What I’ve Learned About Content Strategy the Hard Way (So You Don’t Have To)

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1. Consistency beats intensity. Creating three great posts and disappearing kills momentum; sustainable pace wins. Posting with some kind of regular schedule (not even as hard and fast as a “schedule” but at least in a regular rhythm) builds trust among your readers. It establishes you as a steady presence, conveying the feeling that you are reliable and not chaotic.

2. “Good enough” content shipped today outperforms “perfect” content stuck in drafts. Perfectionism is the biggest invisible bottleneck. And as Winston Churchill is often credited with saying: “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” So if you’re being held back by the idea that what you have to say isn’t “just right” (i.e., perfect) yet, you’re doing yourself (and your clients/audience) a huge disservice.

3. Not every platform deserves your energy. Trying to be everywhere at once dilutes your message and burns you out. It’s important to not only know your audience but be familiar with the audiences that use the platforms you’re targeting. Facebook vs. TikTok vs. Pinterest are very different experiences. You don’t have to be everything to everyone. In fact, that’s just impossible. BUT! Important note, if you ARE targeting more than one audience, be sure to tailor your message appropriately for each platform. Messaging that resonates on Facebook will likely not have the same effect on TikTok.

4. Your audience tells you what works, if you listen to more than their words. Obviously, listen to their words, too! But comments, questions, and saves are data points, not just engagement. You can use data such as reach, impressions, follower growth rate, potential reach, engagement rate, amplification rate, applause rate, virality rate, and conversation rate to determine whether you are hitting the desired part(s) of the marketing funnel: awareness, consideration, conversion/decision, retention, and advocacy.

5. Clarity beats cleverness. The key to clear communication? Brevity. If people can’t grasp your point in seconds, they scroll. Especially on social media. I always like to say (and this applies to more than social media), “A wealth of information creates poverty in attention.” These days, attention spans are measured in seconds, not minutes. (Thanks to LinkedIn user, ghost writer Al Clunnie, for pointing that out.)

6. Posting more doesn’t mean growing faster. Relevance > volume. In addition to the fact that posting too much can and will annoy your followers/readers, the algorithm may also punish you, achieving the opposite of what you’re trying to do by posting so much. Readers (and Google!) prefer genuine interaction and content. Go deep. (But not too long; see No. 5 above!)

7. Data should guide you, not paralyze you. Metrics are a compass, not a verdict. It’s easy to obsess over numbers or ignore them completely. You don’t want to do either of those things. The healthy middle ground is to see the data as directional, not judgmental. Metrics can help you understand what resonates, what format your audience prefers, and what calls to action actually lead to conversion. Don’t feel like you must perfect every post to avoid “bad numbers.”

8. Repurposing is not cheating; it’s strategic. If something resonated, stretch it across platforms and formats. Yes, earlier I said not every platform deserves your energy, and that’s still true. I also added the caveat that you can post to multiple platforms as long as you know your audience and know the platforms’ targets. So if something seems to go over well in one place, tweak the message a little and share in other places, too. Good information is good information.

9. Talking TO your audience matters more than talking AT them. Responding, asking questions, and sharing your process build trust. You want to build connection. This creates loyalty, when people feel like they are interacting with someone who cares, not some faceless entity that just wants to push information (or worse, a hard sales pitch). Reply to comments. Share what you’re working on and why. People trust creators who make them feel like they matter. No, REALLY show them they matter, not that you’re just putting on a show to gain their trust.

10. Your personal story is an asset, not a distraction. People follow people, not faceless tips. This is part of what I’m hoping to achieve on this website’s blog. I want people to know I’m human, that I struggle, and that I can also put out a good product despite the struggles. Hopefully as we go along, you will learn about my values and relate to me enough that you’d like to work with me!

What do you think? What tips might you add to this list?