If you consistently find yourself interrupted in the middle of planning, creating or executing a piece of content, then today’s episode is just for you. We’re chatting about the importance of creating a workflow for content creation – especially as a busy mama – and I’m giving you the exact steps I’ve used to create my own. Sound like something you need? Then let’s jump in.
Links for This Episode
Podcast Episode Recommendations
- #58: 3 Hacks to a “Sticky” Content Strategy that Converts
- #48: Have 5 Minutes? 7 Ways to Use Small Pockets of Time to Grow Your Business
- #19: 4 Ways to Repurpose Content for Your Business Blog
- #9: 3 Excuses That Keep You From Clicking “Publish” in Business
How to Create a Workflow for Content Creation, 3 Steps for Success
Well hey there and welcome back to another episode of the Mama Business podcast.
As a mama with little kids at home it’s probably safe to say that you don’t have a lot of extra time on your hands and it’s likely that the time you do have isn’t always uninterrupted time. There’s nothing wrong with that – it comes with the territory of being a mom, right? But that’s exactly why it’s so important to have workflows within your business so that you maintain consistency – with your time and the end result you provide in your business. So, today I wanted to share the exact strategy I’ve used in my own business to create a workflow for content creation. And if you are one of those mamas working in the cracks of the day, then this is definitely something you’ll want to have in place.
So grab a pen and paper because you’re going to want to take some notes.
To start with, we need to first discuss what a workflow is. And, in it’s most simple form, a workflow is essentially the process you go through in order to complete a task or project. It’s the steps you take to get to the end result.
And this will differ depending on what you are creating a workflow for, but ideally you’ll have stages of the process that you’ll work through creating task lists and resources for. In the case of our content creation workflow, there are really three stages:
Stage 1: Brainstorming – coming up with the idea for whatever piece of content you want to create and possibly doing a little research or creating a brief outline.
Stage 2: Creation – actually creating the content. This is writing the blog post or recording the podcast episode or video.
Stage 3: Implementation – once the content is created, getting it on the platform (your website if it’s a blog, the podcast platform, etc.) and making sure it’s has the correct links, images and other necessary elements, prior to clicking publish or scheduling it. This category might also include any next steps you want to take as far as getting the word out – like sending an email newsletter or scheduling a couple of Pinterest pins.
So, once again, those stages are brainstorming, creation, and implementation. If you’re taking notes, you might want to write that down.
Now that we have those stages in place, there are three steps to designing our complete workflow – the one that’s going to actually help us remain consistent with content creation, despite interruptions.
Step #1: Tasks
The first thing we need to do is assign tasks to each stage. That means everything and anything you might need to do to be successful. And this might seem silly, especially if you do the same things over and over again, but there are a couple reasons this is really important.
Let’s think about it from the perspective of interruptions. If you are constantly being interrupted in the middle of creating content, it’s easy to forget where you left off, end up missing a critical element, or just get overwhelmed and give up. Ever felt that way? Hehe. You aren’t alone.
Having a list of tasks – like a checklist, makes it very clear where you left off and what you need to do next.
Personally, my family (even my toddler) knows that when they interrupt me, I’m going to take two seconds to make sure I’ve checked the last task completed so I know where to start when I come back. Because I don’t know about you, but I’m easily distracted and it can take a lot of time to get back to the task at hand if I don’t sit back down knowing exactly where to start. And since I don’t have a lot of time to begin with, then this piece really helps.
So, step 1 – detail the steps that need to take place in order to be successful in the content creation process.
Step #2: Tools + Tech Needed
Once you have those steps in place, the thing to do is to detail the tools and tech you need throughout the process.
For example, if you have a certain website you like to search for keywords on, you might note that as part of your brainstorming stage. Or, if you use an email provider, then you might want to include the link to that in the implementation phase.
Just this step alone has saved me so much time over the years because I’m not scrambling to remember the name of whatever tool I might need and wasting time in the process. Personally, I even include tools that I only use some of the time, just on the off chance I’ll need it in the future. Like an image resizing app that I don’t need every time I create a podcast episode, but is sometimes helpful to have at my disposal. I don’t want to spend time hunting that down when I do need it.
So, alongside every step in every stage of your content creation workflow, make sure you have links to any special tools or tech you might need.
And just a side note – if you ever plan to outsource any or all of your content creation process, you’ll have this in place already so there won’t be any guesswork for a future contractor or employee. It’s always good to think about those things ahead of time.
Step #3: Timelines, Scheduling + Priorities
The final step in this process is to make sure that you’ve laid out your timeline for your content creation process in combination with your priorities. So what does this mean? Well this means that you know exactly when you want a task to be completed within the process.
For example:
- Do you want your research to be completed a week ahead of your publish date?
- Do you want to have your title a month ahead?
- Do you need to get your email scheduled the day before?
Whatever your ideal time frame is, make sure you have that noted.
And I like to combine priorities with this step. Because, there will be times when you just won’t have enough bandwidth to accomplish everything on your list – even if you want to. If that’s the case, then what doesn’t matter as much?
Maybe that’s the blog post that doesn’t get an extra image in it this week. Or maybe you choose to launch that podcast episode into the world, but don’t send an email notification to your subscribers. Life happens, so make sure you know what your priorities really are ahead of time.
How to Use a Workflow for Content Creation
Alrighty, now that we have the actual process in place, I just know that the next question is, “well, how do I use this workflow?” And the key here is not to overthink it. If you are using a workflow to create blog posts and you write them out in a Google doc, then just create a Google doc checklist that you can add to the top of each and every blog post you create. If you use a task management system like Notion or Monday or any other, then go ahead and use that. You can also choose to use a spreadsheet and just create a new tab for each piece of content you create. Whatever you do – don’t overthink it, okay?
Personally, I use the free version Notion for my task management system at this time and that allows me to create a “template” for my podcast episodes so that when I create a new one, my workflow is already attached. Ultimately, you’ll want to use whatever works best for you.
Take Action: Create Your Workflow for Content Creation
And that brings us to the action part of this episode. And we know that action is where the dreams turn into the reality.
Today’s action step is this: If you don’t already have one in place, it’s time to create your workflow for content creation. It might seem like a tedious thing to put into place, but I promise you, if you want to have a business that grows without feeling like you are doing all the things or taking more time than absolutely necessary away from your family – if you want that, then this is one of the best ways to get started. So, don’t wait any longer, take the time to put this together today.
I know from personal experience that I am more likely to accomplish what I set out to do if I am accountable to someone. So, if you need additional help designing or implementing your workflow, grab a Mama Business Strategy Session today and let’s work through it together. Because there’s nothing worse than wasting time and effort and not getting results. Together we can set you and your business up for success. So, grab yours today at sarahbrumley.com/strategy.
No matter what you choose, mama, know that I am cheering you on. Have an amazing day and I’ll chat with you next time.
