Creating Consistent Good Content

I'll be honest, I struggle with this daily, which is pretty obvious to those of you that have seen the lapses in time between my blog posts. Too much to do and too little time, is my sob story as well. My tombstone will say, "But I'm not finished." I'm good at other forms of social media, but regarding consistent blog posting I admittedly have to improve. Evidence may suggest the depth of my talent for expression is limited to a 140 characters or pictures, but whatever my excuse it's not good for business.

If inconsistency or infrequency are not good, what's far worse is content that is repeated, recycled or robotic. Many of you, trying to do it all, resort to this tactic, but it will backfire. So here are some suggestions: get your calendar out (preferably your computer calendar). If possible, sync your calendar with your phone, then carve out room in your schedule for at least 1/2 hour dedicated to social media each day. Now, commit to it! This step is absolutely necessary (especially for anyone with an already hectic schedule). Equally as important, commit to not exceed your 1/2 hour (use a timer if necessary). Business owners frequently exceed acceptable time constraints because they don't have an "hourly schedule", but this is a huge problem. 

Time management is important for so many reasons, but one very critical reason is that other important tasks can fall by the wayside. It is often the reason for feeling overwhelmed. You've heard the expression, "Work smarter, not harder." Owners will often spend days on something they "need" to get perfect, but they wouldn't pay for more than a few hours for someone else to complete the same task. I am so guilty of this! So stick to your 1/2 for now. Increasing it may be necessary, but only after you've successfully accomplished keeping your daily 1/2 hour commitment for a while. Some will actually improve timing once you've got the hang of it. If then you do come to a realistic realization that you need more time, increase it or hire someone. For now developing consistency is most important. 

Next, create a cheat sheet. As I've said before, write down your goals and dreams for your business. If you have a clear plan for the future keep it handy. All of these are inspiration for your postings. Now that you have your "plan" handy get busy posting. Use this information as a guide and a security blanket, but be spontaneous and creative with your posts. Do not become robotic; don't regurgitate what you've written down. In other words, if you're struggling to get started, as we all do from time to time, or for something to say refer to your guide. Above all, have fun posting about what's going on in the business. Interact with followers and those you follow. Hold back on those days when you feel you could post a multitude of thoughts. Save a few for brain melt days. Keep your social media time commitment and do not let distractions derail you.

Whether you're promoting your brand, service or product social media is an increasingly important aspect. In his recent post about tweeting Don Crowther said it well, "Twitter has it’s rabid fans. It also has it’s eye-rolling detractors. But whatever your take on Twitter might be, the truth is that – used correctly – Twitter can be a great way to gain fans, open doors, and really drive traffic" and his comment on Twitter is applicable to social media marketing as a whole. Don's post - 9 Ways to Get More Blog Readers From Twitter, and other posts are well worth reading.