If you’ve been lurking on my blog for quite some time and listening to my podcast religiously every Wednesday, I know one thing to be true of you. You want to grow your audience even bigger and increase your impact by launching a value-packed product. I also know that you sometimes feel stuck. That sometimes, you wish you could seek guidance from someone who has “been there, done that.” I know that journey well because I was once in your position. It’s easy to forget the early years of throwing spaghetti on the wall, especially when it comes to knowing how to create a content plan and show up online consistently. This is why I’m so excited to be joined by Viv Okafor. Viv is a brand coach and content strategist who helps entrepreneurs clarify their brand message, create content with confidence and build killer content strategies. She is also one of the three support coaches of my Influence to Empire Mastermind.

She joins today’s episode to share how you can create a content plan and show up online consistently with the actionable steps she shares. Let’s dive in!

How to Create a Content Plan and Show up Online Consistently

Believe it or not, Viv started her online journey as a travel blogger (sound familiar?). As she started taking her Instagram and online presence seriously, she came to the realization that planning trips for people just wasn’t her thing. She loved traveling but sharing tips, tricks, and how-tos were not her passion. That was when Viv found herself stuck in a web of her own online presence.

Instead of stopping right in her tracks, Viv continued posting in a free-flowing form. She knew becoming a travel content creator wasn’t for her, but she still kept with showing up online. That was when she realized her natural gift for storytelling. 

“One big thing about me is I’m a huge storyteller. I realized I love to share my experience. And so even if I would leave some tips and tricks on stuff for the country, because that’s like a travel blogger way. I insisted on sharing my experience. I share what I learned from this country and how it’s impacted me.”

In order to figure her path out, Viv invested in a mastermind, during which her coach had instructed her to survey her audience. Viv conducted calls for months, asking her audience what they struggle with. She didn’t know it at that time, but she was going through the important phase of market research. 

The common thread through her 50+ calls was this: people loved her storytelling, loved her amazing content, and they wanted to know how they could create content like hers for themselves. That was the moment Viv knew that her passion for storytelling and content creation fell deeply in line with her becoming a brand coach and content strategist.

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make With Your Content

Visit Viv’s Instagram profile and you’ll immediately know why everyone turns to her for content tips, tricks, and strategies. Viv’s an engaging storyteller who has an eye for creating hyper-aligned and intentional content. So I had to ask her what the biggest mistake that you can possibly make with your content? To which she responds…

“The biggest mistake that people make is lumping a bunch of different lessons into one piece of content.”

This, Viv says, is a common mistake that happens when a new creator is just starting out. You might have a ton of value to provide your audience. But you’re also working with very little space. A carousel post, Reel, or even an IGTV will not be enough to package all the knowledge you have. However, you feel pressured to deliver as much value as you possibly can because you want people to stick around.

“If you give them every single thing in one post, what are you going to use for the rest of the week or the month? You’ve given everything in one place.” Viv says.

This is where a lot of content creators get stuck. When you overpack value into a single post, you miss out on the opportunity to clearly and carefully convey it over 3 to 4 posts. This happens as a result of poor content planning (or not content planning at all).

Why Having Brand Clarity Matters

In order to develop a foolproof content strategy, you need to have brand clarity. This is exactly why Viv is an invaluable support coach in my Influence to Empire Mastermind. Her mission for our students is to take them from “what is my brand about,” to “what am I going to talk about,” to “how do I communicate that clearly online.”

This has been such a pleasure to watch since all the women in our mastermind have gained the utmost clarity on their brands. They’re feeling unstuck and therefore, they’re able to move on to building their product, funnels, and getting productive.

“To be honest, you can’t create a course, you can’t learn about funnels or be productive or anything if you don’t move past the first step, which is getting clear. And that’s like the biggest chunk of it. Because once you’re super clear about what your brand is about, then you can move into what you’re going to talk about, how you’re going to show up, and how you’re going to communicate what you do.”

The 3 P’s of Brand Clarity

If you’re reading this thinking “what should I focus on to find my brand clarity?” Viv’s got you. “I always tell people to look at three things: your passions, perspective, and purpose.” This is what Viv coins as the 3 P’s of brand clarity. Here’s a breakdown of what each of these P’s really mean:

• Passion: what you love to do.
• Perspective: your experience.
• Purpose: the impact you want to create, aka your why.

The reason why Viv poses these three questions is that your mission lies in the intersection of those 3 P’s. “You can be passionate about cooking, but do you have any experience with it in order to make money? Or is that the way you want to make an impact? Whatever it is that you want, get super clear about it. Your brand and your business need to pass all three.”

The 3 P’s of brand clarity might sound easy enough on the surface, but Viv encourages you to dig deeper than you ever have. In fact, she told the women in the mastermind that if they turn their 3 P’s worksheet in the day after the call, she knows (for a fact) that they didn’t really do the work. I’m happy to report that all the women are committed and they did in fact send it in a week later. However, Viv still pushed them further, diving deep into the trenches of their passion, perspective, and purpose.

Creating a Content Plan That Aligns With Your Mission Statement

I mention all of this because gaining clarity on your 3 P’s is essential. It will inform a hefty but laser-focused mission statement. And in turn, your mission statement will inform the rest of your content plan.

“That’s why you have to get very specific with that mission statement or brand message. Because unless you’re very specific with it, your content pillars are going to be super broad, and your content is going to be super broad.”

But for the sake of giving you more juicy details, let’s assume that you have the bone structure of a mission statement. In this example, your mission statement is: I help women live peaceful lives through meditation, journaling, and eating. Now it’s time to break this statement down into pillars. 

“I’d like people to think of it as a house. You’ve got a foundation, which is your brand message. And you obviously need to have the pillars that keep it up. Those pillars are the several things and components that you’ll be talking about.”

To discover these pillars, Viv asks you to ask important questions. She asks you to think about the people you want to reach. In this example, who are the women you want to help? Are they millennials? Mid-level CEOs? Are they college-educated? You also want to think about the connection points on how meditation, journaling, and eating can help them live peaceful lives. This is where your story comes in. Your story adds a sense of relatability to the process. And whether you’re hoping to educate, inspire, entertain, or promote, your story is going to play a huge role in how your target audience relates to your message. Get as detailed as you can to build a strong foundation and strong pillars to hold up your content house.

Leaning Into Your Strengths for Consistency

You’ve done the work and you’ve built a pretty solid content structure that clearly communicates your brand and your mission. The next tough part of the equation? Showing up consistently. Luckily, showing up consistently doesn’t take a lot of deep-level digging. Instead, it requires discipline. That’s not to say that there aren’t tips and tricks to make showing up online consistently a little more manageable. 

The first tip that Viv has is to batch your content. This is something that I stand and swear by as well. If you want to get a little more intentional, Viv plans her content with themes in mind for the week. 

“That way, there’s always something that I want to talk about in the week that relates to my brand message. And then I decide okay, is Monday going to be motivational or inspirational… is Tuesday going to be educational, then I put those buckets of the purpose or the goal of the content there and I basically divide it over my pillars.”

Viv also recommends leaning into your strengths for consistency. “You’ll see me do a lot of live videos because that’s where my personality shines,” Viv admits. “Or you’ll see me do a lot of storytelling so I’m going to post a photo, then you see the storytelling in the caption. You’ll also see me do a lot of carousels because I love to educate and give value in that sense.”

What you won’t see Viv forcing herself to do is batching and filming Reels. If Reels isn’t your thing, forcing yourself to batch 7 of them each week is a surefire way to end your consistency streak.

Creating a Content Plan that Works For You

I get it–creating content is hard work. It may seem easy at a glance but creating it intentionally is the difference between a solid content plan versus one that depends on trial and error. This episode with Viv is your opportunity to grab a sneak peek into the Influence to Empire mastermind. Bookmark this blog post and keep this episode of Her Life By Design within reach. Trust me, it’s a handy and invaluable resource when it comes to creating your content.

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RELEVANT LINKS:

Get on the waitlist for The Influence to Empire Mastermind: https://christinagalbato.com/ite-waitlist

Viv’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thevoguide/ 

Website: https://www.thevoguide.com/ 

Clarity to Authority Program: https://clarity-to-authority.mykajabi.com/sales-page

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