Photo by Niklas Ohlrogge on Unsplash

We get asked by coaches how to create content... and our answer is do it with LEVERAGE! 

We created a longer video on our youtube channel, but if you don't have 20 minutes, below are 8 big ideas from it.  You can always watch the video and subscribe to see how we're planning it, and see the tool we're developing.

So...how do we think about creating content!  Well, there's a few steps to think about:

• You'll need to generate CLARITY about your content objectives
• You'll need to get ORGANIZED about what you're doing.
• You'll need to determine what's RELEVANT, and aligned.
• Then you'll need EXECUTE it by creating it and leveraging it.

Hey, that spells CORE!  I literally just generated that framework in writing this email.  Ah the benefits of generating content...!

Here are the big ideas from our video:

1. Strategic Needs. Identify the top strategic needs in your business.  What do you need content for?  Bonuses for your upcoming launch?  Content a product series?  Free value for your audience?  Take a moment to identify your Strategic Needs!
   
2. Assets.  Catalog your existing assets (e.g. videos, articles, book(s), frameworks), that you could re-purpose or spawn new ideas from.  This step both can dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes, but my favorite part is that when you remember all the content you have, it builds your own confidence, and gets you over the content-creation resistance you may be feeling!
3. Client Needs.  Coaches, don't ignore what your clients need!  One of the BEST ways to generate content is to base it on what your clients both NEED and WANT (ie. what they think they need).  If you aren't sure or don't know, then you need to get in touch with them ASAP!  In our SureFire Group coaching program, we have been teaching our members how to run exercises that generate clarity for them, but also create ideas for content for us. See #6 for more on this method... 
4. Identify the WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN. (And yes that's specifically 5 wins!)  Our intention is creating content that adds VALUE.  Ideally it will help our business grow; that's win #1.  But that content WILL be valuable if it was suggested or requested by our CLIENTS, so when they receive it, they win too; that's #2!  When you're coaching in groups, you'll also want the content you create to help your entire group (e.g. a bonus or teaching points in a session), so you can create better group experiences; that's win #3.  Plus, parts of your content is great for the larger audience in your list (maybe with less depth, or shorter versions), which then helps your larger community too; that's win #4.  Lastly, your free content can be put into the world (like this email!), which means you are literally shaping the conversation in your topic area, and because you're a coach, it's going to  already be aligned with how you want the world to transform... and for the world, that's win #5.  (oh, and there's a Bonus win #6 -- how are you helping the people receiving your content to serve the people THEY serve?  That's called the ripple effect!)  If you think about all of this when you create that content, then you can create a WIN-STORM!
5. Post-Delivery content indexing.  Get in the habit after every session of figuring out what you can use from that session, because you already did something great!  You can add ideas or content to your assets list in a way that will spark ideas later, or you can start creating the content immediately.  If you want leverage, don't start from scratch... use what you JUST finished doing, and then spark ideas or BUILD on it to go even more in depth.  We have been doing this, and we're going to accelerate, by adding it to our Post-Session Checklist.
6. Listen to your clients.  Sometimes, it's hard to find time to listen to your clients... after all, you're running a BUSINESS!   But for your business to be healthy, you need to be in conversation with those you serve, otherwise you run the risk of eventual irrelevance.  In your sessions, there's always a way to incorporate such activities.  Make sure you capture in the moment, and let them know you'll be working on what they said.  Plus when it's released, they helped create it so it's going to be more relevant and loved!  See #8 for what to do next.
7. Capture Immediately.  When you get a great idea for some content, do NOT do what we used to do, which is write it on some scrap of paper or a word document that gets forever lost in a complex maze of google docs.  Writing things down is great because at least you're expressing it... and then maybe your subconscious brain will eventually spit out a beautiful online course as a result... NO! We all need to get our content ideas catalogued and then prioritized intentionally.  Create a quick-access document where you can dump ideas fast.  Then later, take the time to prioritize them for content creation. 
8. Close the loop with clients.  After you've got a great list of topics, share the list with your clients and hear what they think, and what they say is missing.  This realigns you back to client needs. 
9. Do it in your group.  One of the best and most fun ways to develop new content is to do it IN your group, let your clients help build it, or improve it.  Or take what you've developed and build an experiential way for your group members to benefit.  If you build your session or activity as a GATE (Group, Authentic, Transformational, Experiential), your members will deepen learning AND action taking, generating fast progress.  Here at Group Coach Magic, we can help you design experiences like that if you like. 

There's plenty more to think about here, but that's a lot for one email already!  Let's also say, that the more excited YOU are about the content, the easier it's going to flow out of you.

If you'd like to see us hashing this out on the video for more depth and see our v1 spreadsheet, please check it out here, and learn what we do with the content (which explains how we generated this email!) -- and watch for this EXACT content to come out on our blog!

Sending you Virtual Hugs,

Rob & Daniel

PS.  Did you get something valuable from all that?  What else do you need?!  :-) Let us know by email. (Opt-in below!)

PPS.  We are almost full on our SureFire Group Coaching System, continuing Dec 1st.  If you want to join us, it's not too late.  Contact us via email.

PPPS. Do you know an experienced coach who wants to multiply both their impact and income, through the leverage of group coaching? Send them this article!