Tip for business owners who want to start creating content

Guest post by Andrea Casanova, viral marketer, content creator and public speaker.

In the past two years, we’ve seen organic content evolve incredibly fast. This evolution has helped people, brands, and businesses reach massive audiences that normally only a six-figure marketing budget could reach, making content strategy a priority for most small businesses. But this new norm doesn’t make the learning curve any less overwhelming.

Here are some of my favorite tips before creating content for your small business:

1. Document your journey

One of the main reasons business owners don’t enjoy the content creation process is because of overthinking. Depending on a “concept” prior to understanding the culture within each platform can often lead to burnout. What I recommend to my clients—and what I also do myself—is to simply document the journey. Record yourself, from getting your service or product done all the way to what you do on your personal time, then utilize that footage and create a piece based on that. This transparency will also help you emotionally connect with your audience a little more!

2. Beware of the expert blindspot

As we become experts in our fields and begin scaling professionally, we start developing a subconscious understanding of the product or service we offer. When we create content from that level of understanding, we start creating gaps between our expertise and the narratives that our audience comprehends. Before scripting your videos, ask yourself: Is the solution and/or value I’m providing through this content piece obvious to my audience?

3. Prioritize sharing your story

The main questions people ask when creating content is: How can I make this go viral? How can I make this look and sound good?

People focus on making a content piece so visually engaging and appealing that they slowly start to forget about their core messaging. A big part of a marketing strategy (if not all) is the “why” together with the “who” behind the product. Prior to creating content, sit down with your core team and journal your story. I love doing this by following Pixar’s storytelling formula:

• Once upon a time there was… [you at the stage before starting your biz]
• Every day, [the routine established]
• One day, [turning point: problem arises]
• Because of that, [how you started working on your solution]
• Until finally, [the product or service was born]

4. Choose steady & consistent over viral

Going viral has become the norm—but is it healthy? Not always. Trust me, I’m a viral marketer that has been strategizing since the YouTube days and have seen all kinds of algorithms. There are two main things to understand: one, just because you get a lot of views doesn’t mean you’re reaching your ideal customer, and two, if you go viral for other reasons, you might attract an audience that doesn’t care about your product and/or service. In addition to this, I’ve had clients go viral so quickly, prior to having an inventory ready for the masses, that it was really hard to fulfill the orders. Choose slow and steady over viral any day!

5. Seek inspiration from other industries

Looking at what your competitors are doing, as well as what your industry or field is up to, is vital to creating a social strategy. Constantly looking at what your competitor is doing, however, can be daunting. Rather than only seeking inspiration within your niche, look at what adjacent businesses, industries, or creators are doing so that you open yourself to newer storytelling avenues.

Important: You DO NOT need to post 3x a day

The more content you create, the better you’ll get at it… and the faster you’ll burn yourself out too if you let it. As a business owner who probably wears many hats, I recommend finding the quantity that is sustainable for you. 

At the end of the day, content creation should be fun!