Squirrel Syndrome: 7 Content Creation Cures for the Distractible Speaker

I get it. You’re super busy, scrambling in all different directions trying to build your reserves so you can finally rest for the Winter.

Okay, well, we both know speakers don’t rest for Winter, or Summer, or for any other season, but this is a metaphor I’m working on here, so hang in there with me. Like our friend the squirrel, we creatives and entrepreneurs can get distracted quite easily by the next thing.

We can also get stymied by decisions or overwhelmed by advice on marketing and producing, so much so, that we stop thinking about the future, and we go into survival mode.

Survival mode is not where the joyful sustainability I want for you comes from.

Something I hear often, which makes me chuckle a bit, is when a speaker with a well-established platform, tells me he doesn’t know how to create enough quality content for his blog or social posts.

I chuckle because he’s a speaker, so he already has a ton of content in his speeches. From this, he can then create his podcast, ebooks, posts, blogs and newsletters.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of not what, but how and when to get the content formatted and online.

The goal is to curate the content you already have, make sure it is still timely and current, and then serve it up in bite-sized or sometimes, plate-sized portions.

I personally like dessert-sized portions, because I like dessert – no, that’s not the reason.

It’s because I do a lot of research for my work with Speakers, and if I come across something really great, I’ll put it in my reader file to take my time with, like a great dessert. I’ll also revisit it often and it stays with me.

Use this idea when creating your content – make it irresistible and special enough to be savored and saved for review after review by your readers. A good helping article is like a good dessert, it’s memorable and makes you want more when you’ve finished it.

Here’s a quick list of ways out of the overload of to-dos and have-tos when it comes to making sure your blogs, social media and newsletters are chock-full of engaging and on-topic content.

Using a few of these, or all of them, will help you create more content, targeted to your audience, which they will love and engage with more.

1. Batch it.

I do this, as you know if you follow me, and it is a game changer. I have a batch work day and I turn (most) everything else off and batch my way through the scheduled posts, articles, tasks and to-dos that I create which assure I’m staying connected with my audience and Members.

It’s pretty-much sacred time that I schedule months in advance and nothing gets in the way. Since developing this discipline, my business has grown and my stress level diminished – both greatly.

2. Use online resources to create knock ’em dead titles that capture attention.

Try Impactbnd.com, title-Generator.com or grab our free sexy selling word list here.

Don’t skimp on the effort you put in here, because a good title is worth its weight in…..I really want to say nuts here, because of the squirrel theme and all, but you know….gold. If titles don’t come easily to you, that’s okay, there’s an art to them. Skip the heavy lifting and ask for the help you need.

3. Use an easy to read format that is also easily digestible. Don’t clunk all your content into long paragraphs or it will get skimmed over, and then forgotten. Let’s face it, people’s attention spans are short.

4. Give, at minimum, one good take away your readers can put into action right away.

People connect long-term with those who they believe understand them, and who are putting out information that they see as beneficial to their career or goals. Sounds obvious, but here’s the hook: You have an audience, so speak to them and feed them first.

Take good care of your current followers and the new ones will come along. Stay focus on those in front of you always, and they will bring along their friends and colleagues.

5. Emulate a winning blog format to help you format your posts and stop sweating the design stuff.

This one from Michael Hyatt is a great example that will help you tremendously. Remember, you’re looking at the format and structure so that you can fit your original content into something proven by one of the best online communicators of all time. It’s your voice your readers are coming to hear, not someone else’s.

Post structures https://michaelhyatt.com/3-great-blog-post-structures/ or here is another you can use on Hubspot.

6. Hiring an excellent copywriter is like treating yourself to an extra cherry, or three, on your sundae.

You’re an ideas person, a creative, a business guru, but maybe you’re only so-so in the wordsmithing department. Or maybe you’re just not that into writing day in and day out, week after week, for a living.

That’s okay, because there are copy-artistes out there who love this life and want to write for you. A good copywriter will get to know the way you use language and internalize your message.

Then she’ll craft content, and possibly curate outside content for you as well, to help you maintain the relationship with your audience – in your own voice.

Copy is an art you can learn, but you can also hire it out and reap the rewards with only the effort required to send your jumbled notes to your copywriter who will transform them into something readable, sharable – memorable.

7. Make sure that while you are mining your current files for sharable content, you’re also scheduling time to create a storehouse of new content for future release.

When you work on it ahead of time, you release yourself from the potential blocks of deadlines, presentation prep pressure and time-zappers that you didn’t plan on. When that crazy week hits, or you book that dream gig or vacation, you know going to be okay in your content-world because you have some really great stuff in your reserves.

Don’t forget: Your post needs to be created with intention and it must work for you. Yes, you want it to draw your audience in. You want it to engage them and educate or entertain them. But at the end of the day, your goal is create your content in order to attract your readers into your sales funnel.

People need to trust you and the more they return to read what you’re sharing, the more chances you have to build authentic relationships built on trust.

It’s only after trust is established that people will book you or buy from you. Your content, and the consistency with which you put it out there, is the key to a sustainable career.

Ready to level up your speaking biz? Join our FREE Facebook group of awesome speakers over at “Grow Your Speaking Biz” See you over there!