Avoid These 2 Pitfalls Of Content Creation

Social media is hard.

Creating content is even harder.

But in reality, as business owners, we often overcomplicate the process of using social media to promote ourselves.

What we've found out through our work with other business owners is that there are 2 main pitfalls that people fall into when they start trying to make content for their business, and in this blog, we're going to go over how to avoid them.

The first pitfall is consistency.

We see so many people start creating content and then give up after a few weeks or months because they don't see results immediately.

Creating content is a marathon, not a sprint. You need to be in it for the long haul if you want to see any sort of success. This doesn't mean you have to post every day, but you do need to be posting regularly.

Your consistency with social media will depend on the strength of your strategy. If you have a plan and you're intentional about your content, you'll be more likely to stick with it. But if you're just winging it, chances are you'll get burned out quickly and give up.

One key strategy that many content creators use is batching their content. This means creating a bunch of content at once and then spacing it out over time. This can be a great way to stay consistent because you're not starting from scratch every time you want to post something new. You already have a stockpile of content to work with, so all you need to do is space it out and schedule it accordingly.

In addition to batch-creating your content, using a content calendar to schedule the release of your content can also be extremely beneficial for busy business owners who don't want to be responsible for manually posting content throughout the week.

Many apps provide content calendars and allow you to schedule your posts in advance, and one that we like to use is Preview, which is an app specifically for Instagram that allows you to plan, schedule, and post your content. In addition to posting to Instagram, you can also double-post all of your scheduled posts to Facebook with the simple click of a button!

This can be a lifesaver when it comes to consistency because it takes the pressure off of you to post something new every day. You can simply set it and forget it, and your content will be released on a regular basis without you having to lift a finger. That being said, no app makes content creation "easy"; it's always going to take some work on your part to come up with ideas, write the copy, and design the visuals. But using an app like Preview can help to make the process a lot easier and less time-consuming.

Another pitfall many people new to creating content fall into is trying too hard to make "original" content.

It's easy to get so hung up on creating "original" content that you never actually end up posting anything. If that sounds like you, then you're not alone! Original content is a misleading phrase because, in reality, almost every content creator on earth is standing on the shoulders of giants (i.e. leveraging the ideas of other successful creators). It's impossible to create something that hasn't been created before, so don't strive for originality; instead, focus on creating content that is interesting and useful to your audience.

To find out what type of content is resonating with people, you can use a tool like BuzzSumo. This tool allows you to see the most popular content in any given niche. You can use this information to get an idea of what topics are trending and consider creating content around those topics.

*Side note: If you're utilizing the power of Instagram Reels like you should be (read this article if you're not), then do yourself a favor and DIRECTLY COPY the style of someone else that's making content that gets a lot of views and engagement. The hardest part of the content creation journey is the beginning, so by leveraging tactics that are working for someone else, you can give yourself a huge leg up.

Once you've found your footing and have a good understanding of what works and what doesn't, you can start to experiment with your own ideas. But in the beginning, it's best to stick to the tried-and-true methods of others instead of reinventing the wheel.

When it comes to content creation, there are two main pitfalls to avoid:

Inconsistency and an over-emphasis on being original. The best way to avoid these traps is to batch-create your content and utilize a content calendar like Preview to schedule the release of your content. Additionally, don't be afraid to leverage the ideas of other successful creators in your niche by using a tool like BuzzSumo. And finally, experiment with your own ideas once you've found your footing and have a good understanding of what works.

Creating great content isn't always easy. In fact, it can be downright difficult at times. But, by being aware of these pitfalls, you can avoid them and create content that your audience will love.

And if you need help with your content strategy, we're here for you. We offer free content creation strategy calls for businesses. During these calls, we'll help you come up with a plan to create killer content that resonates with your audience and helps you achieve your business goals. Schedule your free call today.