Ask yourself a hard question: do you approach creating content like a college sophomore scrambling to submit a paper before the deadline? Or, do you approach creating content like an artist, a skilled craftsman designing a work of significance?
If you’re honest, most of the time you’re probably creating content like the former; however, I want to challenge you to adopt the designer mindset.
Let’s break down the difference. The rushed essay writer has no time for revision. If the paper is good enough to turn in, they’ll submit it and forget it.
The designer takes time to develop ideas, refine them, and carefully select the best ones to push forward. In fact, best practices for designers is often to develop 100 ideas in order to identify the very best revision. This means that 99 ideas don’t make it.
Creating content works pretty much the same way. We all dream of perfect masterpieces flowing from our fingertips, but let’s be real – our first drafts are usually closer to a hot mess than a work of art. If we want to adopt the creator mindset, we have to be willing to ask ourselves the hard questions and evaluate whether our work is just good enough or if we need to spend more time on revisions.
But don’t sweat it! There are techniques that can help you turn that rough draft into something enjoyable.
First, take a break from your work and dive into some successful content. Dig deep and figure out what made it a hit, then use those insights as a reference point for your own work. Next, start reworking your content while keeping your newly-found reference point in mind. Look at it frame by frame, and you’ll spot the areas you need to level up.
Ready to get critical? Analyze your content, searching for every reason it might not hit the mark. And hey, don’t be shy about asking someone brutally honest for feedback – they’ll point out flaws and help you get your work on par with your reference.
Sure, this revision process might feel like it’s taking forever, but trust me, the time spent refining your ideas will absolutely be worth it in the end. Just remember: no work is wasted, and no idea is ever really lost. With time and experience, even abandoned ideas can be reborn, often resulting in something better than the. So keep at it – you got this!
Want help with your social media strategy? Connect 1-on-1 with Brendan’s team here to see if we are the right fit to work together.
