Welcome to Stage 2!
Now that you have the basics down, it’s time to think about a robust content plan.
Often, people skip straight to the creative part. They start asking questions about what kind of content will empower and compel people to buy from them, except they soon find themselves running out of ideas or experiencing burn-out.
And How Did That Happen?
Unfortunately, they got trapped in the loop of content creation.
Here are some questions ask yourself before we share with you the trick to building a solid content plan that doesn’t make your creative juices run dry during a transformational period of your business:
Have you been creating content for the sake of pleasing everyone?
Have you been second-guessing your research and intuition?
Have you been over-focused on selling?
If you think one or more of the statements above describe your circumstances, it’s time to take a step back, take a deep breath and read what’s coming next.
In this lesson, we will discuss how to create more content through documentation rather than creation.
And yes, you read that right. To create more content, we’re moving away from the idea of creation.
It sounds paradoxical, but the self-made millionaire of our times, Gary Vaynerchuk, popularly known as GaryVee, was the one to come up with this unique philosophy of content creation. It’s this very philosophy he adhered to since day one that brought him fame and fortune.
And according to Gary, it’s the secret to unlimited, effortless content creation.
Are you ready to learn from the master of documentation?
Then let’s start with how Gary differentiates documentation from creation. Simply put, it boils down to the mindset about content.
- What’s fresh?
- What’s new?
- What’s something others haven’t talked or written about yet?
Did you read the list above and think, “That’s my thought process when I create content!”
If that’s the case, write that list on a piece of paper, scrunch it up into a ball and toss it into the bin because those are all the things we won’t be thinking about at this phase.
Documentation helps us to get away from those preoccupations for the ideal, perfect content.
In essence, all you have to do is document whatever is going on. This includes your day-to-day life, meetings and events. Gary followed this philosophy from the very early stages of his career. He documented everything and posted them on numerous social media platforms. This bold and frank approach to content helped catapult his success towards a net worth of well over $160 million.
“Whatever’s happening in your life, there are pearls of wisdom to glean from it.”
Gary Vaynerchuk
We can all adopt Gary’s idea of infinite content creation because each one of us has experiences to share. So why not document what you’ve learned from these experiences? This way, others can benefit in their life and business from your experiences.
This mindset will free you from the burden of coming up with new ideas every single week. Simultaneously, you also make yourself personable and authentic to prospective clients.
GaryVee started with simply tasting random wines from his dad’s store and putting up the wine-tasting videos on youtube. What stories will you document on LinkedIn?
Let’s break down the following example of LinkedIn documenting, so you have a better, concrete idea of this unique philosophy:
In this post, the LinkedIn user starts with a hook: “Warning: Rant ahead!”
A hook is a line or phrase that captures attention and entices readers to continue reading rather than skipping the post over. You want the first sentence of your post to be relatable or valuable to your readers.
After ensnaring readers to continue reading, the poster proceeded to talk about what they had seen and heard. Though the content still revolves around the poster’s niche, they’re not trying to be an expert imparting knowledge, only proving their thoughts, opinions and beliefs.
Sometimes, you just want to read for the sake of reading, don’t you?
Your readers are the same. It’s always great to learn and discover new information, but having various content keeps them going.
That’s why it’s time to get a headstart on documenting.