Episode 104. My 2023 Content Strategy

A popular topic that has been trending a lot lately is how a lot of six-, multiple six- and seven-figure entrepreneurs and coaches are now shifting away from Instagram as the main focus of their content strategy. Instead, they’re now prioritizing YouTube.

I’ve seen YouTube, in particular, come up a lot among a lot of big entrepreneurs or coaches so I thought it would be super interesting for me to share what I plan to focus on in 2023, and how I see my content strategy playing a role in my business and helping us scale to the next level and making an overall deeper and wider impact.

In This Episode:

How my podcast (long form content) will play a role in my business in 2023
How Instagram (short form content) will play a role in my business in 2023
Nice to-dos that I would LOVE to add into my business
Thoughts on 2022 to 2023

How my podcast (long form content) will play a role in my business in 2023

I’m sure this comes as no surprise to many of you, but the first part of my 2023 content strategy, and core part of my content strategy, is podcasting.

This is where I will be creating original content, and if I literally could choose only to market and create content for one place, it would be here on The Side Hustle Club podcast.

And probably not surprisingly, I’ve been increasingly recommending several of our clients who are side hustlers to also start thinking ahead in their business and put podcasting as a top priority in their business. Rather than a recency and frequency based social media platform like Instagram.

The reason is because for many people, especially side hustlers, a long form, evergreen platform like podcasting actually makes more sense for your schedule and capacity than platforms like Instagram.

If you’re doing a podcast, for example, you get to judge your consistency over a longer time period, whereas for Instagram, due to the nature of the algorithm and platform, you have to look at your consistency over a shorter period of time.

Meaning, if you post one episode a week for your podcast, you have one whole week to produce one episode, and you can literally work a little on your episode on Monday night, and a little bit on Wednesday morning, and bit more on Thursday afternoon lunch break, and finish it up by Sunday morning and you’re good to go for the week.

Whereas there’s a lot more, arguably internalized pressure, but pressure nonetheless, to post everyday, if not multiple times a day, specifically posting short form content, on a platform like Instagram or even LinkedIn.

This is why, personally, I actually get way less mind drama related to consistency for my podcast compared to Instagram simply because of this reason alone.

To add, for a lot of people, if you’re not quite seeing the results you’re hoping for yet, then it’s more likely you’ll think, “OMG I’M POSTING EVERYDAY BUT STILL NOT SEEING RESULTS” and they get so discouraged.

Although this isn’t a magic solution, if your main platform is a long form evergreen content platform like podcasting, then this thought isn’t necessarily going to be as prevalent.

That said, this is something to get coached on, because no matter what platform you choose, you still have to create content that actually showcases your unique thought leadership and sells your offers. And hypothetically speaking, podcasting can actually add more calm to your business. JUST A THOUGHT.

I think a common question that will be on people’s minds for 2023 is, should I start a podcast or a YouTube channel?

I want to unpack a super common concern people have about starting a podcasting rather than a YouTube channel:

There’s no algorithm or search engine optimization (SEO), which YouTube has, so how will people find my show? →

Well, here are some options for you to consider to help with increasing the visibility and reach of your show:

Option 1: Continuously share your show with your other existing platforms, audiences, and networks and invite them to tune into your podcast

Option 2: While recording your audio podcast, also record a video podcast, which can then be posted on YouTube and repurposed into multiple standalone social media posts (which promotes your show). This is what I have been intentionally doing since Episode 87 of the podcast, so you can actually check out our YouTube channel to watch our podcast there instead!

Option 3: Optimize your podcast for SEO from the beginning. Over time, new listeners can find your show via search (ex: Searching on Spotify, Google, etc)

So yes, audio podcasting alone *might* take longer to reach new listeners and will require more effort on your part to share your show.

However, the short-term and long-term return-on-investment (ROI) of BOTH a podcast and a YouTube channel is seriously unparalleled. They both bring the same benefits to your business over time and are powerful assets to your business.

It’s ultimately a question of which one allows you to create your best work, express yourself more, and is aligned with your weekly capacity to create.

I was able to build up my muscle and skill for doing only audio podcast recording and learning to do it all by myself while being a side hustler, and doing it on just a few hours a week.

Fast forward to now, I’m now able to also do a video in addition to the audio, and I’m still doing this all by myself. I’m doing this usually no more than 5 hours a week total, from script writing to recording to editing to uploading it online.

Again, I had to build up my literal physical muscle and skill of doing audio podcasting first, before I’m now able to do YouTube as well.

I needed to work on one skill at a time especially while I was still side hustling, otherwise I would have been extremely overwhelmed. Let’s be honest, I’d probably get really frustrated or even discouraged if I wasn’t working on improving just one thing at a time. Rather than working on trying to improve 20 things at once but ending up not seeing improvements in any of them.

A podcast and a YouTube channel are both FABULOUS assets for your business.

Think about it: How many 6-, multiple 6-, and 7-figure coaches or entrepreneurs have their own podcast or YouTube channel? Pretty much all of the time.

That said, if you’re planning to start and grow your own podcast in 2023 and start leveraging podcasting as a 6 figure asset in your own business (and do it on just 2-4 hours a week), come join us inside the Thought Leader Club 1:1 + Community Program!

We are starting on November 1, 2023 and we’re gonna make a LOT of amazing things happen in just 4 months. To join us, you can head over to https://cheryllau.com/program.

So I mentioned that I am doing a video version of the podcast in addition to the audio version. Right now, I’m actually working with Esther from @estherloke.co to repurpose the video content into shorter content pieces for social media. Specifically, Esther takes clips from my full video file and repurposes them into smaller versions for Instagram reels, LinkedIn video posts, YouTube shorts, and also TikTok.

This is something I’ve only recently started doing in October 2022 so I’m excited to report back perhaps around the midway mark of 2023 to share any new insights I’ve gathered and share what worked or what didn’t work. STAY TUNED.

How Instagram (short form content) will play a role in my business in 2023

The other platform that I plan to create original content for is Instagram! More specifically, there are two types of original content I create for Instagram.

Around 70% of the time, I will be creating original content for Instagram stories, and then repurposing most of that into Instagram carousel posts as well as email content.

The reason for this is because I like to create Instagram stories when I’m on the go or whenever I have downtime, but I may not necessarily be at my laptop.

Or I just want to type and type and get my ideas out there AASAP so I can move on with my day. During these situations, I will type my thoughts directly onto the Instagram stories feature, and post it. Then later, when I have time, I will transcribe exactly what I wrote on those text Instagram stories and write the exact same thing onto Canva, and then download and save that as an Instagram carousel post graphics.

Of all the content I create, this is the one that I can create the quickest, and I have a hypothesis on why that is. It’s not necessarily because podcast episodes are longer and hence require more time, or because Instagram carousel posts require formatting on Canva and hence require more time. Rather, I’m comparing the ease of getting ideas out onto paper, or digital paper.

What I hypothesize is that when I’m typing directly onto my Instagram stories, there’s a 95% chance I’m doing so in a setting that has a time limit.

For example, I might be on the bus or subway and I literally have to finish typing before I get off at the next stop. Or maybe it’s because I suddenly get a burst of inspiration and I need to get it out ASAP and go back to whatever I was doing.

There’s usually some sort of natural time urgency, which means I literally have no time to over think or second guess or edit what I’m typing up. That is why this is the quickest way of creating content for me and why I’m arguably quite prolific on Instagram stories.

For the remaining 30% or so of the time, I will create original content directly for my feed posts. I typically do this when I have maybe a block of 30 to 40 minutes to sit down at my laptop, open up Canva, and flush out a piece of content from start to finish.

If you were to ask me whether you should focus on Instagram stories or Instagram feed posts, my answer as of right now is definitely feed posts.

This is because I’m always thinking about what someone needs to see from me if they see my content for the very first time 3 months from now. Or what someone needs to see from me if they’ve been following me for a while and now they’re ready to book a sales call, but they’re doing their due diligence on me by going through some of my content? → and I create content with that in mind.

Instagram stories for me is one of my favorite tools for creating content and marketing my offers, but we cannot deny the impact of content that is evergreen. Even though the Instagram algorithm might not necessarily “push” your feed post to your followers after like 24 hours, think about what someone needs to see if they decide to revisit your page a few months from now, or if they suddenly discover you tomorrow.

Because Instagram stories literally disappear, you can’t milk the ROI of that content. But if you literally just post it onto your feed, it’s there for as long as you keep it there and it can continue to add value to whoever needs to see it for weeks and months to come.

Finally, I will also sometimes do two things:

1) If it’s relevant to a podcast episode I am writing, I will literally copy and paste an entire Instagram carousel post which I created on Canva, and paste it into my Google doc, which contains my podcast script/outline. In other words, I repurpose my short form Instagram content into part of my long form evergreen content.

2) I might also literally copy and paste an entire Instagram carousel post into an email, lightly polish it up and send that.

This is basically an overview of how I plan to utilize Instagram in 2023, the reasoning behind the decisions I’m making and some practical tips on content creation.

Quick recap: For both The Side Hustle Club podcast and Instagram, I’m creating original content for the two platforms and I repurpose those original content for other platforms or into smaller pieces of content.

For both platforms, I have two intentions:

1) to showcase my unique thought leadership in order to build a uniquely differentiated brand in the industry, and

2) to soft launch my offers and ultimately share how I can help you and your business goals.

That’s my primary intention for the The Side Hustle Club podcast and Instagram in 2023, to build my reputation as a thought leader in the space, and ultimately to make offers and invite awesome people into our programs.

Nice to-dos that I would LOVE to add into my business

There’s definitely one thing that’s also on my radar, which is writing emails and building an email list. Honestly, this isn’t my top priority per se, but I will sprinkle this in wherever I can.

Here’s what I mean by this.

Right now, my priority is NOT to practice the skill of writing original content for my email list. Rather, I just want to practice the skill and habit of sending out several emails a week.

This is why most of my emails at the moment are highly repurpose from either my podcast or Instagram content. The reason I’m practicing the skill of literally just sending out emails, even if it’s not necessarily original content, is because I want to pave the way for whenever I’m ready to create original content for my email list.

The rationale behind why I’d like to include email in my content strategy in 2023, or at least start skill stacking, so that hopefully by the end of 2023, I’ll be not just sending out emails more regularly but also creating original content for email.

The reasoning is two fold:

1) I genuinely like writing and I love formatting written content, and how you can mix in other mediums like video and images in written content pieces like email. I’d like to do written content in the form of emails rather than a blog or LinkedIn newsletter is because,

2) I recognize the value of building an email list. There’s no shortage of marketers out there who share about the value of building an email list, so I won’t necessarily go into the details.

But for me personally, I actually like receiving emails from a few of my favorite people that I follow. I have a separate email where it’s solely for subscribing to email lists, and I think I’m only subscribed to 15 or so entrepreneurs and coaches. Maybe less. I’m not sure.

But for these individuals, I genuinely LOVE receiving their emails, and I hope to be able to share the same energy and value that I received, to you all who might be subscribed to our email list.

This is definitely an area of my business that I’d love to take some time to work my way up towards.

Besides email, I would LOVE to also one day create original content for YouTube.

Although this is not my priority, I’m literally dreaming of creating lifestyle and general life or mindset content for my YouTube channel, in addition to the video podcast.

This content would not be related to side hustling or business or entrepreneurship, but I would love to create content for a more general audience.

For example, I already wrote down a list of topics I’d love to create videos for, such as:

Being an expat in singapore
What I learned in my first year of marriage
Our home buying and renovation experience
Life lessons since quitting my PhD and quitting law school
How to make friends online and offline
My weight loss journey
Being a cat mom and how to take care of a pet cat

Oh my gosh, I’d LOVE to create videos that’s not just a talking head video. Like, vlog style with b-rolls, or interviews where I’m the person getting interviewed.

There’s so much detail I’d LOVE to make happen if we were to start creating original content for the YouTube channel.

That said, right now, I know I don’t have the capacity or resources/support to help me do so. I do have a vision for these specific lifestyle videos and it’s definitely going to be a lot better quality and visually engaging than the video podcast, which I also would love to amp up the visual experience and audio experience.

I have big dreams for the podcast and YouTube channel, and I’m excited to see what we can make happen in 2023, no matter how big or small.

Thoughts on 2022 to 2023

Before we wrap up for today, I want to share some musings on 2022.

For many of our clients and myself included, 2022 felt like a year of recalibration.

2020 and 2021 was adjusting to Covid, 2022 was adjusting to life post Covid. This is our new normal.

Even though that sounds great, we immediately assume that 2022 must be a great year since the world is finally transitioning away from the pandemic.

When it comes to the business, many of us actually struggled specifically because we suddenly had to not only think about our business, but also think about a LOT of life problems that kept cropping out.

For example, some of our clients went through job transitions this year. Some of them suddenly started catching up on their travel plans. Some of them suddenly had an array of obstacles come up in their personal life , while others suddenly had all these super incredible experiences come up in their personal life.

Whether it was a positive experience or a difficult one, the underlying theme here is that there were SO many changes for every single one of us.

And as result, for many of us, our capacity to show up for the business suddenly felt like it was jeopardized because there’s now so many moving variables in life, and we gotta think about our business. It’s a LOT for many people.

So the way this applies to content strategy is that because there’s now many life events going on for many people due to the world at large now calibrating to a new normal, our time that we could allocate to the business might look differently from what it would have looked like in 2021 or 2020. We now have even more responsibilities and things to think about in addition to just our business or job.

Looping back to our earlier conversation about evergreen, long form content, I want to offer something for you to consider especially if you also found that in 2022, you had a lot more moving variables in your life compared to the Covid years.

As you enter into 2023 with this awareness in mind (which I’m referring to an understanding of your own schedule, your own capacity to work on your business, and all the moving pieces that’s going on for you), do consider prioritizing long form, evergreen content in your 2023 content strategy.

Rather than focusing on social media platforms like Instagram, where the algorithm is so unpredictable and often causes so much pain, frustration and discouragement for so many people.

Because contrary to popular belief, creating consistent weekly long form evergreen content is actually very doable, and there’s a process to it. If anything, it could actually be more manageable and easy to be “consistent” compared to a fast paced, recency base platform like Instagram.

Also, there’s an identity element to being a creator of long form content.

Now, when I introduce myself, I proudly say that I also host a weekly podcast called The Side Hustle Club Podcast. Like it really hits differently than if I were to say, “I create content on Instagram, you can follow me @cheryltheory.”

I think it’s because long form content creators take so much pride in how much value they create and give out to the world, and that we’re PROUD to share that we are podcasters, or that we’re YouTubers or bloggers.

So, I hope this episode gave you something to think about, and I may or may not be biased when I say that being a podcaster in particular can seriously change the game for your business in 2023.

Sounds good? Awesome. Let’s get to work.