Back in college, I still remember how difficult it was to write those lengthy essays in literature class…it might’ve taken me a week to write a three-page paper!
But after I graduated college and started blogging, I was amazed at how much faster I could write. I was able to write a 1500-word article in half an hour. I was publishing articles every day. I was creating an enormous amount of content…and it wasn’t hard. I couldn’t help but wonder how this was possible when it might take me all day to write a simple 500-word essay in college!
The key was creating content I liked, using the best content strategies I preferred. Once I found my unique type of content creation strategy, I was able to create far more content, much faster…and it was only getting better over time.
Now that you’re in charge of creating content for your website, it’s important you know what content creation strategy works best for you. You don’t have a teacher issuing you long essays for homework — there’s no one right way to create content or spread your message. Your content is entirely up to you and your team.
If you can determine what type of content you like creating and the methods behind it, you’ll be able to produce much more content, much faster (which, as we know, have a high correlation with website revenue)…but you’ll have fun doing it!
It’s no secret that content creators are experiencing more burnout than ever. Unfortunately, many content creators are stuck in the old mindset that they have to write a certain amount of content each week in ways they hate, leading to exhaustion and increased anxiety about the future of their site and personal income.
It doesn’t have to be this way. If you can find the right strategy, you can produce more high-quality content that earns your website more revenue, without getting burnt out by exhausting content strategies that don’t work for you.
This article will help you determine the best content strategy for you and brand so you can continue to consistently produce high-quality content without getting burnt out.
The Hero
The Hero archetype is rooted in personal experiences, thoughts, feelings, insights, and lessons gained on your journey, and sharing those lessons with your audience. The Hero:
- Is not an “expert” (yet)
- Does not have all the answers
- Makes mistakes
- Is still figuring it all out
You might be wondering, what kind of content creator like that would ever get an audience? Why would anyone follow someone who makes mistakes, doesn’t have all the answers, and is still figuring things out?
You may be surprised to realize how powerful this archetype is, and how good these content creators are at getting followers. In his massively popular podcast Armchair Expert (20 million monthly listeners), host Dax Shepard revealed that the reason he thought his podcast works so well is because isn’t because he’s the #1 expert in his field; it’s precisely because he and his guests are so vulnerable about their fears/shortcomings, and honest about their quest to seek answers from more learned experts. That’s why people listen.
You could be creating content about pet ownership, cryptocurrency, entrepreneurship, and any number of high-level topics…and you can build a massive and loyal audience if you position yourself as “the hero,” using your lack of knowledge as an advantage instead of a hindrance.
Some simple content creation strategies for a Hero revolve around personal honesty, vulnerability, and openness about yourself and your journey. Your audience will vicariously live through you, using your own shortcomings and mistakes to make better decisions about their own life and goals.
Some of the best industries and fields for Hero content strategies:
- Lifestyle
- Parenting
- Home decor/gardening
- Personal growth
- Travel
- Influencer
- Startup
The Reporter
The Reporter is the type of content creator that builds their following through pure data and in-depth analysis of their subject matter. These content creators build a following through curating and organizing complex, pertinent pieces of data to make persuasive claims.
Reporters become known as the go-to information source, because most feelings/emotions/opinions are left out of their work. Their work speaks for itself; they build their credibility and authority on logic and facts, making them one of the most trusted voices in their field.
If you’re constantly researching your field, reading books, listening to podcasts, analyzing data, and consuming facts, you’re probably a short step away from being an excellent Reporter-based content creator. If you prefer to let the facts speak for themselves and are more interested in presenting data and results instead of your opinions, the Reporter content creator is probably right up your alley.
As such, your content creation plan and content strategies should be founded on data and statistics, studies and facts. These pieces of content typically take a bit longer to create, but are usually far more evergreen and reliable over a long period of time. Your content will always be boosted by illustrations, facts, and data, and you should constantly include these resources in your work.
For your content calendar, reporter-type content creators should focus on creating fewer pieces of content while greatly increasing their quality and reliability. This type of content typically lends itself very well to optimization and editing to reflect current data, and can expect to be read and reread countless times as time goes on.
If you love consuming your field’s content yourself, especially facts-based and logical data type content, it’s a short step away from high-caliber Reporter content. Focus on the quality and evergreen reliability of your work so your current and future readers can continue coming back to your content.
Some of the best industries and fields for Reporter content strategies:
- Marketing
- News/politics
- Finance
- Business
- Industry trends
- Sports
- Technology
The Expert
The Expert is a master in their field. They have been around a block countless times, and have learned pretty much all there is to know to be one of the most trusted voices in their industry from sheer experience.
The Expert’s content strategy is based on longstanding expertise and knowledge that typically dwarfs most other subject matter experts in their field. Their opinions and insights are almost as good as data-driven facts, simply because the Expert has so much authority behind their thoughts. This is their superpower; they can speak about their topic with more authority than most because of the time they’ve put in and the knowledge they’ve gained over many years.
Content creators that fall in the Expert category have usually spent many years, perhaps decades, learning all there is to know about their field. They’ve spent more time than almost anyone else in their field mastering their subject matter, making mistakes, trying experiments, and discovering the most advanced and high-level answers.
As such, the Expert’s content strategy is based on their extreme authority, knowledge, and know-how about the most important parts of their field.
Some of the best industries and fields for Expert content strategies:
- Real estate
- Investing
- Education/teaching
- Legal
- Fitness/nutrition
In Conclusion
The truth is, you’re not limited to any one content strategy; you can apply your current knowledge and expertise to any industry and make a unique angle from your experience. Sometimes, combining a lack of knowledge in industries saturated with experts can help you stand out from the crowd; other times a logical data-driven approach can be a refreshing take in industries full of sensationalized emotions and opinions.
As long as you find the right content strategy for yourself, you’ll be able to create more high-quality content that aligns with your message and preferred style. This strategy will not only let you stand out from your competitors, but contribute to an overall boost in traffic and revenue.
So, ask yourself: Which content strategy is right for you?
