Strategy + Automation x Execution = Success

When you're developing your marketing strategy, or really any sort of endeavor that takes true action to accomplish. These are the things you need to account for, and although I am taking a business mindset in this post, there is a heavy influence of inbound marketing.

A quote I've shared on here a lot lately is the one that motivates me the most, it is by Gary Vee talking about content creation.

"You need to be making 100 pieces of content a day on as many channels as you can." - Gary Vaynerchuk

Now that isn't verbatim, but the point remains about the audacity of that thought. He has a team behind him right, and I don't have a team, so why should follow his advice? Well it isn't as hard as you might think, but it is still difficult at first. The idea is simple sending out 100 pieces of content a day is rather about efficiency.

If you create a strategy that allows you to have content repurposed across mediums, tasteful cross posting, and contextualized creative content; Then you have that 100 pretty darn quickly.

Note: The repurpose.io links, as well as a couple others are affiliate links. I truly believe in those tools, and I want to be completely transparent.

I created my own strategy about OmniChannel Marketing a while back, and when I was done I counted up the posts... 107! Now the strat did count cross posts as well as shares to sites like mix.com that some people may not count.

However they really were good avenues to go down. After doing it about three to five times now with the OmniContent I can tell it works. The problem is I that I don't have the rest of the equation working.

Strategic Planning and Organized Campaigns

As I mentioned in the paragraph above, the strategy/plan worked, and I know I can create that many pieces of content from it. It is a combination of platforms, and more importantly a modern take on content repurposing.

In fact CR is so prevalent I didn't even dedicate a section for it, as it will be mentioned throughout. The OmniContent Strategy that I am referring to for example starts with a blog post. Some people prefer Video, and now others sometimes podcasts, but I find my best work comes in writing. So I translate that writing into a slidedeck (this is subject to change with Slideshare being aquired), using that slidedeck I make a video, and during the video I make audio friendly to turn into a polycast.

From the start I have other content types in mind, and from there you can chop it all up into smaller microcontent. Now most of you may already know this part, and sure there are various ways to chop it up we could go into... however.

Content Strategy

It is more about when, how, and where you post that microcontent that matters. For example most people are STILL sleeping on campaigns. They do the distasteful repetition based sharing. Where they share it daily or weekly, etc. When in fact you will be much more successful by making a campaign based on times.

What I learned formulated an idea: Day of, Day later (opposite time of day!), week later, month later, two months later*, half a year, and then a year later. This works especially well for evergreen content. Echoing/dripping it out over time.

Creating Campaigns

Yet after testing out over 95 different social media management tools, literally, I have not found one that can really do the job needed. Coschedule is the only one that got close, but they are expensive and something about the user interface bugs me bad. This being said at this point I have had to do it manually, and that sucks way worse. Think about it you have about six intervals, about six platforms, and about 3-4 content pillars (if you count slideshow). All needing their own campaign, with separate contextual copy.

That is 108-144 posts on it's own just from the link sharing part of the campaign. You are not counting the other platforms to share on, such as mix, viralcontentbee, triberr (I stopped there), zest.is, and cross posting to blockchain based platforms (part of my futureproofing strategy).

Automation, Habit Stacking, and Outsourcing

Using tools like canva to set up templates for your brand, SMM tools to share it out, Notion.so to organize it all, and my tool of choice for microcontent repurpose.io!

They all help you make the automation part a lot easier, and even a solopreneur can crank out a ton of content if you have them set up properly. This is why I am so frustrated by not having the right SMM tool. I feel like this is the part of the equation where I am stuck.

Using Tools to Help You with the Simple Stuff

So things like zapier can automate new items getting sent to various small platforms. I.e. I want some sort of presence on pinterest, I don't use it much, so I automate my instagram posts to there.

Repurpose.io uses FB for the microcontent clips, and so I post my videos there first, and have an automation on there to automatically post to YT when it is done. You can even use things like Google Calendar or databases to remind you to do something.

Use Habit Stacking to Help Systematize Your Work

I wanted to write on linkedin everyday, and I originally intended on making an OmniContent everyday. Two daily habits that aligned, and so I put a LinkedIn article as part of the OmniContent strategy. Even if they don't match on topics, although usually they do, I could do it in succession while I was already there.

Making it easier for me to do those articles when doing the sprints.

You Too can have a team!

With tools like Fiverr, upwork, and finding a virtual assisstant. It does take some financial stability to afford. So it may be better once you have gotten to the growth stage. However you can have a team around you as well, this is how many youtube channels have grown for example. The solo creator may have originally popped off on their own, but over time they add editors and marketers to make it easier for them to just focus on the content.

Execute the Plan, Have Grit when the Plan Fails, and Get Back Up

When you have the right plan of action, tools in place, then it is time for you to actually get up and do it. Literally so many people fail at this, myself included at times, simply because we could not be bothered to put in the effort.

I have had a hard time writing this Fireside Codex entry today for example, and I wanted to bring it up because it is just one of four things I planned on doing. Make daily post, edit and upload interview video, research next guest, and then make an OmniContent...finally. However It is already in the late afternoon, and I haven't even finished the first one.

Instead I've been playing Apex Legends in a couple spouts today, and that is both okay and not okay. I'll explain more in a couple paragraphs, but for now: It isn't okay for me to be wasting my time on entertainment. Gary Vee also brings this up as if you are sitting there watching tv/netflix all day, then don't complain about your endeavors not going anywhere.

I've tried not to complain about a lack of progress. I know that for me it is part my own execution, and getting the right things in place. #marathon not a #sprint.

You have to Actually DO the Plan

In a lot of cases either due to laziness, forgetfulness, or a lack of tracking (please try out notion.so it helps so much), people fail at their endeavors/plans. This is because we couldn't keep up with it, or for some other fault.

That is normal, and once we accept that failure is a part of business, let alone life itself; Then we will succeed the next time the plan goes into action.

You May Fail,

and that is okay. I can't tell you how many times I have failed at getting myself to do the strategy, i.e. making an OmniContent, or getting an interview out for example. I was "supposed" to send out an interview yesterday, as per my original schedule. However I started editing it, and failed to get it out.

That is okay, and it is going to happen. Moving on from there, and I communicate with my guests if I am running late. Part of the OmniContent failure is a lack of accountability with myself. Let's get back on the horse and saddle up for the moonshot.

Avoid Burnout

Something I've learned is to try and avoid over doing it. Now if you see my plan above ^ with those couple hundred posts from one sprint, that is a bit insane. Even if I got all parts of the equation perfectly, there is still the chance I'd be doing too much and burnout.

Take a break and recouperate your energies.

What Does the Success Look Like?

When you get the plan ready, can automate parts of it, and execute on the rest, only then will you see the true success.

This is something I have been working towards for years now, training my execution skills, and have been cultivating the plan. I really think that all I am missing now is the final part with automation. This is why when people tell me;

Why do you have so little subscribers/followers?
When are you going to make money from this?
Why do you do it?
Doesn't seem to be working you should quit.
Go get a real job.

Or some other crap like this ^, I just think to myself it is a marathon. Things take time to settle, and my SEO got reset last year. For both my audiocast as well as written, as I moved both to new and better platforms.

Podcast.co and Ghost.org respectively (Note: these are affiliate links)

If you can put together the right combination of things, then you will be successful. Just find the right combo for your own equation. Perhaps you're great at executing just can't figure out the macro strategy, or you're head in the clouds planning and can't get the nitty gritty going.

Figure that out, and you're one step closer to success!