Creating multiple pieces of content from one inspiration
How do you take one idea and break it down into several different pieces of content? It all starts with inspiration.
The most important part of the writing process is getting started. It can be frustrating when you feel you can’t get momentum. I find nature is a perfect place to find inspiration, no matter the season! Nature is full of natural beauty and moments completely out of your control. Moments that force you to be nothing but an observer. Try watching the snow fall on a cold night, listen to birds welcoming in spring, or take your pup for a walk through the woods. Once you get something that sparks creativity, think about how it relates to your business–perhaps a client experience or new product offering–and start weaving your words.
Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, tap into what you’re feeling, and be as descriptive as possible. Try asking yourself these questions:
What about this (insert inspirational moment) captures my attention?
How does it make me feel?
What does it make me think about in life and business?
What recent business experience have I had that might relate?
Write big and unencumbered … you will go back and edit later! Now that you have your story written, it’s time to hone it into a blog post.
Step 1: The blog post
A blog post is the big picture of your idea. It gives readers a chance to do a deep dive into whatever subject you’re writing about. Blog post lengths depend a bit on the subject matter, who your audience is, and what channels you are promoting on. One school of thought is your blog should be as long as it needs to be. (This is my preferred method of writing.) There are two primary versions:
Long-form → At least 1,200 words. Examples may be a more technical topic (think a medical breakthrough, a new piece of manufacturing equipment, or a governmental ruling) that may lend itself to a long form.
Short-form → Less than 1,000 words. Perhaps a more conversational post (like this one for instance) or promotional piece is better suited as a short-form post.
!!Caution!! Try not to go under 500 words. These types of blog posts are called “snackables” and don’t generally get as much engagement.
All that being said, the consensus is that longer is better. Why, you might ask? Because people want more information and are willing to spend time reading and engaging if it’s well written. As a business, you can include more search words (think SEO) here.
Writing this many words may seem challenging at first, as the idea of describing something for 1000 words can be daunting, but try not to look at it this way. Once you have the direction that you want the blog to take, start writing! You will be surprised how quickly you enter the flow state. Once you’ve got your story written, go back and edit it and make sure it relates to your business.
Now let’s break it apart.
Step 2: The Newsletter
The main purpose of a newsletter is to engage with your email list. Take a main point from your blog post and create a condensed version for your audience.
The key to writing a newsletter is to find the balance between editing down your blog, without losing the core. If the blog you put together contains multiple pieces of inspiration, an easy way to cut it down is to make each one into its own newsletter. You’re able to keep the descriptive and creative nature of your writing, while also being able to produce more content.
Step 3: Social media posts
Think of social media posts as a highlight reel of your blog post. Think of what information you would want people to retain from your story if they only looked at it for five seconds. Include the most important details and descriptive words (think SEO here) that you used in your bog, and put them front and center in your post. This will help retain your readers’ attention. Have your call to action (CTA) by signing up for the newsletter or leading them back to your blog for more info. Keep in mind that the tone of your posts may need to be modified depending on the platform you are posting to. Pro Tip: you should be able to pull three to five posts from one blog.
So there you have it - a blog post, a newsletter, and several social media posts all from one inspiring moment.
