When you’re self-employed, taking a break is essential for rest and rejuvenation. I love to make the most of summers. I try to align with the school holidays so I can enjoy time outdoors with the children and travel back home to see family and friends. As a result, I tend to stop posting online during this period, which creates a bit of a visibility gap. Letting visibility slide means that I often get back to my desk and end up PANIC MARKETING! Offering discounts and hustling my buns off to remind people what I do! Not ideal to say the least!
This ultimately puts me on the back foot. September and sometimes October too, I have to invest a lot of time and energy in visibility to get back into lead flow (enquiries and appointment for my services).
I’ve been researching and experimenting a strategy that a lot of successful businesses use. It’ll allow me to maintain a consistent online presence without sacrificing my well-deserved time off. And I don’t need a team of writers and marketers to implement it.
Here’s my practical five-step process for creating a content bank that maintains visibility while you enjoy your break.
Step 1: Work backwards
Before diving into content creation, take a moment to think about what you want to achieve when you get back to the office. What services will you want to offer? And what problems does this service solve for your clients?
Spend 10 to 15 minutes brainstorming themes and topics that align with your future goals. This exercise will lay the foundation for a strategic content bank that supports your business objectives.
Step 2: Get Acquainted with Chat GPT
Yes we’re going to use AI, did you see that coming? The AI is just as an accelerator here. You’ll be putting your own voice in too. To ensure your content sounds like you and makes sense for your audience you’ll need to brief the bot! I recommend giving Chat GPT all the information possible so that it understands your business and your target market. I have a set of 20 questions that I use with my clients that works a treat! These questions help Chat GPT understand your unique voice and service offerings. Feel free to message me for the question set, or hop on a call with me to hear more about this process.
Step 3: Generate 30 value-packed post ideas
Now that Chat GPT knows a bit more about your business, it’s time to generate post ideas. Ask for 10 post ideas, then give Chat GPT some feedback, just like you would if you were working with a copy-writer or designer. Don’t forget to say please 😛
Keep requesting more ideas, choosing the best ones each time until you have a solid collection that provides value to your audience and lays a path to the service you’ll actively be promoting when you get back. Document these ideas in a spreadsheet for easy reference. This process allows you to show up for your audience and offer valuable insights while you enjoy your time away. It also means that you don’t have to get back into ‘work-mode’ when your off galavanting and livin’ yo’ best life.
Step 4: Visuals
Collect relevant and eye catching images or create simple graphics using Canva. If you have brand photos, use them! For single-image posts, opt for clean and visually appealing designs. If you’re feeling adventurous, and you have the time, consider creating videos or carousel posts for added variety. Simplicity is key here. We want to focus on brining value rather than getting caught up in perfectionism. A strong statement or image can be just as effective as fancy-schmancy designs.
Step 5: Schedule or keep it handy
To ensure a seamless content flow, schedule your posts using your preferred scheduling tool. Alternatively, if you prefer to ‘be there’ keep a spreadsheet linked on your phone, allowing you to easily access and publish your content whenever the time is right. The goal is to maintain visibility effortlessly while you’ live your best life during you’re on your break.
This process took me about 2 hours to get 32 posts lined up.
My structure: 8 blogposts (for 8 weeks) with 3 supporting social media posts for each week. Plus 6 ‘conversation starter’ posts. These are designed for engagement and I’ll use them when I have the some time to reply to comments and pop into the DMS.
By creating a content bank before your break, you’ll maintain visibility, establish and keep your audience engaged while you enjoy your time away. This strategic approach saves you from the stress of having to ramp up visibility campaigns or resorting to last-minute marketing tactics and discounting when you get back.
Your content bank serves as a kind of pre-launch sequence, allowing you to effortlessly transition back to the office while nurturing your audience’s interest in your upcoming services.
This is actually a process that can be used for busy periods too, not just for holidays.
Will you create a summer content bank? Fancy a brainstorm? Tap over here to schedule a call with me.