Join me in committing to a 30 day content creation challenge.

Have you tried to stick to something for 30 days? It’s hard. And if you’ve ever sat down at your computer and tried to write a blog post (or more than one) then you definitely realize this is a big commitment.

I’ll admit something to you, publicly, that I don’t like to talk about:  I am not good at commitment (other than relationships I mean). I have lots of ideas and inspiration, but my follow-through to completion rate I’d estimate hovers around 20%. If I can do something for a week, I consider that worth celebrating.

Then why would I undertake a 30 day challenge, especially when committing to creating content for 30 days in a row seems like a very daunting task?

Here are 5 reasons:

1. Blogging and other content such as videos, podcasts or audios on your website is an excellent way to help search engines like Google find you. (Blogging is great for organic Search Engine Optimization.)
2. I have dozens of ideas for blogs and videos that I KNOW will help my followers, IF I can just get them out into the world.
3. Accountability through this blog series will keep me on track.
4. It will make a useful case study to review the stats and analytics from my website, blog posts, as well as social media, to see how valuable it is to create content on a consistent basis.
5. Creating valuable content, especially content that you can repurpose, is an ideal way to become the go-to expert in your industry.
6. We can do this together. Yes YOU + ME, blogging, making videos, sharing Periscope or Facebook Live streams every day. “A rising tide lifts all boats” sort of thing.

 

What is “content”?

Notice I didn’t say “blog posts” because not everyone is good at writing. In fact, videos are statistically shown to generate more views and traffic than writing a blog post alone, and are more visible when they show up in a Google search.

For this little joint case study (remember: YOU + ME) content can be anything of value that you put out for your audience.

• Livestream videos such as Facebook Live or Periscope or Blab
• Videos you upload to YouTube or Vimeo – even if they are not added to your blog post they still help you get found online. (Did you know that YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine after Google? And, oh yah, Google OWNS YouTube!
• Podcast episodes or audio files. A full-blown podcast can take a little preparation to execute properly. However it’s easy to record an audio to your iPhone and upload it as a supplement to your blog post. (People consume content in different ways).
• Webinars or Hangouts on Air. This can be a daunting one for many people, but the great value in hosting a webinar, even if no one attends, is that you have created a useful piece of content that you can repurpose, either as an optin freebie or as a bonus to offer in your Facebook group or online program.
• Social media graphics – I’ll only let you include this for 1/3 of your content if you are simply creating branded visual marketing graphics to share on social media. If, however, you’re creating some more detailed “evergreen” content such as infographics, ebooks, or a Slideshare, then by all means, this visual marketing piece definitely counts as creating content because you can repurpose it and it provides value over time… especially if you embed it in your own blog, or use it as a free gift (lead magnet) to encourage people to join your email list. You can view an example of “long form” valuable and shareable visual marketing on my blog.

 

How to take part in the 30 day content creation challenge:

I will be doing the 30 days of content creation from May 2nd – 31st.

Join me.

Step 1. Intention leads to action! Commit to 30 days of content creation, and pick a start date:

• 30 days in a row (4 week commitment), or
• or if you want to take weekends off, try committing to 30 weekdays (that’s 6×5 day “sprints” of content creation).

You don’t have to start on the 1st of the month, but it often feels easier to begin that way.

Tip: Put it in your calendar. This will help you block off time to create content for your blog or video series.

Step 2. Set a goal – what are you hoping to achieve?

Pick something specific and measurable, such as:

• increasing your email subscribers by from X to Y
• increasing your website traffic by ____ %
• increasing your Facebook (or Twitter or Pinterest or Instagram) followers by _____

 

TIP: Make note of where you are starting out.

Record or take a screenshot of the number of social media followers on each social network, including YouTube if you are using video blogs. Use Google Anatlyics or Jetpack for super-simple, user-friendly analytics that even non-geeks can understand, to see what your best traffic days are so far, your typical keywords, where your traffic is coming from (referrers), and to review your current traffic stats.

 

Step 3. Improve your chance of success by creating a content calendar.

A posting calendar or blog post schedule can be done using a simple Word doc, a spreadsheet (which I recommend because it’s easy and low-tech. Just include the day, blog title idea, topics and type of content you’ll need to prepare (blog post, video, audio, infographic, etc).

You can also try using the WordPress Editorial Calendar plugin to organize your ideas and pre-schedule blog posts. This is a great way to create content in batches, while you’re in the flow, and post it out every day (try using one of my favourite social media dashboard tools called Buffer. There is a free version too!)

Is that cheating? Nope. It’s what smart bloggers and entrepreneurs do!

 

To get the ball rolling, let me share some topics and types of things I plan to share over the next 30 days of the content challenge.

• Tips on how to come up with blog post ideas
• Email marketing and list building, including a tutorial video on moving my email list from Mailchimp to ConvertKit
• An infographic and blog post on the steps to creating an optin freebie (or “lead magnet”)
• A video and step by step guide on how I got from 11000+ emails to Inbox Zero
• An ultimate resource list on where to find free stock photos to use on your website, blog and social media
• A webinar to watch over my shoulder as I show you step by step how to set up a professional looking website in just an hour

 

As I work through the 30 day challenge, I will post my own links to each day’s content below. How’s THAT for accountability and commitment!

 

Who’s up for the challenge?

Let’s work on this TOGETHER. I’m all about collaboration, and what’s great about how I’ve organized this is that:

1. you’ll get moral support and ideas
2. you get accountability partners
3. you can get increased traffic to your own website (which is good for SEO – helping you get found in a Google search too)

 

I’m here for you, working right along side you to commit to a better blog.

{Unless you are reading this in the future, in which case this is still super-relevant a.k.a “evergreen” content!}

 

Here is what you need to do.

1. Share this post on social media and tag someone who you think could be your accountability ally in this challenge.
2. Comment daily with a link to your content.
3. Visit someone else’s content and leave a positive comment so they know you were rooting for them!

I’ll be sure to visit your blog, video or other content and leave a comment too.

 

And since i know this is a tough challenge, I want to give kudos and call-out those who have successfully completed the 30 day challenge!

If you have managed to create 30 days of content AND you have shared at least 3 of your posts/video links below AND you have gone to 3 other posts and shared/commented, I will include you in the honour roll list right here on this page. 

Day 1: This blog post 🙂  PLUS 1 bonus Facebook Live video (off to a great start!) https://www.facebook.com/BrightSparkSocialMedia/videos/953544898028543/

Day 2: 10 Quick + Easy Blog Post Ideas (Even if you don’t like writing)  [blog post]

Day 3:  Tame Your Email Mess – How I got from 11000+ Emails To Inbox Zero [blog post + tutorial video]

Day 4:  The #1 way to rank better in a Google search. [Facebook Live video]

Day 5: How (and why) to claim your Google My Business Page [step by step blog post]

Day 6: Get more Google reviews with a direct link to your review page. [step by step blog post]

Day 7: 3 reasons to create a resources list on your website [blog post]

Day 9: 8 Tips to get the most value out of attending a business conference or event. [blog post + video]

Day 10: Step by Step Guide to Getting Started with Video for Your Business