How to take the pain out of content planning with Janet Murray

How do you feel about content planning?Do you love it? Or find it overwhelming, like feeding a beast that is permanently hungry?If you’re in the latter group then you will love this episode with Janet Murray, a content marketing expert.Janet - aka the Content Queen - has spoken all over the world about content creation AND is a former Guardian journalist and editor.Her social media posts, blogs and podcasts have reached millions of people and she knows what content will engage people - and what will flop.In this episode she shares how pet business owners can create content with ease.Janet spent nearly two decades working as a journalist for national newspapers, focusing on politics and education.She was Education editor at the Guardian before moving into PR, then content marketing and launched The Janet Murray Show in 2015.Janet’s podcast started out focusing on how small business owners could win press coverage.Soon she realised people needed a wider understanding of marketing rather than just press and PR.Now her focus is on building online audiences and her flagship programme is called Build Your Online Audience.It covers branding, social media, content and e mail marketing equipping business owners from all kinds of background with the skills they need to stand out online.Find out more about the Build Your Online Audience programme here.*How to create engaging social media posts It can be hard to know what to post on social media and disheartening when you share content and get little or no response.Janet says she has experimented with lots of different styles of posts and she has whittled the most successful ones down to four different types.They are ‘I need to know this,’ ‘I know about this,’ ‘This is what I think,’ and ‘I know how that feels.’Each post can be adapted to show empathy and understanding with your pet business clients and Janet shares examples in the episode.Why having a pet business is ‘social media gold’ Janet works with business owners from all kinds of backgrounds and says pet business owners are at an advantage because they work with animals.This means there is an endless supply of adorable photos and cute anecdotes, it’s simply a case of trying and testing different styles of posts to see what works.Janet says: “There’s just so much opportunity to create really engaging content that people connect with because people really love their pets. “So I always get really excited if I get a client that does anything pet related, it’s just brilliant.”Key timings and points covered in this episode: 1.02: Janet’s background 3.03: The power of content that makes people stop in their tracks4.23: What is content? Defining the different mediums of content in 20206.13: The challenges of creating content as a business owner6.45: The importance of timing7.08: Why people need to ‘care’ about your content10.42: Where people go wrong on social media13.15: Calling in favours to get your content seen from family, friends and colleagues16.32: Understanding the topics your followers or clients are interested in18.20: Remember people will be watching your content so keep showing up!20.30: How cornering a niche can help your content be more successful (and your business)23.08: How to use your Facebook page as a signpost to your Facebook group24.45: Janet’s four types of posts25.02: I need to know this content26.47: I know about that content28.20: I know how that feels content32.55: This is what I think content36.00: Case study - cat hotel post ideas37.56: Case study - pet product maker ideas39.45: Case study - pet business service providers41.59: Lead magnet ideas for pet business owners42.15: Considering the problems your clients have for content ideas44.32: Lots of ideas around poo! 46.02: How to get content ideas on your dog walks46.30: Content ideas for charities and rescues49.56: Using awareness days in your content 55.10: How to put a content plan together without feeling overwhelmed56.47: Peak points in the year and how to use them to promote your products1.01.25: Picking dates in the year like Halloween to build up your plan1.03.45: Why planning content in advance means you create better content than rushing1.07.19: Why you shouldn’t get disheartened if your content doesn’t connect straight away - keep at it!Links mentions in this episode: Janet Murray Build Your Online Audience: Build your online audience*denotes an affiliate link meaning if you click through I will receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.Janet Murray Media Diary: Media Diary 2021*Janet Murray event: 2021 Sorted*Janet Murray Podcast: The Janet Murray Show