You’ve just had a content strategy session with someone like me, perhaps even me, and you feel pumped about your content. You have a spring in your step and you feel like a boss! Fast forward five minutes and you’re already questioning if you are capable of carrying out the content plan you helped create. The initial high of being in control has waned and now you’re thinking, how the hell you are going to stick to a content management plan when you can’t even stick to a no coffee rule for more than a day and a half.

No, I’m not in your head. No, I’m not psychic … oh wait! I know how you feel because I talk to people like you every single day. Some days I am you! I feel the exact same way! This is what puts me in a position to know how to overcome that content planning hangover.

The trick to any plan is to make it achievable. Does the concept of SMART goals sound familiar to you?

• Sustainable
• Manageable
• Achievable
• Reflective
• Totally awesome.

OK, I made that last part up myself.

These are indeed the five pillars of a great content management plan:

Sustainable

You want to make sure that you are not spending your time creating content that will not give you any ROI. Content otherwise known as “useless”. Make sure that anything that you create has a purpose in your business.

Manageable

You enjoy writing blogs, do that. If you love doing podcasts, then podcast away. If you plan yourself five videos per week that you want to produce all DIY but have no idea of video editing, then you should probably either stick to what you know and like creating or outsource the parts of the process that you don’t know.

Achievable

You have an event that is coming up in 2 weeks and you haven’t created any content to support the marketing of the event. Pumping out 15 blogs, 7 podcasts and 28 Facebook lives in the next week isn’t likely to make much difference. In fact, it will create even more stress for you on top of what you already have leading up to your event. You know you should have started marketing with your content ages ago to introduce this amazing new service you’ve just added to your portfolio. Let it go. Make plans for the next one and start building up the interest without feeling like you’re pushing poop uphill.

Reflective

Stay focused on what your business values are. Being clear on what your core content is will help when shiny content syndrome hits. When you want to create content about anything but what is actually in your plan. Always refer back to your core content. If your new content isn’t related to your core content, you might want to have yourself checked for shiny content syndrome.

Totally Awesome

Don’t worry about what content others create. It’s good to know what else is “out there” in your niche but if you find yourself having green content envy syndrome (which is closely related to shiny content syndrome), take a step back and refer to the previous point about being “Reflective”.

Your content management plan should be such that when you refer to it, you don’t feel nauseous from overwhelm. It should make you feel elated and happy and should definitely give you a sense of achievement each time you tick something off it.

Do you have a content management plan that makes you feel all those things? Excellent! Keep up the great work!

However, if you’d rather go to the dentist than tackle your content management plan or if you have no content plan at all, let’s have a chat about how we can change that situation for the better.