Hero Habits

I just mind mapped my new  opt-in gift for new subscribers to Expert’s Enterprise (watch for this coming up soon). It’s all about content creation.

The more I work with infopreneurs (authors, coaches, seminar leaders) the more I see the value in creating awesome content that your clients value, share, and buy.

This is the core of “content marketing”, or “pull marketing” and it’s the way of world. Information is free and everywhere, so we need to also have free information everywhere. The goal should be that not only will the awesome content attract our clients, it should be so awesome that they share it and even buy it.

The most obvious revenue streams from content are: ebooks (especially Kindle), on-line learning, and seminars. You can also get traction with: webinars (for a fee), speaking, membership programs, and video series (a form of on-line learning).

Whether for free or for-fee, the trick is to create awesome content (do you see the theme here?)

I used to waste gobs of time creating content that was lame. The problem was I didn’t have a system. Without a system you can spend too much time creating content nobody wants to read. 

With a bit of planning you can cut your content creation time in half (or more) and create better stuff. Here’s part of the solution.

Four ways to create awesome content:

1) create an editorial calendar. There are seasons in everyones year and their businesses. Map out the next 12 months and start with the most obvious “seasons” you can create content for, like the new year, end of summer, Thanksgiving, back to school, Christmas, etc.

2) build an inventory. Evernote is brilliant (and free) for easily creating a collection of the best bits to build content with. Create a habit of collecting stories, quotes, metaphors, anecdotes, and other pieces you can build into your content. Hunched over your keyboard at 5:30 in the morning is not the time to try and find a great quote about vision.

3) have a process and use a template.  I create at least 100 blog posts, custom speeches, videos, webinars, guest posts, podcasts, and seminars every year. It would be insane  for me to just sit down and try to create a new piece of content. Instead, I use a process that takes me from idea, to mind dump, to sh*ty first draft (nod to Anne Lamott), to publishing. Key to that process is my writing template. I don’t have to think about order, it’s the same every time I write (don’t tell anyone) – my job is to fit my content into the template and then clean it up.  

4) ship it. If you want to create lots of content (blog, podcasts, guest blogs and the like) you need to learn when good is good enough. For example, I allow 1 hour to create a blog and post it (like this one.) My podcasts are more complicated (recording the interview, then the intro and outro, then writing show notes) so I allow 2 hours. Set a time limit, allow for a break between sh*ty first draft and final and then “ship it” (nod to Seth Godin).  A draft is nice, but it’s not much use to your clients. 

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Here’s my video showing the process I use every time I create content (enjoy!)

How to Write Better from Hugh Culver on Vimeo.