Set and Forget Your Online Content? 3 reasons why it’s a terrible idea

Set and forget your online content. Sounds like a match made in heaven for health and wellness business owners who would rather get offline than show up online.

If only it was that easy.

Set your online content and then forget about it. Who doesn’t want that?

Job done and dusted.

Now doesn’t this sound like the HOLY GRAIL of online marketing?

Set and forget your online content.

Set it up and let it run without you having to do ANOTHER thing. EVER.

This sounds too good to be true. Where do you sign me up?

Well, people sorry I think it is, too good to be true that is.

Set up my content and then forget about showing up online - where do I sign up?

As much as I would love to be able to tell you, you only have to set up your content and then forget about it

OR like many of my clients ask, why can’t I just give my online content to someone else to do?

This is NOT how online content marketing works.

Let me explain why.

What is the number one reason why we market online?

Answer: to attract people to want to work with us.

How do we get people to work with us? We establish a relationship.

Getting people to know like and trust YOU is an ongoing process. That is why you use online platforms like social media, email, and your website. Your online presence allows you to “meet” more people than you would in your local area alone. Which in turn means you can convert more of those people from knowing you to trusting you and eventually working with you.

You want to create a relationship with the people who you can help. Then once you have helped them you want to maintain and grow a relationship with your current clients or people close to becoming clients.

Relationships are key in growing your health and wellness business.

Do you really think you can set and forget these relationships?

How many relationships in your life are on set and forget?

• your marriage/ partner?

• your kids?

• your friends?

Imagine if you did put them on set and forget, how would that work for you? Would they be ideal? How long would these relationships last?

Part of creating lasting relationships is interacting with the person.

Online you make a post and then check back in for interactions. If someone has made a comment then you respond. Maybe someone has shared your post, go thank them. Check your DM’s and reply.

If you truly embrace the “set and forget” principle then this crucial part of establishing and maintaining a relationship is not going to happen. How good does it feel when someone interacts with you, either in person or online ?

Relationships take effort and we have to put in the effort ourselves to make them work.

This brings me to the next point.

A question I often hear when I start working with new health and wellness business owners is:

“Why can’t I get someone else to do my content for me? Outsourcing is a thing, right? It saves time and lets me get on with coaching.”

Absolutely outsourcing is a thing. A very useful thing and I recommend it for many parts of your business.

However, when it comes to your online content, showing up as your true self, how does someone else do that for you?

How can someone else show up as you online?

It’s hard for many people to show up as themselves, imagine trying to outsource that to someone else!

The truth is, if you are new to creating online content the process gives you the opportunity to really figure out who you want to be in your business, what you want to say, and to whom. This process is so valuable to your growth, not only in your business but in your life.

Now after you have been creating online content consistently (usually for around three years) AND you are very, very clear, confident, and consistent in what you put out online then ABSOLUTELY yes, find someone to help you outsource your online content.

Even then I would still recommend being the creative force and looking for someone who can create some templates and do the scheduling for you. This will save you time and give you the extra accountability to get your content created in a consistent manner.

You are your best asset when it comes to creating and being the person who shows up for your clients online keeps the know. like and trust growing.

Once you have created plenty of content you’re maybe thinking NOW I can set and forget my content.

I will simply repost my content over and over. Set it up and forget about it!

Maybe you can, however, I am still going to recommend you don’t!

While I am a HUGE fan of repurposing your online content, it is still a process that needs YOU.

If you would like to join me for my next REPURPOSING WORKSHOP you can click the button below to join the waitlist. It’s free.

To repurpose your online content, in line with your online content strategy and plan you will first need to know which content is your best content. To find your best content you will need to review your online content each week/ month. Decide if it’s still relevant to when you want to reschedule it.

A tip here is to keep and reshare the online content that brings you (and your audience) joy! Like Marie Kondo says about your things but make it about your online content.

Imagine you “set and forgot” about a post telling people to get outside with a big group of friends to do a massive workout and posting that for week four of lockdown in 2020! That would not set you up for success with people you wanted to attract.

You also need a place to keep your best online content so you can repurpose it easily. An online content library set up in a way that works for you is a game changer.

You can take that content from your online content. library and simply repost it

OR you can repurpose it in to a different format that helps you reach a wider audience. You can read this blog post for repurposing ideas.

This step of taking the content from your online library and reposting it, is something you can do yourself or you can outsource. But I STILL say DO NOT set and forget it.

Repurposing your content still needs you

As much as setting and forgetting our online content sounds like a dream to many health and wellness coaches and business owners it really isn’t the best way to connect with your people.

Your online content is your relationship builder with your audience, both prospective and current clients. How many relationships in life do you have on set and forget?

Creating your own content regularly (especially when you’re starting out ) helps you with clarity, confidence, and consistency.

To make it easier on yourself, set up an online content library so you can easily repost and/or repurpose your online content.

Do these three things and you won’t want to set and forget your online content because it will become how you create and keep a healthy presence online relating to the people you want to work with.

Join me for my next free next REPURPOSING WORKSHOP to help you show up online as your true self more often and with less overwhelm.

Click the button below to join the waitlist.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash