“You’re trying hard not to show it, but baby, baby I know it… You’ve lost that loving feeling...”
– The Righteous Brothers
It’s Valentine’s Day, which means it’s the perfect time to be thinking about folks who are near and dear to your heart. But while this holiday is traditionally reserved for showering your partner with love and affection, digital marketers can think about the relationship they have with their content creation strategy.
Most people start their content creation journey with feelings of inspiration and excitement. However, if you’ve already used all of your great ideas and your creativity is running dry, creating new content can now feel like a chore. So how do you rekindle your passion for content creation?
Digital marketing is a lot like a marriage. Sometimes, you’ve got to work a little harder to keep the spark alive.
Need some ideas on how to re-romance your content creation strategy? You’re in luck! Here are 14 simple steps you can start taking today to fall back in love with content creation while wowing your audience.
1. Learn Something New
Life is about the journey, not the destination. A big aspect of your journey is continually learning. As soon as you quit growing and learning, you’ll start to die. Learning new skills was part of what made creating content so much fun in the first place. While it might have seemed intimidating at times, you also felt exhilarated conquering that crazy learning curve.
Learning new skills is essential for your business and yourself. As soon as you start resting on what you already know, you’ll quickly get bored. Soon after, a clever new creator will come up fast in your rearview mirror.
Consider adding a new skill to your existing arsenal. Cover a new topic that scares you or try your hand at a new piece of equipment or software you’ve never used before.
Continuous learning equates to a lifelong love for your content creation strategy.
2. Follow Accounts That Inspire You
Whether you’re creating videos for TikTok or images for Instagram, it can be tough to continuously keep coming up with fresh ideas for new content. This can suck all the fun out of making content and leave you feeling worn out.
A great way to jumpstart your creativity is to find and follow accounts that inspire you. Are you a lifestyle blogger? Track down some other writers whose words stir your soul. Or maybe you run a fashion channel on YouTube. Find some new accounts you’ve never watched before.
Following other creators who inspire you will get you excited about dreaming up new content strategies.
3. Join a Community
The life of a content creator can get pretty lonely. This is especially true if you work remotely. All that time spent being solo can swiftly take its toll.
We are social creatures that crave connection. While hanging out with your friends or spending time with your partner is fulfilling, you also need to be part of a group of like-minded professionals.
Joining a community of creators will make you feel less alone. You can also collaborate, bounce ideas off one another, and ask for valuable feedback. Being part of a pack can revive your love of your craft.
But connecting with others doesn’t have to just include other content creators. You can also reach out to that wonderful follower who always leaves you adoring comments. Or connect with that person on Twitter whose posts always make you laugh.
4. Flex Your Strengths
While instant gratification can be easily obtained by scarfing down a pint of ice cream or impulse shopping on Amazon, long-term gratification comes from employing your unique strengths.
Can you make any situation seem fun? Do you always find light in the darkness? Are you perpetually kind?
Continuously using your signature strengths can give you an enduring sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. After identifying your strengths, find creative ways to apply them to your business.
5. Write Down Some Actionable Goals
Did you know that 80% of people will fail at their New Year’s resolutions? It’s because they set the bar way too high.
While having goals is a great motivator, it’s crucial to never set lofty ones. Having unattainable goals can make you feel defeated and drained.
Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based. Write down SMART goals that you can achieve within a particular timeframe. You should also give yourself a hard deadline for each goal to stay on track.
For instance, your goal can be: I want to create five new pieces of content this month.
Every day, take a small step that moves you closer to achieving that goal. For the above example, you can aim to come up with one idea for new content per day.
6. Celebrate Small Wins
As a content creator, it can be easy to compare yourself to more successful accounts. To keep your love of content creation from growing stale, it’s essential to celebrate your victories, no matter how small they might seem. Did you gain two new followers this month? Did 24 people watch your video? Every drop in the bucket is important.
At the end of each week, write down three accomplishments. Every month, review your wins and see how far you’ve come. You might surprise yourself.
7. Write Your Personal Manifesto
Today’s top brands stand for something bigger than themselves. So should you.
Grab a notebook and explore what you stand for and who you want to be. These are your core values.
Come up with five core values that your content stands for. If they don’t make your soul sing out in excitement, you’re not being honest enough. Don’t settle for anything less than extraordinary.
What do you want the world to know you stand for?
8. Create a Vision Board
Vision boards are a great tool to stay focused on your dreams. They’re a collage of photos, words, and phrases that represent your goals. Vision boards can help you set better intentions, boost motivation, provide focus, and enhance your creativity.
Take some time tomorrow to construct a vision board for your content creation strategy. Find images of other creators that inspire you or photos of the content you want to make. Print out motivational quotes or inspiring words that make you want to work harder.
Hang your vision board above your workspace or in an area where you can see it every day.
9. Ask for Feedback
Whether it’s a glowing review or constructive criticism, getting feedback from your followers can make you a better content creator. While positive feedback will make you feel fabulous, constructive criticism can help you identify opportunities for improvement.
Make a post asking your audience for real, honest feedback. If somebody gets nasty, ignore and block them. Trolls are never welcome.
10. Rally Your Biggest Fans
It might be your mom, your best friend, or your partner. But whoever your biggest fan is, contact them for a quick pep talk today. Listening to folks who sincerely love you, support you, and think you’re the best thing since sliced bread will make you feel like a rockstar. And who doesn’t love that?
11. Find a Coach
Entrepreneurs are risk-takers. They live life on their own terms and draw their own maps. While these traits definitely make you awesome, you should still ask for help when you need it. This doesn’t diminish your amazing qualities.
If your passion for content creation is a little lackluster, why not find a coach? Working with a seasoned expert can help you see your content in a whole new light. A coach can also give you new ideas and set you on the right path if you’ve made a wrong turn.
12. Daily Affirmations
Much like a vision board, daily affirmations can help you hone in on your content creation goals. These simple phrases can also tweak your way of thinking.
Write down some affirmations to boost your confidence and love of content creation. Some affirmations to consider include:
- I naturally think outside the box and create inspiring content.
- I seek to achieve my highest good and contribute to the good of others through my content.
- I am committed to reaching my content creation goals.
13. Revisit Your “Why”
Think back to the day when you first started making content. What inspired you to do so? What excited you about the process?
Revisiting the “why” behind your decision to become a content creator can rejuvenate your passion and excitement.
14. Unplug
Remember that old adage, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder?” While it might have been originally intended for relationships between people, this proverb can also be applied to your relationship with content creation.
If you feel burnt-out or bored, unplug from creating content entirely. Spend the day out in nature or grab dinner with friends. By spending some time offline and in the real world, you can become fonder of content creation once again.
Wrapping Up
Whether you decide to join a community, learn a new skill, or completely unplug, these 14 tips can help you fall in love with content creation all over again.
