Peek Inside My Consistent Content Creation Process
On different occasions last week, readers asked me:
“I don’t know what to share on social media every day—how do you do it?”
“How do I talk about my blog on social media without being all, ‘hey, go read my blog!’ ‘Have you read my blog yet?’ ‘Oh, by the way, check out my blog.’ ‘And, did I tell you I wrote a blog?’”
“How do I use social media without feeling salesy?”
“Tell me how you write and share your blogs each week.”
The theme was flicking me in the forehead and telling me to write about this. Many of you are telling me you have a writing practice and are publishing to your blog weekly (cue happy dance!) but you don’t know how to spread the word without feeling like a dick.
I get you.
I used to think I didn’t have enough to say on social media to warrant a post once a day. Now, I post three times a day most days. Sometimes more or less.
It’s not something I’m rigid about and sometimes I forget to post—oops!
Here’s a behind the curtains look in detail about how I write and share my blog each week and how much time it takes.
1. Pick a blog topic
I choose a topic from my blog topic list which is currently at around 100 topics. I add to the list every time I get an idea. To choose my topic, I review the list and write about whatever catches my eye. For me, the creative freedom works well.
Time: 1-3 minutes
2. Write the SFD
Once I choose a topic, I write an SFD (shitty first draft). As much as I’m a huge fan of batch blogging and writing marathons, sometimes batching just doesn’t work for my schedule or my creative process. It’s a quick and dirty draft. No editing. Spelling and grammar mistakes abound.
MOFO WRITING TIP: If you’re sick of looking at a screen, use voice typing. In your Google Doc, select “Tools” then “Voice typing.” Occasionally, I’ll draft a blog with pen and paper and transfer it later.
Time: 30-40 minutes (set a timer and challenge yourself to write fast!)
This SFD took 34 minutes!
3. Revisit
Let it sit then I go back and edit. Depending on when I write the SFD, I’ll revisit it later in the day or a few days later. If I’m batching, I write a few SFDs that I can go back and edit. I begin at the beginning of the article and add sections as I need to, fix spelling errors, add links, a title, and a call to action.
Time: 20-30 minutes
4. Finalize and post
Now, I add my blog to my website, choose a picture from one of my photoshoots, or on my smartphone. I give it a read through then hit <publish.>
Time: 5-10 minutes
5. Turn the blog into a newsletter
I keep it super simple and start by cutting and pasting the entire blog post into my email newsletter software. Then, I add the same image I used for the post, add some more links, personalize with something special for my email friends and schedule it to be magically delivered to inboxes. My favorite day to send emails is Sunday mornings.
Time: 5-10 minutes
6. Create social media images
For this I use Canva. I’m not graphically inclined at all. I hired the talented Michelle Clayton of We Let Her Fly to create some custom Canva templates. They’re a lifesaver!
Here are the ones I’ll share all week long on social media:
Time: 5 minutes
7. Write an Instagram post
It’s usually a snippet or high-level overview of the blog topic. I compose it and send over email with all the hashtags ready to go. I usually do this a day in advance. On the day the email goes out, I open the email on my phone and share to Instagram with a Canva image.
Time: 5 minutes
8. Schedule Facebook post on my business page
Often it’s the same snippet I use for Instagram or a shorter one.
Time: 2 minutes
9. Write LinkedIn post
Usually, it’s the same as what I share on Facebook.
Time: 1 minute
10. Share all week long on social media
Using the week’s blog post topic as a theme, combined with the images I create in Canva, I share one post related to the weekly blog most days of the week. I use an image, add a few words, sometimes a question, and post away. I also use Instagram stories to talk through sections of the blog post in detail.
Time: 1-5 minutes a day
Total time for all this creation and sharing all week long: 90 minutes to 2 hours. Time it in Toggl!
Now, I'm sure there are more efficient ways to do some of the social media posts, but I love the manual-ness of it all. I love being the one to hit <post> because it feels personal. And business IS personal for me.
If you enjoyed this article you might like these bad boys too:
Learn how to write powerful headlines (and 21 samples to inspire)
The easy way to turn your blog post into an email newsletter
And if you need someone to kick your butt to get you writing, you might be a great fit for the Write Like a MOFO community.
