Throw Content Calendars Out

But here I sit, struggling with the question of, “Do they really work?”

Lately, I have been having some major writer’s block. Rather then getting words down, my mind is jumping from one topic to the next.

​”What should I write?!” 

​It’s not that I don’t have a content calendar written out- ​I do! I’ve gone through and written down exactly what I want to focus on each week ​for months​; but once it comes time to follow the plan, my mind goes blank.

Maybe it’s my rebellious nature (​ha​) that makes me want to break free of the designated topic.

​One thing I’ve learned over the years to stay consistent with blogging is the easiest posts to write are the ones that come naturally. And between juggling work + twins, well, I don’t ever seem to be short of stories to share. I try to take in as much as I can from ​any​ situation so I can find some nugget of a lesson. So when there is something I ​really​ want to tell you, the content calendar goes out the window. #ByeByeBye 

​Now, I know you may be disagreeing with me. In fact, I’m banking on the fact that there are a few of you yelling at your screen right now.

So, am I the only one feeling this way? 

I have a funny feeling I’m not, so here are some tips on how to write authentic content that will speak right to your perfect clients… even when you don’t want to follow a content calendar.

Write Like You Talk 

When one of my clients came and we encouraged her to write a blog, she looked horrified. She told us there’s nothing that drains her more than sitting behind a computer and writing. She was a warm bubbly person, but when she wrote, it sounded cold and stale. I see this happen all the time. We get so worried about these rules on how we are suppose to write + forget to add in what people really care about- our personality. So write like you talk; seriously, even if that means recording your blog while you talk + then typing it out later. Your people are going to love the stuff you are giving them because they are drawn in by you (not punctuation).  

Keep Your Perfect Client In Mind

Ever heard the saying “When you try help everyone, you help no one”? It’s so true. So let’s stop trying to please everyone and keep that perfect client in mind when writing content. What words would he/she be triggered by? What kind of stories would they connection with? The more you know about your perfect client, the better your writing will be. And, yes, not everyone is going to like your writing or connect with it. They may even criticize it. The good news: it’s okay! You aren’t writing to them anyways.

Tell Stories, Not Lists 

How many times have you pinned something like “101 Ways to Recycle Things Around Your House”? You definitely want to read that… at some point. But then ‘some point’ turns into never. Yet, we see all these listicles used again and again. Now, before you get too upset, I’m not trying to say that listicles don’t hold a lot of great information. Heck, how else would I know what the top 20 children stars of the 90’s look like now? However, we need to think about the way that people are engaging. We have so much information thrown at us day after day, we need to adapt to how people are going to interact. So what if we took it a step further and told a story vs just making a list? I promise, this will attract your perfect client + actually create a relationship with them. Here’s my challenge: take out a piece of paper and jot down a few stories that you could refer back to in your writing. 

Okay, so we took a little spin off of the traditional content calendar with creating a list of your stories. Now, you have stuff in your writing queue that you can use, but it’s not holding you to a specific timeline. So for those of you thinking, “You’re just crazy, Angie! Content calendars are all the rage,” let’s call it a compromise and meet in the middle. What do you say?

Still holding on to that content calendar like an autographed picture from your favorite boy band? Awesome, let me hear it – the good, the bad, and the ugly! Tell me your stance on content calendars.

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After time spent searching for the perfect job and having no luck, Angie Weber was introduced to tena.cious. Not only did she find her passion for small business, she also discovered one very important thing about herself- she is a true intrapreneur. (You know, those people who act like entrepreneurs, but don’t have as much risk in the game?)

While she co-runs tena.cious and helps clients showcase their personalties online, she also spreads awareness about intrapreneurs- the good, the bad, and the ugly awesomeness. If you want to get an inside look on intrapreneurs, check out here podcast, The Intrapreneur Life.