Let me share a little secret with you. I have mixed feelings about content creation. Coming up with ideas and engaging with my audience is something I love. However, I can't stand how much time it takes. When there's something I don't enjoy, I often put it off or skip it entirely. Trying to keep up with the constant demand for content used to overwhelm me, and I found myself spending more time on social media posts than with my clients.

By being intentional with my planning, I shifted from spontaneous content creation to having an organized editorial calendar, a clear workflow, and batching tasks to make the most of my focus and time spent on content.

Today, we're going to look at how I've streamlined my content creation process. This way, I spend less time on tasks I dislike and more time helping my clients grow their businesses.

Step 1: Plan Like a Pro

First things first—planning is key. Think of it as laying the foundation for a house; without it, everything else falls apart.

Create a Content Calendar

A content calendar is your new best friend. Seriously, if you don't have one yet, stop reading this and go make one. Okay, maybe finish reading this first...but then definitely go make one!

Your content calendar should include:

• Topics: What are you writing about?

• Deadlines: When does it need to be done?

• Platforms: Where will it be published?

• Promotion Plans: How will you share it with the world?

Batch Your Tasks

Batching is a game-changer. Instead of switching between different types of tasks (which can seriously mess with your flow), dedicate specific blocks of time to similar activities. Additionally, I rotate the type of content I’m creating on a weekly basis, since creating a blog post takes me longer, social media is a close second, and emails take me the least amount of time.

In my business, I want to bring people to my website and to my blog. So, if i want my social media and emails to point to content on my blog, I better have that content ready first. And in order to know how all the content interconnects, I need to plan that all out.

Here’s my week-by-week breakdown:

• Week 1 - Editorial calendar and content pipeline planning. Create related freebies if I can fit in the time.

• Week 2 - Blog content (usually 1-3 articles published)

• Week 3 - Email newsletter content (at least 4 emails with links to blog articles and freebies)

• Week 4 - Social media content and review analytics

From there, I batch daily tasks within each type of content, like this:

• Every day - Set a timer and spend 15 min checking all my channels for comments, DM’s, and contacts

• Monday/Tuesday - Reserved for meeting and client work. I don’t create content on these days unless I have to.

• Wednesday - Copywriting, captions, all the words…

• Thursday - Put on my pretty face and create graphics and video

• Friday - Scheduling and overflow tasks

Once you start batching, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Step 2: Tools Are Your Friends

There are so many amazing tools out there designed to make your life easier. Here are some must-haves:

Project Management Tools

I use ClickUp to organize my editorial calendar. I do my topic brainstorming and research within a doc in ClickUp, which I dubbed my content cabinet. Then each email, post, and article is its own task. I’ve set up an automation so that every time I create a new task, a checklist of to-dos is attached automatically. This ensures, I don’t forget any steps along the way.

Trello, Asana, and Airtable are other popular tools to help keep your content and projects tasks on the mark. Each one has a slightly different interface that works for different people and they almost all have a free plan or trial period. So take a look around and try a few before you settle on one that you think will work for you.

Writing Tools

Early on, I discovered I have lots of ideas, I can research each topic appropriately, but I have an hard time getting started actually writing. I tend to write in a stream-of-consciousness style that tends to be less professional. So when AI writing tools came out, I was in heaven. I started out using CopyAI, then experimented with ChatGPT, Writesonic and a few other tools here and there.

Then I found Menekse Stewart and her Marketing Magic app. After some initial set up and a bit of a learning curve, I use this app to do so much in my business! If you are a team of one, I cannot sing the praises of this app more than any other tool I use in my business.

But here’s the kicker, and I will stand by this every time: AI writing tools are a starting point. Always, ALWAYS edit your content for style and content. FACT CHECK the heck out of it! Oh, and if it doesn’t sound like something I’d say in person, it gets re-written.

Graphic Design Tools

Not everyone has a background in graphic design (raises hand), but tools like Canva make it super easy to create stunning visuals without needing a degree from art school. I use Canva consistently. It is the easiest way to set up templates, has a great selection of stock images, and I can create images quickly and easily. And I used the free plan for years before I switched to a paid plan so I could take advantage of their pro features.

Scheduling Tools

I use FEA Create (built on GoHighLevel) within my business to do everything from build my website, publish my blog and social media posts, and send emails to my newsletter. It is an investment to have this all-in-one tool, but not having to switch from system to system to get my work done does save me time and brain power.

If you are planning to work ahead at all on your content (which I highly recommend), then you should find an email list tool and a social media scheduler at the very least. No more forgetting to post. Just load your content and set a schedule. That way, you can focus on creating content rather than constantly posting updates.

Buffer or Hootsuite for social media and MailChimp and ConvertKit are popular tools, although not ones I’ve personally used. Again, they have either a free trial or a free plan, so just like with project management tools, look around until you find one that works for you.

Step 3: Automate Where Possible

Automation might sound intimidating, but it's really just about letting technology handle repetitive tasks so you don't have to.

Email Marketing Automation

How do you handle new subscribers to your list? You should have some sort of email sequence to welcome them to your newsletter, give them basic information about your business, and let them know what they can expect. When looking for a email scheduling tool, make sure they have the option to set up set up automated email sequences for new subscribers or follow-ups after someone downloads your freebie.

Social Media Automation

Remember those scheduling tools we talked about? They often come with automation features that allow you to recycle old posts or automatically share new blog entries across multiple platforms. These “evergreen” posts can be serve two purposes:

1. You don’t have to keep creating new content all the time. Once you’ve built up a base of evergreen content, you can build them into your content schedule.

2. You can create an “emergency pack” of content that is queued and ready to be automatically posted in the event you’re sick or out of commission for a week or two. Just flip the switch and keep the algorithm happy while you recover.

Workflow Automation

Zapier and Pabbly Connect are just a two examples of tools that connects different apps together so they can work seamlessly without manual intervention. For example, you could set up a zap that automatically adds new blog post links to your social media scheduler.

ClickUp also has built-in automations, even on its free plan (although they do limit the number of monthly allowed automations). Other project management tools also utilize native automations, so before you go looking around for another tool to add to your tech stack, check your current tools and see if they're already able to talk to each other.

Step 4: Delegate Like a Boss

You can't do everything yourself—and guess what? You don't have to! Delegating tasks frees up time for you to focus on what only YOU can do (like being the visionary behind your brand).

Hire Freelancers

Consider hiring project-based help to get you stepping off on the right foot. Graphic design, copywriting, and strategic marketing support are all great areas of your business that you could hire out to freelancers. Creating social media graphics might take you 2-3 hours to create, but a freelance graphic designer or social media VA could knock out a few weeks' worth of graphics in that same time.

Build A Team

If you're ready for more consistent help consider hiring a VA to take some of the weight off your shoulders. Many VAs specialize in marketing and social media management and may also be able to help with metrics analysis as well.

Step 5: Review & Revise Regularly

Finally remember no system is perfect from day one—it evolves over time based on feedback experience changing needs in your business.

Make sure to regularly review and revise workflows to see what's working and what's not - adjust accordingly! And hey don’t beat yourself up if something doesn’t go perfectly first try—we're all learning here!

Bonus Points: Documentation

Mapping out your workflow from start to finish, noting where different tasks get handed off to the next team member, and noting task dependencies is a good way to ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to responsibilities and deadlines.

You can write out the process quite simply in a doc, but I personally prefer using a visual diagramming tool like Miro or Lucid Chart to map out the steps from start to finish. Once I've done that, I'll create SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for critical steps along the way that explicitly show someone how to create that step.

Phew! That's a lot!

So there ya have it—a comprehensive guide streamlining content creation workflows! Implement these steps watch chaos transform into calm clarity confidence... And maybe just maybe enjoy little extra free time too! 😎