5-step framework for long-form content creation

Creating content is hard enough but generating new ideas for what to share & how to share it is a whole other ball game. It can lead you right into burn out if you’re not careful *ahem I know from experience*…

What I’ve seen for myself & for so many other entrepreneurs is that we get on the never-ending hamster wheel of content creation. It looks like: coming up with the idea, creating the post, sharing the post, rinse & repeat.

creating long form content can be an incredibly exhausting process & lead to burn out, which is why I was so passionate about finding a solution for myself & for my clients. I wanted content creation to be a fun process. I wanted it to feel easy, effortless, & fun! I wanted to see my content move me closer to my goals. I wanted it to bring new people in to my services & resources. I wanted it to serve & help people with problems they’re having in their businesses. I wanted all of these things right so what did I do about it? I created it.

I created a system that breaks the exhausting process of creating long form content. It does wonders for me & my clients rave about it!

Just to clarify long form content is a piece of writing that is between 1,000 — 7,500 words aka a blog post, podcast script, free resource/lead magnet resource, video script, offer, course, guide, masterclass, etc. long form content generally takes a little more time to create compared to a social media post. So here is the framework I use for creating long form content:

01. Start with your platform.

What kind of content do you need to create? Is it free resources? Is it a lead magnet? Is it a blog? Is it a podcast? is it a masterclass? is it a video script? What ever it is — get clear on it.

02. Start with what you want.

What do you want with this content? What’s the goal for creating this content? Is it to bring people in? Is it to build you authority & educate on a topic? Is it to serve people & then get them on your email list so you can sell to them? Then ask yourself, how often to I want to consistently create new content for this platform? This answer will look different for everyone, but dig into your energy levels. You may WANT to post a new blog every single week but with your busy schedule you may not actually be able to create 4 new blogs every single month. Content creation takes time, energy, & effort so get realistic with how much content you can create on a monthly basis.

03. Narrow your content pillars.

Content pillars are just topics that resonate with your niche. Ideally you’re also super passionate or knowledgeable about these topics, too. You want to pick 3-5 topics to start. These are like your overarching theme of the things you create. Then you want to pick out 3-10 subtopics for each content pillar. These subtopics are what your content is going to be about. If you need help breaking this down, check out my content creation guide in our free resource hub!

Example of content pillars:

Example 1: Ally Lauren

Industry: Business coach & yoga teacher for Women Between 19-55 years old.

Content pillars: clean living, simple living, & entrepreneurship

Subtopics:

• Clean living: nontoxic product swaps, yoga flows, essential oils & every day uses, laundry stripping diy, etc.

• Simple Living: van life, tiny living, minimalist living, food recipes, etc.

• Entrepreneurship: content creation, business systems, marketing strategies, business mindset, etc.

example 2: personal trainer

Industry: fitness trainer for 30-40 men & women who work full-time jobs

Content pillars: Healthy lifestyle, Practical workouts, & Mindset Motivation

Subtopics:

• Healthy Lifestyle: lifestyle content of their day to day routines, etc.

• Practical Workouts: 3 moves to get toned arms, alignment in certain workouts, etc.

• Mindset Motivation: Inspirational quotes, fitness mindset, being the best version of self, etc.

04. Zoom out & make your plan.

For long form content, you’ve got to make a plan - zoom out & think big picture. What works best for me & most of my clients is to plan a year at a time (you could also do 9 weeks at a time or even by quarter). This helps you create a cohesive message around the content you want to share. So let’s say you do 9 weeks at a time & want to publish 1 blog a week. Grab a piece of paper or open up a spreadsheet or even your notes app & number 1-9. Start jotting down your subtopics in these spots until they’re all full. Give yourself deadlines — when do you want to draft them, when do you want to edit them, when do you want to publish, etc.

05. Follow your plan.

You’ve done the hard part of identifying what you want to create, now it’s time to follow your plan & actually create it. Build systems for yourself that allow you to create long form content chunks at a time to maximize your productivity. Don’t forget to talk up & share you kick-ass content — You worked hard on this & people should know about it, so you’ve got to tell them!

So there you have it friend, my step by step framework for creating long form content! one other thing, Don’t be afraid to repurpose your long form content — Repurposing your content may look like taking a blog & turning it into an email or taking a podcast & turning it into a blog. this can save you a ton of time & optimize your reach.

I’m leaving you with my 2 tips if you feel like you’re in a creative rut:

• Pause your consumption. Take time away from consuming content (social media, media, movies, tv, etc.) — go outside for a walk, cook your favorite meal, meet up with a friend — just disconnect for a bit. do things that you love & that bring you joy — this will help you revive your creative juices.

• Mute people in your industry. It’s very easy to get caught up in what other people in your industry are doing, posting, offering, etc. & then start to mimic it. If this goes unchecked in your life, you’ll find yourself losing the motivation to create for your community because its not YOU. so go back to the basics, reconnect with the people you want to serve, & why you want to serve them.

I hope this helps with creating content for you community! If you’re wanting one-on-one support with generating ideas for content, nailing your content pillars, or even figuring out what platforms to be creating on, schedule a coaching session with me & I’ll help you find the clarity you’re looking for.

xx,

Ally