A Simple System For Content Creation in 2023

We're born perfect.

Crafted in a way that guarantees actualization of purpose...

... should we choose to remain in evolutionary alignment through iteration.

A process of small actions (inputs)...

A subsequent decoding of the lessons (outputs)...

... and never-ending change.

It's this cycle of events, coupled with expectation, that determines our results.

Which are guaranteed... should you not be attached to the outcome.

As I reflect back on how I got here, I see so much complexity...

... something I once thought was a prerequisite to growth.

Yet it's this complexity that acted as the catalyst for change.

A required learning... serving as part of the process of unlearning.

If we're born perfect, it's these identities we label ourselves with that prevent us from expanding into life... making growth a game of subtraction.

Philosophical, yes...

Yet the biggest lie we are told is that everything is separate.

What follows is my 2023 business plan and content strategy... sans the iterations required to get here.

Duplicate, iterate, and/or make it your own.

When a revision is necessary, Inputs Only subscribers will be the first to know.

</THE SYSTEM>

There are very few moving pieces; which I like a lot.

In total, my process takes roughly two hours per day.

Daily

• 1.5 hours // creative writing every AM
• 15-30 mins // structural editing every PM

Weekly

• 30 mins // audio voiceover for animator (reels)
• 30-60 mins // content creation (carousels, captions & threads)
• 30-60 mins // scheduling (blog, email & social media)

That's it...

This produces the ability to create the following each week:

• 1 Ultra-High Quality Newsletter
• 1 Animated Reel for Instagram
• 1-2 YouTube Videos (Audio Pulled for Podcast)
• 1-2 Twitter Threads (Repurposed to IG Carousels)
• 2-3 LinkedIn Posts (Repurposed to Meta)
• 20+ Tweets

About 80% of the content is pulled directly from the newsletter and rewritten to fit the platform... once you find a flow, automate the places you want to cross-post and create templates for the rest. If it's taking you longer, it's because you're judging your work.

Write for yourself, the rest will sort itself.

</THE PSYCHOLOGY>

One word: Simplicity

I originally got this idea from Dan Koe's '2 Hour Writer' course I took a few weeks back... and someone I respect as a creator.

My focus is curating the highest-quality newsletter possible... 

• It installs a daily writing & reflective routine
• It simplifies everything & removes many hats
• It leverages my best medium of communication
• It shifts my focus away from sales & towards education
• It creates a log of actionable content where I can direct questions
• It helps me remember more information by teaching what I've learned

The way I've structured my writing process is simple and will take me less than a few hours per week.

I wake up between 4:30-5:00 am, and have been for 3+ years now.

*This started when I launched v1.0 of The Mindful Marketing Method.

I was working 12+ hours per day and needed more time... so I created it.

Hoodie, glasses, a glass of water & my laptop...

From the moment my feet hit the ground to when I begin writing is +/- 10 minutes.

This has also trained my brain to leverage the brief post sleep Theta state every morning... lowered inhibitions often produce outstanding ideas.

Whatever comes and goes I allow it to flow.

I do not edit, I do not revise, I allow whatever comes to be.

6:30a, wind down alarm.

6:42a, leave for the gym.

This gives me 2ish hours of undistracted time everyday.

There may be some variance for extenuating circumstances...

... but 300+ / 365 days a year, I am dialed in and that is where I find fulfillment.

Pro Tip - Set a 'wind-down' alarm 10 minutes before you're meant to wrap up. You won't feel the need to make sure you're on time, and it creates space to shut down without rushing.

Most days I leave the thread I'm contemplating unwritten...

... my subconscious then chews on it during my post gym smoothie, podcast + Lokah walk.

Pro Tip 2 - I use a database on Notion to track ALL my inspiring ideas and book notes. I link it to a shortcut on my phone and can activate it with Siri... making my note-taking process omnipresent, effortless and 'hands free'.

More on this productivity system in a future edition of Inputs Only.

Depending on the day, I won't be back at my computer until sometime between 10a - 2p... and it's then that I re-read what I wrote and organize it for 15-30 minutes (when I'm at my peak logical state of mind).

My day is structured around the natural flow of my state...

... not arbitrary selections of time presupposed by what one 'should' do.

Doesn't work for me.

That's the extent of my writing process.

I'm listening, questioning & note taking at all times...

... making the creation process part of my daily life, not separate from it.

Once the creative side of the newsletter is finalized, content creation becomes the focus...

of which I now have a framework to pull from.

Seeing as social content is then a distillation from a single source...

... character limits impose further revision and increase potency.

</THE TECHNOLOGY>

Let's get a little technical...

I love tech.

I love systems.

I love automations.

I've overcomplicated everything in the past to try new SaaS.

... no more of that - pitter patter complexity.

Here's the simple tech stack I'm using for 2023.

HubSpot: My Everything

- My CRM, CMS, Email, Social Media Scheduling, Website + Analytics, Blog, Funnels, Calendar, Pipelines, Workflows & more...

Google Sheets: My Personal Analytics

- My Personal Productivity Tracker lives here and I connect it to a HotKey (⌘ + Shift + 'P'). It takes me 5 minutes to fill every night.

> Get A Copy Here

F.Lux: Quality of Sleep

- You saw the hours I like to work on backlit screens... I improve my sleep quality and reduce eye strain by altering my screen temperature when in the dark.

I'm not 'home' much anymore, but when I was, I replaced all the lights in my house with LED's and set them to timers. Red in the AM/PM, Blue for silent alarm notifications and white during mid-day.

Hemingway Editor: Writing, Editing & Storing

- A brilliant way to simplify your writing, ensure it's below a Grade 6, and dial in the exact length desired.

Adobe: Social Media Templates

- An alternative with a lower learning curve is Canva... I've had Adobe Suite for a decade and have no desire to change.

IG Reels: Contracted Animator

- I'm a jack of a lot of trades, animation isn't one of them.

ChatGPT: Rewrites & Inspiration

Alfred 3 App: Non-Native MacBook Pro Automations

There are a few more tools and technology I use daily...

... but these are what pertain to my content creation method.

The goal isn't to copy what works for someone else, but to use it as a template to find out what does.

Enjoy the process.

5 community building musts

1. Pick One Topic

I tried to do everything, everywhere, all at one.

What I discovered was that I'm not invincible, and multitasking doesn't actually exist.

Our brains can only maintain a singular focus at one time.

'Multitasking' is the shifting of focus from one to the next.

... a process that creates awareness 'gaps' in the space between.

Do this a handful of times and you'll be fine.

Do this for months and you'll be a burnt out vice-addicted mess ready to throw in the towel.

If I've learned anything from my 30 years on the planet it's this...

I can do everything, everywhere... but not all at once.

... at least not for long.

1. Pick a topic.

2. Master that topic.

3. Educate others on that topic.

4. Systemize the education process of that topic.

5. Allow your curiosities to take you elsewhere.

I'm currently focused on step three.

2. COMMIT TO LONG FORM

Cheap dopamine is a pandemic.

We're sold the idea that virality is the key to 'overnight' success...

... and that you're one video away from entering the stratosphere.

What I've found to be true is the opposite.

"Likes Ain't Cash" as  JK Molina, Founder of Tweet Hunter says...

... and the viral emphasis only attracts those addicted to their devices.

Here's a fantastic thread explaining this in greater detail.

What you want is people who are taking action.

The last time I got obsessed with something I read everything I could find on the topic.

Now imagine you're the one who provided that education and then offer the prospect a solution to their problem... guaranteed you make the sale.

This happens when you go deep, not wide.

Start with long-form content...

Newsletters, Blogs, YouTube, Podcasts, etc.

You'll build trust, authority, and a sustainable business much faster.

Then your high-quality long-form content acts as a foundation...

... and you create all social media content from that single source.

Simple...

3. FOCUS ON QUALITY

I used to think of content as a checklist item.

An unwanted requirement of business.

I tried multiple times to delegate social media...

... and every time output increased, engagement decreased.

My content lacked authenticity... and the pre-batched quote cards were about as helpful as a glass of warm milk on a hot summer day.

My old question was...

"How can I create content with as little effort as possible?"

My new question is...

"How can I educate my audience as effectively as possible?"

Your brain can only think in questions...

... it then spits out answers based on your belief.

When you change the questions you ask...

... the quality of your outputs change as well.

4. CONDENSE AND DISTILL

This is where the beauty of my content strategy falls into place.

Once the newsletter is completed, everything else is too... all that you must do is condense it to fit the character limits of other platforms.

Headlines become tweets

Subtopics become threads

Paragraphs become captions

Character limits are brilliant things because they force simplification.

Remove the fluff and you'll  enhance the impact of your content.

It's always a game of subtraction... and it takes the knowledge one step deeper in your memory.

Teaching commands the highest percentage of information retention.

What you're left with is the most distilled version of your content.

Stay consistent for 90 days THEN look at the analytics and iterate on what worked.

5. DOUBLE YOUR TIME HORIZON

I am phenomenal when it comes to going from 0-80% competency in record time.

Once I surpass that threshold, most things are no longer interesting.

This causes me to experience moderate rewards...

... and has prevented me from seeing exceptional results in the past.

I've studied a lot of extremely successful people...

... and the biggest differentiator I've found between 8/9 and 10 figures is the timeframes they speak of.

Speak in months and years... you'll see average success (Millionaires).

Speak in decades and lifetimes... no one will be able to compete (Billionaires).

Take the length of time you assume it will take you to accomplish your targets... and double it.

--

You've got my content strategy for 2023 which I'm sure will evolve throughout the year.

When it does... I'll share the iterations with Inputs Only readers!