When I just started with blogging, I found it very difficult to stay consistent with creating new posts. Some weeks, I would publish one or two and then go AWOL for the rest of the month.
When I reminisce on those early days, I begin to notice that the underlying problem with my inconsistent blogging wasn’t because of lack of ideas but rather a lack of structure and a comprehensive content creation plan.
Later on, I was able to create some structure and a blogging plan that helped me stay consistent and publish regularly for myself and other platforms.
So, in this post, I want to share a few ideas you can use to create structure and a blogging plan that will help you consistently create content even when you get too busy.
Let’s get right to it.
Understand Why Consistency Matters
Consistency is not just self-satisfying. It’s also about your audience. It builds trust and familiarity, as you’re able to show that you care about your niche and can demonstrate your expertise over the long-term.
This consistency encourages viewers to constantly visit your pages to find new content that they might be interested in.
More so, did you know that online brands that consistently create and publish content attract over 60% more leads than brands that are inconsistent?
This shows that blogging frequency could boost your online visibility, especially on social media platforms where algorithms value page freshness.
Create a Realistic Content Calendar
It makes sense to create a content calendar to guide you if you want to stay consistent with creating content.
But it’s more important to keep your content calendar realistic, as this could make or break your motivation to keep creating.
An unrealistic content calendar would make content creation feel like a burden, while a realistic one would align with your lifestyle and preferred posting frequency.
According to research by the Content Marketing Institute, creators who have planned content strategies are 60% more likely to follow through.
This shows that your first step towards consistent content creation could be just documenting your content plan via a realistic content calendar.
Repurpose Old Content
Many bloggers and content creators lose out by not taking a second look at their old content, and this is sometimes a big miss.
I usually look at the performances of my content and to refresh, repurpose, or republish old content that either needs an update or a rewrite, and this usually ends up being loved by both readers and algorithms.
It’s been found that repurposing content could help creators reduce content creation time while significantly improving engagement.
So, if you want to quickly create content and stay consistent without burning out, simply repurpose your old content.
Batch-Create Your Content
I must admit that I really struggle with batch creation but the few times I tried it, it worked so well and freed up time for me to do other things.
So, my usual content schedule is one article daily or in the worst case, 2 days. However, with batch creation, I simply create a group of 10 posts and schedule them for publishing over 20 days. This gives me a lot of room, mostly the rest of the month to do other tasks such as marketing.
This works well if you anticipate a tight schedule ahead such as a family responsibility, a holiday, educational or career commitment, etc; and want to avoid task-switching which might affect your content quality.
So, you simply create content for those tight periods and go ahead living your life without disappointing your readers.
Automate Whatever You Can
This is now my new mantra when it comes to content creation. I automate everything and anything I can whenever possible.
Not only does automation speed up my production time, it helps with oversight and ensures that I follow through my content creation plan.
Some of the tasks that I automate include content scheduling, user onboarding, image sourcing, content planning, keyword research, and marketing.
Create Simple Systems
The worst decision you can make is to complicate your content creation process. Not only does it lead to slower content creation time, it could also lead to decision fatigue where you become confused on what tools or systems to use.
Instead of complicating your content creation process, choose to create templates and simple systems that allow you to create fast without the need to make too many decisions.
For example, you could use design templates for creating thumbnails and use an outline to simplify your content writing.
Every time I write, I always use an outline and one platform, which is Google Docs. So, all I do is open Docs, create post outlines, and start writing.
This simplifies my content writing process so fast that I could go from template to a full blog post ready for publishing in just one hour.
Stay Active with Micro Content
Too busy to create content? Feeling a little bit lazy to follow through your content creation process? Simply stay active with micro content.
Micro content could include a 10-second short video, short content pieces like motivational quotes, a short industry breaking news or tips, etc.
The goal is to stay active with micro content instead of missing out on posting all together. This helps you stay consistent and keep your page fresh, which is good for keeping users engaged and staying on the good books of the algorithms.
Leverage your Energy Peaks
One of the best ways to stay consistent with content creation is to create at the time of the day when you’re most up for it.
You don’t have to work against yourself by waking up too early or working late into the night to achieve content targets. Simply track your energy levels and find your peak energy periods when you feel like creating.
I’ve found that I work better just before noon and not later than 5pm. That’s from 10am upwards, so I leverage those peak energy periods to create content.
In fact, I just had to check the time to confirm and it reads 10:44am. Right now, I could work up until just after noon, then I take a break and resume just before 2pm, and then conclude around 5pm.
Incorporate Rest and Periodic Breaks
I don’t think I’ll be able to consistently deliver content if I don’t include rest in my content creation process.
Without periodic breaks between work sessions, I would probably burnout and lose motivation to keep creating.
It’s been proven that creators who incorporate rest into their work sessions show more consistency over time than those who don’t.
So, instead of unnecessarily working long hours without rest and risking burnout, create scheduled breaks and plan periodic time off work to refresh and recharge.
Define What Consistency Means to You
Consistency means different things to different creators.
While some creators want to consistently publish once a week, some want to post once a day or even multiple times per day.
You don’t have to go with the bandwagon and start cranking out content like a content mill. Instead, match your posting schedule to the needs of your audience and the resources at your disposal.
Remember, it’s easier to fall to the level of your systems rather than rising to the level of your goals. So, create your content plan around achievable systems rather than relying on bursts of motivation, which might not be enough to help you stay consistent over time.
FAQs on Staying Consistent with Content Creation
How often should I post to stay consistent?
It depends on your niche and the resources at your disposal. Some niches like news and politics might require multiple postings per day, while niches like digital marketing might require less posting frequency.
Can I maintain consistency without automation tools?
Of course, you can maintain consistency without automation tools. However, automation helps make consistency easier, as it frees up time to focus on other more creative tasks, which might build consistency.
What should I do if I miss my posting schedule?
Simply resume whenever you can. It’s not abnormal to miss your posting schedule once in a while. However, letting your posting gaps become wider could discourage your audience and reduce your page freshness.
Are short-form videos a good way to stay consistent?
Of course. Short-form video could fill content publishing gaps and help you keep your audience engaged.
How do I avoid burnout while staying consistent?
Simply incorporate rest and periodic breaks into your content publishing process. You can take breaks in-between work sessions and also take time off during weekends.
Another way to stay consistent without burning out is to batch-create and schedule content for auto posting ahead of a more extended break in the future.
