An Unconventional Roadmap to Effortless Content Creation
Have you ever had an idea for a piece of content but then struggled to actually put some context and structure around it?
I don’t know about you but that’s always been a challenge for me. I could never figure out what I wanted to say beyond a few sentences.
But I finally found a way that works for me every time – whether I’m writing a blog post or creating an outline for a podcast or video.
But before we dive further into my exact process, let me tell you that many would consider my method backward and maybe even a bit crazy.
So here we go …
Determine your content objective
First things first, you need to determine you’re the objective for your content. This is what keeps you on track.
For me, I start by asking the question, “What do I want my reader to feel, think or do after reading this?”
Write this question down now and save it for future reference, because it can drive everything you do, not just your individual pieces of content.
Getting ready to have a coaching session – ask yourself the question so you go into the session with the right mentality.
Creating a course – ask yourself the question. It will help you stay focused and on topic so your course flows smoothly and doesn’t go off on tangents or overwhelm your students.
Once I know the objective of my content, it’s time to travel back to middle school.
Draft a rough outline
That’s right. Just like when you were being taught how to structure your five-paragraph essay, I outline my content.
What is the main topic?
What are the subtopics or key points I want to make?
Sometimes, I’ll drop the outline into ChatGPT and ask if there are any other points I need to consider. This will often prompt additional ideas, particularly for guides or educational content. Or it may catch something I overlooked but definitely want to include.
Here’s my first outline for this very blog – it’s rough but gets it out of my head and allows me to begin to “see” the components of the blog. I’m very visual even a quick sketch like this is very helpful for me.
Write the body of the content
Yep, you read that right.
No title, no introduction and no conclusion. Not yet.
Why? Because staring at a blank page trying to write a title or an introduction is where the majority of people get stuck. You know what you want to say in the body but getting it started so it flows or trying to figure out a decent title stalls the whole process.
So get out what you know first.
Write all of the sections of the body if writing a blog post or script.
I know some content creators don’t like to use full scripts for podcasts or videos, including myself. So, for those types of content, I will flesh out the outline better and include bullet points for items I want to make sure I talk about or references for stories, stats, etc.
Once you get the body completely written or outlined, it’s time to add the bookends to your content.
Write the introduction
Your introduction needs to be catchy and compelling and offer a glimpse of what lies ahead.
And since you’ve already written the body of your content, you know exactly what’s in store for them. It definitely makes your introduction stronger.
Write the conclusion with a CTA
In your conclusion, you’ll want to wrap up with your insights and recap the content of your content.
In addition, you want to provide a clear call-to-action (CTA) for your readers so they know what you want them to do next.
Do you want them to download your lead magnet? Or perhaps to follow you on Instagram?
You can also point them to other pieces of content you’ve created that are relevant.
Source data and research keywords
Sometimes, I’ll research data before beginning to write. More often than not, though, I will discover during the writing process information I want to do more research on and link for further reference for my readers.
This is the time that I’ll go back in and do that research.
I’ll also research keywords so I can strengthen my optimize my content for search. I typically use Ubersuggest for my keyword research.
Add the research and strengthen the keywords in your existing content where appropriate.
Edit and finalize the content
I will often step away from the content for a bit before I edit it, at least a day or so.
I’m still at the point in my business that edit my own work and I know that if the content is too fresh, my brain will read what I want it to say and not necessarily what it really says. So going in a little cold to edit is more productive for me.
Reading aloud also helps catch anything that’s not flowing or sounds kinda clunky. If I’m really struggling with the editing process, I’ll ask my husband to read it for me or to me. He’s used to it and can often catch things I miss.
Brainstorm titles
Titles are your first impression, so make it count.
It’s also where I, personally, struggle the most.
The first thing I do is write down at least 10 possible titles. Then I log into ChatGPT, upload my blog and ask it to give me another 20 titles for consideration.
Usually, the title ends up being a mashup of two to three of my favorites.
So there you have it, the behind-the-scenes look at how a piece of content is born in the Aynsli + Company world.
Let’s recap:
1. Start with identifying your content’s objective
2. Draft a rough outline
3. Write the body of the content
4. Write the introduction
5. Write the conclusion with a CTA
6. Source data and research keywords
7. Edit and finalize the content
8. Brainstorm titles
So next time you’re stumped, suffering from writer’s block or just can’t get into writing mode, try this method of creating content to see if you can knock down those content walls that are blocking you.
DM me on Instagram or shoot me an email and let me know how it goes.
And if you want a free copy of my content planning spreadsheet so you can make sure you optimize every piece of content you make, it’s included in the Content Creation Kit, along with a ton of other content creation resources to help you master content creation.
Download your FREE Content Creation Kit today!