Can you feel it too?
That pressure to post something new. All. The. Time.
As a small business owner, thinking of what to post can take up way too much of your precious time.
No matter the platform – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – coming up with good content ideas is hard.
No one has time to stare at a blinking cursor every day.
Something’s gotta give.
Imagine your social media plan was filled months in advance…
What do you get out of that?
More.
You reach more people.
You provide more value to your audience which attracts more customers.
Free from writer’s block, you have more time for your business.
But isn’t this fantasy land?
Nope.
It is possible to fill an entire month’s social media schedule with great content in less than 60 minutes… easily.
Here’s how…
With a system called the “Content Hand Grenade.”
A smarter social media strategy that gets the most out of your content and happens to save you time.
Before I get into it, there are 2 things you need to know. First…
The #1 Way to Waste Your Time is to Skip…
Research.
In the interest of saving time, a lot of people don’t research their audience.
To be fair, it does require time and effort. But it’s 100% necessary and worth it.
No matter what the specific goal of your content is (more on this soon), the point is NOT to attract just anyone. The point is to attract the right people. Your social media plan has a specific business purpose.
You’re creating content for your ideal customers. Get to know them well.
Learn their specific problems and use your content to offer them specific solutions.
This gives them a reason to pay attention to you.
What does that look like?
This blog post, for one.
Our research showed people (hopefully like you) find it hard to come up with ideas for their social media posts.
Sound Familiar?
“I’m stuck on what kind of content I should be posting.”
“I have a hard time coming up with good content.”
“Coming up with content just takes too much time.”
“I struggle with coming up with enough content for social media.”
“I struggle with creating original content.”
“I struggle with content creation when it comes to my business… is there a method to the madness??”
Sound familiar? Brilliant new content idea. You write a cracking good post. Read it over. Love it. Joyfully click “post.” And… nothing. What happened? You skipped a step. Read this to find out the #1 way people waste their time with content posting.
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Do your research. The Content Hand Grenade is useless if you don’t know where to aim.
Speaking of aim, the second thing to know…
The Specific Aim of Your Social Media Post
What do you want your content to do for you?
A lot of people have a general idea, but you need to nail it down.
A social media post is useless to you, if you don’t know…
- the specific business goal you want that post to achieve
- how to measure its success towards that goal
There are 3 types of content posts. Each has a different aim and is measured accordingly.
Brand Awareness – spread the word
Make people aware of your business and show them your value. Make it interesting and eye-catching. You want them to stop scrolling.
Measure of success = “engagement” – likes, shares & views
*Example* – Short video post on Facebook explaining…
Why subheads are great and how to use them to get people to read through your whole article. Share your screen and show an example of an article without subheads and then with them, to show how they break up the content point by point.
Traffic Generation – drive traffic
Drive them to your website. Entice your reader to click on a link for more information about something.
Measure of success = # of clicks generated
*Example* – A Facebook post teasing…
“You can use subheads to get people to read all the way through your article… Click this link to find out how.”
(Link takes them to the full blog article on the dreamfree website.)
Lead Generation – get leads
Convert traffic into leads by getting them to take an action. Entice them to click the link for more info, taking them to a landing page. Offer them something valuable in exchange for their email address. The offer (usually a pdf guide, checklist, infographic, etc.), is your lead magnet. The emails are your leads.
Measure of success = # of leads
*Example* – A short Facebook post teasing…
“You can use subheads to get people to read all the way through your article… Click this link to find out how.”
(Link to a landing page where they provide their email and you promise to send the article to their inbox.)
There are 3 types of social media posts. You need to be using them the right way for your social media to do anything for you. The 3 types are Brand, Traffic and… can you guess the 3rd? Find out if you’re right…
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How to Actually Fill Your Social Media Content Plan Using the Content Hand Grenade System
Here is your step-by-step guide to filling up your social media calendar. We recommend setting aside 60 minutes of focused uninterrupted time. Whatever you get done in that time is enough. Each time you go through this process you’ll get more done in even less time.
To make this process as easy as possible, we have something for you at the end. So keep an eye out, because it will help you get the most out of the Content Hand Grenade.
And now, Step 1…
1 – Select Your Keystone
A keystone piece of content is one big piece of good content. Usually, this would be a blog post, but it can be a video or an infographic. It’s helpful if the content already has at least one (ideally more) relevant images. These will be useful later on.
Don’t have a keystone piece?
Of course you do! Old content is the perfect source for a keystone.
Don’t Let Your Old Stuff Waste Away in Storage!
A lot of people don’t realise how much value they leave just sitting there. Wasting away.
If it was good then, it’s probably good now!
Look back into your archives…
Find an article or video that did particularly well. There’s a really easy way to find your most popular page. It doesn’t matter how old it is – as long as it was popular. If needed, revamp. Edit out or update anything that’s outdated.
Even if you have new stuff, you should be doing this.
Don’t think of it as reusing old content.
Instead, think of all the people in your audience that have never seen it! To them, it’s valuable and fresh.
You spend all this time creating quality content – make sure you and your audience get the most out of it!
Still can’t find a keystone piece??
Don’t worry, I have a loophole for you at the end. In fact, everyone should use it at some point.
Are you actually getting all of the value out of your content? Your original work is more valuable than you realise. Improve it. Expand it. Cut it up. Find out exactly how to put this method to practice…
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2 – Prepare An Auxiliary
Your auxiliary piece will compliment your keystone in a different format.
If your keystone is written – create a 2 to 5-minute video or audio to accompany it. You can read from the original content or simply talk about the topic and add to it.
If you have fancy video equipment and lighting, great! But, you’ll do fine without it.
If your keystone is in video form, create a write-up of it. This could be a written transcript or a summary article.
*Top Tip: Get a selfie stick and walk and talk. It brings energy to what you have to say and people are more forgiving of the quality.
3 – Pull Out Snippets
Pull out at least 5 bite-sized snippets from the accompanying video or article you just created. Each snippet is one self contained point out of your main content. They’re ideal to use as Tweets.
Look at your subheadings. The reason we use subheads is to break up our content point by point, so they’re really helpful when you want to focus in on just one thing.
The idea is to hook them with a little taste of the value and tease them to seek more in the full article/video. You want them to feel like they have to click the link to find out the rest.
Try This Tool to Generate Powerful Social Media Ideas…
The Automatic Marketing Wizard is a paid for tool, but it generates a ton of smart ideas you can use to develop your snippets.
All I had to do was answer some basic questions and here’s what it came up with for this article:
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Day 1 – Wednesday, 03/27/2019
Video Day Assignment
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Warmup:(10 min. or less!)
Deliver a 1 – 2 minute video tip with FB LIVE to your FB page, profile, or group.
Idea Generator #1: Question
What’s the single biggest obstacle business owners face when starting out with Incoming leads?
Idea Generator #2: Topics
* Show business owners how to make more sales
* Incoming Leads tricks for business owners
* Twists to help business owners make more sales
OPTIONAL C.T.A.:
Invite them to check out “Daily Marketing Habit” at https://www.dailymarkeinghabbit.com/ if it makes sense, or send them to your blog or social media.
——————-
Main Assignment:
Create a product review video and post it to your blog
Target Audience:
Business Owners
Today’s Topic:
3 fundamental Incoming leads questions expert business owners must know the answers to
Possible Angle:
* How to get unstuck with efficient use of social media
* How business owners can save time with efficient use of social media
* Review the warmup idea generators above
OPTIONAL C.T.A.:
Invite them to check out “Daily Marketing Habit” at https://www.dailymarketinghabit.com/ if it makes sense, or send them to your blog or social media.
EMAIL Distribution:
Give your email list a rest today
EXTRA Credit:
Convert video to a meme and post on social media
Today’s Strategic Action:
Offer to do an interview with someone you know to THEIR list
If you want really good social media ideas, that are specifically tailored to your business, this software lays it all out for you!
>>>I highly suggest you check it out here.
4 – Expand Snippets
Expand those 5 snippets and turn them into fuller Facebook and/or LinkedIn posts.
For these, you have a little more room to flesh the point out, but you end in the same way: teasing more info with a link to the full article/video.
Add visual elements to your expanded Facebook snippets.
For each post, create one or both:
- a mini 20-second video intro
- a header image using a graphic tool
Try This Tool to Make Header Images that Pop…
Canva is a great graphic tool that is super easy to use, even if you’re a beginner. They have a ton of templates and sizes to choose from and it’s easy to fiddle with, so you can make your image just right for you.
To see an example of what you can do with Canva, scroll to the top of this post and look at the header I made for this article.
5 – Link Up & Publish
Integrate your Keystone & Auxiliary to maximise your reach and website traffic. Linking them up this way will make both pieces more engaging and useful.
Publish the video to your YouTube channel:
“Upload videos in YouTube Studio:
- Sign in to YouTube Studio.
- At the top right, select Upload.
- Select Upload video (beta).
- Select the file you’d like to upload.”
(Google)http://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
Add the specific link to the full article in the video description. Make sure to tell viewers in the description that they can learn more about this topic by clicking the link for the article.
*Top Tip: In addition to the link in your description, you can capture your viewer’s attention even more by using a YouTube card. This is a call to action that pops up in your video, with the link to access the article. Use both methods to maximise traffic to your website!
“Add cards to a video:
- On a computer signed in to your account, go to your Video Manager.
- Find the video that you want to add cards to and select Edit.
- In the tab bar at the top, select Cards.
- Select Add card and choose what type of card you want.
- Next to the type of card that you want to add, select Create.
- If you haven’t done so previously, for some link types select Enable first to accept the Terms and Conditions.
- Enter the URL where you want viewers to be sent from the card.
- Upload an image or select one of the suggestions from the site if applicable. Uploads need to be in .jpg, .gif or .png format and no larger than 5 MB. Keep in mind that this image will be cropped to be square.
- If applicable, edit the title, call to action and any other text (up to 30 characters). You can change the start time for the card teaser in the timeline below the video.
- Select Create card.”
(Google) https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6140493
Embed YouTube video in your article:
“Embed a video:
- On a computer, go to the YouTube video that you want to embed.
- Under the video, click SHARE.
- Click Embed.
- From the box that appears, copy the HTML code.
- Paste the code into your blog or website HTML.”
(Google) https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/171780?hl=en-GB
Now for the fun part…
6 – Blow It Up!
Schedule the snippets with images and/or mini videos attached. Make sure to link back to the article (not the YouTube video).
For Twitter:
Schedule Tweets to repeat multiple times a day in the first week. After that, use a less aggressive schedule. But *note* they can be repeated many times, as Tweets have a short lifespan.
*Top Tip: Add ‘Click to Tweet’ to your posts, to encourage sharing.
e.g. https://clicktotweet.com/
For Facebook and/or LinkedIn:
Post your expanded snippets. Ideally, add them to a loop to be re-posted the following month. *Unlike Twitter* you can’t be as aggressive with reposting on these platforms, because these posts tend to live longer.
Finally, prepare to engage.
7 – Engage Your Audience
Don’t just post and walk away. Nurture engagement with your audience.
Start a conversation around the topic.
Ask questions based on the snippets you’ve been putting out.
For example, a holiday company posts a blog article on their website, “Top 10 Winter Getaways”. On Facebook, they could post side by side images from the article and ask “Where would you rather be this holiday? Skiing under the Northern Lights or sunbathing in the Maldives?”
This will get your audience talking, commenting and sharing your content. Engaging.
*Top Tip: Supercharge this process by running a comment competition. Offer something (related to the content) that has a high perceived value for anyone commenting on the post. After a specified period of time, pick a commenter.
There are tools which will automate this for you. Just make sure you explicitly say that this competition is NOT endorsed by Facebook!
8 – Create PDF Lead Magnet (Optional – good idea if you want customers)
Take your efforts one step further. Beyond just spreading your ideas and brand.
Lead magnets offer value in exchange for a small action – providing an email. Voila. You have a lead. They’re really important, because they help you present your content as real tangible value, which helps you get customers.
Create a PDF of the original keystone. It can be an exact copy, a checklist, process blueprint or a case study. There are loads of lead magnet ideas to choose from. Use a graphic design tool for this.
Try This Tool to Transform Content into a Polished PDF Lead Magnet…
Designrr is a the best graphic tool to use for making a PDF lead magnet. They make it incredibly easy to turn your content (keystone…) into a slick and professional PDF.
How easy?
These are the steps to take to turn this blog post into a PDF:
- Login to Designrr
- Plug in the URL for this post
- There is no step 3…
You can also use Designrr to create a PDF from scratch. They have plenty of templates to choose from.
Either way – it’s worth a look.
Offer the PDF as a free download to be accessed as soon as they give you their email.
Now your keystone can help generate leads for you.
If you’re still having trouble coming up with one, as promised…
The Keystone Loophole: Stand on the Shoulders of Giants
Full disclosure: this is a temporary loophole.
You absolutely have to create your own keystone piece, ASAP.
But, if you’re new to the game and too busy to create one right now…
Use someone else’s.
Find an influencer in your niche or someone you admire.
Try This Tool to Easily Find Influencers in Your Niche…
Right Relevance is a quick and easy way to find the best and brightest minds in your specific line of work. Just search your niche, including your location if you want, and they’ll give you a ton of people (and organisations) that are most influential in that niche.
Want to make it even easier?
Use your Twitter account to login and they will recommend influencers specifically for you.
This is also helpful if you’re looking for a guest blogger, or are interested in guest blogging for someone else.
BE CLEAR that it’s not your content. Properly attribute the author and provide a link back to the original.
This is a good way to cut out a lot of the work, but still fill your social media calendar.
It’s also a great way for newbies to borrow authority.
The author gets the benefit of having their content spread for them, and you get to share proven, valuable content from a trusted authority.
If you’re lucky, it might rub off on you.
Exhausting trying to create new content every day? Here’s a secret… it’s okay to borrow content. In fact, you should. It’ll save you loads of time, and if you’re a newbie, it’s the only way to acquire this one thing…
Click to Tweet
Why should you do all this?
The payoff.
Done right, the Content Hand Grenade will allow you to…
- Consistently manage your social media calendar
- Easily generate quality ideas
- Get more value out of your content
- Attract ideal customers into your sphere of influence
- Spend more time on your business
Does 60 minutes sound like a lot to you?
Remember. That’s 60 minutes…
…to take care of your social media posting for an entire month!
That’s 2 minutes a day. The time it takes to brush your teeth… according to dentists.
Well worth it for a month of being unstuck.
What will you do with yourself?
Oh right. You can get back to running your business.
Take care of your social media posting for an entire month… in just 60 minutes. That’s 2 minutes a day. The time it takes to brush your teeth… according to dentists. Read this to find out how…
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Recap: Key steps to getting Unstuck and creating a killer Social Media Plan
Do NOT skip research. It will help you attract your ideal customers.
Know what type of post you’re aiming for. What is the business goal?
Use the Content Hand Grenade to blow it up:
-
Select your Keystone (from old stuff or borrow someone else’s)
-
Create Auxiliary piece
-
Pull out 5 Snippets for Tweets
-
Expand Snippets for FB or LinkedIn
-
Publish Keystone
-
Schedule Snippets
-
Engage with your Audience
-
Create PDF Lead Magnet
This is just a guide, but there’s plenty of room for variation. The important thing is that you follow the basic steps.
Give it just 60 minutes of your time to set up a whole month’s worth of content.
Download the FREE checklist
Download your copy of the process checklist to guide you through the Content Hand Grenade. Use it over and over again. It will help familiarise you with the steps and ensure that you don’t miss anything important.
We threw in some extra helpful examples for you too;)
Already stuck on step one?
No problem. We can help you with that keystone piece.
Whether it’s creating a customised case study just for your business, or writing a cracking blog post based on an interview with you to get you started, we got you covered.
Or, if you need help with this whole Content Hand Grenade process – we can do that too!
Get in touch with us today. Fill out this quick form.
Hope you found this post useful. If you did, don’t forget to share it!