It’s no secret that I believe in producing copious amounts of content. Video, audio, and written material should be created regularly and easily accessible on all of your platforms.
Fear of getting started is a hurdle to many entrepreneurs.
But what about those who have started? Those who have started a podcast distributed a few months worth of show. This is usually when another layer of doubt begins to creep in.
Putting out something you believe in is a vulnerable move, and if you aren’t performing the way you envisioned (or people aren’t responding the way you imagined), your mind can start to take over and tell you to stop.
This is the time to keep going.
You got past the hurdle of starting. You will get past this stage of doubt as well. Here are some tips for moving past those initial stages and find your rhythm.
Be Patient
There has to be an element of patience. Like any new skill, mastery comes with practice and time.
Let’s say you’ve put out 10-15 new pieces of content. It feels like you have completed all this work (and you have), yet you are not satisfied with the results. Doubt begins to take over: It’s not good enough, No one is listening, What was I thinking?.
If you wait until something is perfect, you’ll never produce another piece of content again. Keep creating and distributing content. If you believe in your message and the information you are providing, people will begin to follow along. As you go, people will become more familiar with you, and you will naturally improve over time.
Put in the Work
Yes, content creation takes work. Saying you don’t have time is no longer an excuse. Determine your schedule, research what other people are doing, and complete each task you set out to do.
Continue to practice your new skills every chance you can. Don’t like being on camera? Commit to going Live on your social media platforms every week. Show your face (preferably while speaking) in your Instagram stories every day. Say yes to being a guest on other podcasts. These small snippets of practice will add up when done consistently.
Mix Mega and Micro Content
The more people see and hear you, the more likely they will be to remember you. You don’t have to come up with ten new ideas each day of the week. By repurposing your content, you will be able to produce several new clips or posts from one topic.
If you have a weekly or monthly podcast, one piece of content is the entire show. Cut up a couple of bite-sized clips for social distribution and go live to amp up your audience about an upcoming show. From one podcast, you can create five or more video and sound clips to distribute on your platforms.
Reflect and Get Feedback
If you are looking to amp up your skills, you are going to need to do some self-reflection and accept feedback. Watch your shows or listen to your podcast. What did you do well? What would you like to improve? This is not the time to make excuses. This is the time to set clear, actionable goals to help you improve your skills.
Along with your reflection, talk to people who are already successful at what you want to accomplish. Ask for their feedback and any strategies they have to improve upon specific skills. Implement the actions that will give you the most growth.
Understand that there will always be areas to improve, so even after you move past this “beginner” phase, continue to reflect and work towards growth. What skills are you working on? Let me know!