Content Organization That Won’t Make You Crazy
If creating content feels harder than it should, the problem may not be the content itself. It may be everything that happens before you start.
- When you sit down to write a client email, you can’t remember where your ideas were saved.
- You know you wrote a social post on a similar topic a few months ago, but you can’t find it.
- You have notes in Google Docs, reminders on your phone, and screenshots saved somewhere that seemed important.
- By the time you’ve gathered everything together, you’ve already lost some of the motivation to create the content.
Many bookkeepers assume they need a better content strategy when what they need is a simpler way to keep things organized. The good news is that organization doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the more complicated the system becomes, the less likely you are to use it.
It’s easy to get caught up in finding the perfect tool. There are planners, apps, project management systems, content calendars, and countless ways to organize information. Most of them work.
The challenge isn’t finding a system. The challenge is sticking with one. A simple system that you use will always be more helpful than a sophisticated system that you abandon after a few weeks.
A simple system you actually use will always be more helpful than a sophisticated system you abandon after a few weeks.
For example, my own content isn’t stored in one giant database. I keep a Google Sheet with blog post ideas organized by month. My Weekly Ping emails are saved in a folder by month, and my social posts are organized in Trello.
Could I combine everything into one tool? Probably.
But this system works because I always know where to look. When I need a blog topic, I open my spreadsheet. When I need an email, I go to the monthly folder. When I need a social post, I check Trello.
It’s not a perfect system, but it doesn’t need to be. It helps me find what I need without spending time searching for it.
Over time, you’ll find a system that works for you. The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s process. The goal is to create a place where your content is easy to find and easy to use. The goal is to make creating content easier next time.
It’s also worth remembering that not every piece of content needs to start from scratch.
- A client reminder email you sent last year may still be useful today.
- A blog post can become a social post.
- A social post can become part of an email.
When your content is easy to find, it’s easier to reuse. And when it’s easier to reuse, staying in touch with clients and prospects becomes much more manageable.
Most bookkeepers don’t need a bigger content library. They need a system simple enough that they can find what they already have. Because the less time you spend searching for content, the more time you can spend using it.
If you’re wondering…
What tool should I use? The one you’ll open and maintain. Simplicity is usually the best choice.
Do I need a content calendar? Not necessarily. Many bookkeepers do well with a simple list of ideas and upcoming topics.
How often should I organize my content? A quick monthly review is often enough to keep things manageable and easy to find.