Steps to a Simple & Streamlined Content Creation Workflow
1. PLAN YOUR KEYWORDS
Have a Google Sheet of ON TOPIC, specifically Researched SEO keywords. Using Google Sheets to track analytics & data is such a useful time-saver.
Having already researched keywords & phrases, you don’t have to go and research those things at the last minute, especially when you’re trying to focus on specifically writing content.
It’s just a major distraction. So anything that you can eliminate researching so you can focus on writing extremely valuable content, is a must.
How to create a Google Sheet to track data/analytics
Create topic categories inside of the Google sheet and research low-competitive keywords and phrases. Just make sure to track the search volume and SEO score, too. These numbers fluctuate, so keep in mind that you’ll want to update those numbers every so often.
Research keywords as you can and just copy & paste them into your Google sheet under the corresponding category. Start with at least 10 for each category (You should only have 3-4 categories total). This really depends on how far in advance you want to plan ahead.
If you need some direction on how to create categories and tags strategically for blog content, I have a free training in my group. You can join here and get instant access to the free training!
2. BRAINSTORM TITLE DUMP
This is another way to create ideas for future content that you can pull from. Like a repository. I call these title placeholders.
Creating placeholder titles for content helps you to remember what you are going to cover in your content. It also gives you time to create an attention-grabbing title. Aside from creating high-quality content, your title has to grab the attention & curiosity of your reader.
Aside from creating high-quality content, your title has to grab the attention & curiosity of your ideal reader.
How to create a Google Sheet title dump
Again, in Google Sheets, create categories with your sub-topics and add your titles. You can even add a short description of what the content is about along with potential keywords usage. As you get ideas about that piece of content, you can add that idea to the column.
3. CONTENT CREATION SCHEDULING, EDITING, & PUBLISHING DAYS
Don’t edit your content the same day you write. You’re not going to catch mistakes right after you write. Waiting a day also gives you time to think of something even more juicy or valuable to include in your content as you’re revising.
At times it can feel like a lot of pressure to write content because you want the content to be the most valuable piece your audience will come across. We obviously want our content to connect AND solve.
How to create a content creation schedule
Always save a copy of your content somewhere other than right inside your website. Google Doc, Word, etc.
Pick a day to write, and a day to edit & publish. Keep those days consistent with whatever you scheduled.
The schedule I find that works best for me is writing my content outline on Friday. Then, I edit & prep my content inside my website on Monday along with the other minor tasks.
4. CONTENT WRITING SEQUENCE
Focus on writing the outcome/result FIRST before the rest of the content.
As you do this, you’ll realize your “why” a little more clearly. That helps you write the rest of your content.
It also might be hard to come up with an “ice-breaking” sentence. You know.. Staring at the cursor on the screen and nothing is coming to mind. 😱 Especially when it comes to writing the first paragraph of your content.
The one part of the content you won’t usually struggle with though is the outcome. The outcome is simple because we know all about how to solve the problem we’re talking about. At least we should be!
Forget about writing for Google. Your first priority when creating content is to write for your ideal reader first.
Writing problem-solving content
Clearly state the problem. Describe the problem and the issue that your ideal reader faces. The “What” is the connect and relate point you want to include.
Then state the solution in a detail-specific way. Get as detailed as you can.
Then answer what the solution is going to provide if they do it. Answer the “Why” for this solution.
5. CONTENT TASKS
Two words. Time saver. We’re trying to be more productive and efficient with our time. Templates, titles, and descriptions can be such a time suck when you’re trying to do those things last minute.
You don’t realize the time you’re actually saving if your titles, descriptions, and graphics were created ahead of time. Realistically, you’re saving yourself about 4-6 hours’ worth of work. When you’re able to just copy, paste, and schedule, it cuts the time in half!
Content tasks to add to your content creation process
- a meta description
- 3-4 alternative titles for pins
- two alternate pin descriptions for content (if you’re using Pinterest)
It helps to refer to your content to create descriptions. Just change up the wording to make it stand out.
6. PRE-MADE BRANDED & NON-BRANDED TEMPLATES
Staying on brand is important. Use the branded templates to create brand awareness where it counts (like social media). With Pinterest, you have to test and try your pins to find out which style is going to get engagement.
How to create re-usable, branded & non-branded pre-made templates
Inside Canva, create a bundle of branded and non-branded graphic templates to use. Separately, of course. Copy the graphic to use it and edit the photo and title. Create the graphics on the day you edit or the day you publish. The process is so much faster when you have pre-made templates and the only thing you have to do is update the picture and title.
Keep content creation simple
One thing I think is important to mention is to choose where you are showing up and keep it to ONE platform. Choosing many platforms to market your content on is not going to help you grow faster. Choosing many platforms to show up on also creates more work for you, so choose carefully.
Content creation doesn’t have to be complicated. It does help to know what to include to make the process streamlined and organized. I hope my method for creating content will help you form a simple and time-efficient workflow for your content creation!
What part of the content creation process do you struggle with most? I’d love to hear all about it! Drop your questions below!
Hey there skimmer
Wanna listen instead of read? Listen to episode 24 // My 6-Step Content Creation Workflow to Help You Save Time Creating Content!
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