Brain Drain is in Content Development
Contrary to popular belief, I do not spend my day entire playing on Facebook. In fact, I only log onto Facebook to reply to audience engagement for clients or to check in on a few brand pages. Most of my time is actually spent on developing content as we’re responsible for the majority of the social media and blog postings for our management clients.
It might come as no surprise that I get tired of writing. My brain is fried by the time I’ve finished developing all of the content for the week, which makes it challenging to develop even more content for this product. But I’ve convinced myself that it’s a task I must do, just like the writing for our clients. No exceptions.
I’m discovering that it’s not the writing part that’s draining as much as the brainstorming and editing portions of the process. In the past few weeks, I’ve revised the module bullet points – and even the modules themselves – more times than I see political posts on Facebook. I’m constantly re-evaluating the scope of the product to ensure that it will meet the needs of a small business owner, that it’s clear and simple to execute, and that every business will benefit from the content – no matter where they are in their social media plan. As I brainstorm, I write… as I write, I revise… as I revise, I brainstorm more.
As for editing – it’s no wonder there are full-time jobs for this role. Editing can be the most difficult part of the process. My husband Pete is a writer and an editor by trade, so he’s been “recruited” for this task. While hiring a brilliant editor will ensure the end result is high quality, a brilliant editor can also make you want to scream! Did you ever write something you thought was great only to have someone else tell you otherwise? That’s the battle I fight each week as Pete slices and dices my work into the top-notch product it has the power to be.
Writing: it’s a fun ride all its own!
Are you a writer or an editor? What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
Rachel Strella is the owner of Strella Social Media, a company specializing in social media and brand management. Rachel holds a degree in communications from Penn State University and has nearly ten years of sales and marketing experience in both the real estate and publishing industries. She’s always wanted to have a career where she could help people, which led her to start a business in social media marketing in July 2010. In August 2011, Rachel released Social Media Manager Profits™, a national product that offers training to those interested in becoming social media managers. This seven-part series offers step-by-step guidance on how to create a profitable business while working from home. She is also an expert adviser for the Global Social Media Management Association™ (GSMMA), which offers resources and certification for social media managers.
