What’s Worth More Than 100 Content Ideas? A Message Worth Repeating
When it comes to creating content as an online business owner, there’s a phrase that gets tossed around pretty frequently…
The content creation hamster wheel.
It’s the phrase marketers use to describe that moment when you sit down with your morning coffee, open social media, and ask…”What the heck should I post today?”
…Over and over again.
And before you know it, you’re three hours into your workday still proofreading the caption you should have posted two hours ago. Or re-writing everything your assistant or social media manager submitted because it just doesn’t sound like you.
When I started my health coaching business, I spent so much time and energy trying to come up with new content ideas. And looking back, I regret it.
Not because creating content was a waste of time, but because the pressure to constantly create something new was exhausting. And eventually I became so sick of it I decided to burn my business to the ground.
Which is a real shame because I could have helped so many people with my health coaching program. But somewhere along the way, I lost sight of why I started my business in the first place.
If you’re on the content creation hamster wheel like I was, consider this your permission slip to get off (before you start thinking your 9-5 wasn’t that bad after all). Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me before I archived all my content and set my business up in flames:
Creating content isn’t about always having something new to say.
In fact, I’d argue the opposite.
A good content marketing strategy is about uncovering the core messages people need to hear from you, and repeating them a hundred different ways.
Why learning how to repeat yourself is more valuable than endless content ideas
If I could go back in time and start my health coaching business again, I’d invest in my messaging first before creating any content. And by messaging, I don’t just mean understanding my brand voice or content pillars. I’d get clear on:
✨ My brand story so I could understand how my unique experiences, values, and perspective inform and inspire my work.
✨ My ideal clients’ core challenges, belief system, motivations, and desires so I could connect with them on a much deeper level.
✨ How I help people by defining my unique framework, process, and specific results that set my program apart.
Because when you know how to repeat these messages over and over again in your content, three things start to happen:
You develop real thought leadership
Thought leadership is the best way to build trust and authority in your niche. But it only happens when you consistently share the experiences and expertise that inform your work. Repeating the same core messages helps people recognize and remember what you want to be known for.
You conserve creative energy
Repeating yourself frees up creative energy so you can re-allocate it to other areas that move your business forward — like deepening relationships, improving your offer, building systems, and showing up as the best coach or service provider you can be.
You start to recognize patterns
Repetition gives you data that helps you make better decisions. Once you understand which messages resonate most with your audience (and which are a consistent flop), you can sprinkle them into your sales copy, or develop them into a future lead magnet or speaking topic.
But won’t people get sick of hearing the same messages from me over and over again?
The short answer? No…or not nearly as much as you think.
Sometimes we get so lost in the minutiae of our business, we forget that other people consuming our content aren’t in the trenches alongside us. And as a result, we take our own expertise for granted.
What seems simple or redundant to you, may be a completely new idea to someone who’s only seen your content two or three times. This is especially true if you’re teaching complex or nuanced topics.
Repeating yourself also makes you more referrable because people have a better understanding of what you do. You’ll be the person they think of when someone they know needs help…because you talk about it all the time!
Lastly, repeated touchpoints are the cornerstone of effective marketing.
The Rule of 7 explained
The Rule of 7 is a foundational marketing principle explaining that a potential customer needs to interact with your business at least seven times before they make a buying decision. It was introduced by film studios in the 1930s when they discovered that someone needed to see a movie poster seven times before getting their butt to the theater.
But that was before the internet existed. With so much content competing for our attention now, most marketers estimate that number to be much higher than seven.
And while the exact number is often debated and ever-evolving, it’s an even bigger permission slip to repeat yourself as often as possible. Repetition creates familiarity, familiarity creates trust, and trust creates better client relationships.
Uncovering the messages worth repeating
If coming up with new content ideas is a main source of burnout for you, consider this your invitation to do things differently.
You don’t have to keep running on the content marketing hamster wheel to keep your business afloat. Instead, uncover the core messages that resonate most with your ideal clients, and repeat them often.
If you’re not sure what those messages are, I can help you name them inside the Content Clarity Guide. Together we’ll develop the three key elements of your messaging strategy — who you are, who you help, and how you help them. From there, you’ll receive a 30+ page guide you can refer to again and again when creating content.
““This process has helped me uncover so much more clarity around who I am, what I offer, and the depth of transformation I help women create. I’m incredibly grateful for your framework and guidance—it has helped me see things about my brand and my work that I couldn’t fully see before.” ”
Whether you're writing your content yourself, working with a strategic partner like me, or handing it off to a team, you'll have the messaging foundation you need to know exactly which messages are worth repeating.
Book a call with me to get started:
Hey, there! I’m Keriann
I help online coaches, practitioners, and service providers turn their expertise into strategic and engaging content.
