You can build an online platform with only one piece of weekly content

One of the biggest struggles that message-based entrepreneurs face is consistently creating content in a timely way. Many of us have minds and hearts that function like artists. We write and record when inspiration strikes. Sometimes that's first thing in the morning and sometimes it's in the middle of the night when we really should be sleeping.

In my observation, consistent content creation is one of the keys to success in developing a message-based platform. People who commit to a system and schedule for producing content tend to experience more success and develop more momentum than those who don't.

If this is a struggle for you, let me suggest a few things that are working for me. I hope they will help you as well or at least inspire an idea that you might find helpful.

***

Here's what I'm committed to create each week...

I'm producing content for two platforms. My faith-based platform at DesireJesus.com includes; a blog, three podcasts, a newsletter, book, and periodic webinars. My business platform at PlatformLaunchers.com includes a blog, a podcast, weekly training events, and a newsletter. The approach I'm taking to create content for each platform is very similar, and because my workflow is as developed as it is, I'm confident I could launch, grow, and develop two or three additional platforms as well.

***

1. When do you get a rush of creative energy?

I tend to be most creative during the margins of the day. I have found that I produce my best writing either in the mornings or in the evenings. That may be because those are the times when people are least likely to disturb me or interrupt creative thinking. Quite frequently, I will create new content right after I wake up or right before I go to sleep.

***

2. When are you more likely to work on non-creative tasks?

During the mid-afternoon hours, I don't typically feel like being creative so I frequently use that time to work on tasks that don't require creative thought. That's the perfect time for me to make technical updates to my website, plan my schedule, answer emails, etc.

***

3. Have you created an accountability structure for yourself?

The nature of my platforms have trained my audience to expect content at specific times. Two podcasts are released daily. Two are released weekly. My blogs update weekly as well, as do my newsletters. If I skip any one of these obligations, I will disappoint my listeners and readers, and will probably receive emails asking me why my podcasts or blogs haven't updated.

***

4. What is the main piece of content you need to create each week that the other branches can grow off of?

As complicated as platform development sounds to some people, for me, all it really requires is one new blog post for each platform, per week. That blog post is my core content that I will convert into a newsletter, podcasts, live training, videos, book chapters, and more.

***

If you're struggling to gain traction on your platform, you might be making things a little too complicated for yourself. What if I told you that you only need to write a one page blog post (500 words) each week. Does that sound impossible to you? You can do a million things with that single piece of content. And if you keep producing content like that every single week for years and years, you'll probably wake up one day and realize that you can feed your family and pay your bills with the income you're able to earn from your intellectual property.

***

My content creation schedule looks like this...

So to wrap this up, here's what my content creation schedule looks like. It all starts with what I write on Friday.

• Friday - Write out the content of my weekly sermon.

• Sunday - Preach and record sermon. Edit written content to create a blog post for DesireJesus.com. Edit audio to create a podcast. Copy and paste first three paragraphs of blog post into weekly newsletter and schedule it to be delivered on Tuesday. Post links to the blog post on social media.

• Tuesday - Write blog post for PlatformLaunchers.com. Create presentation slides and teach on that subject for live training call. Post blog content. Edit video of membership call and post it in the training vault. Edit audio and share to podcast. Share first three paragraphs of blog post in weekly newsletter. Schedule newsletter to be delivered on Wednesday. Share blog post on social media.

• Daily - Prepare the following day's podcast episodes for two daily shows. These can be pre-recorded, and my favorite time to record is around 10:30pm when my house is quiet.

***

Having a schedule like this helps me to produce a lot of weekly content. The fact that it doesn't feel like work to me helps me to stick with it over the course of the long haul. For many years, this has been my weekly routine, and if you can create a routine that works for you along with one piece of signature content that gets produced each week, I'm convinced you can build a successful online platform that serves people and blesses many lives.

-John