Why You Need Guiding Principles for Your Content Strategy

Creating content is a grind.

You have a gazillion other things on your list besides posting an Instagram story or publishing a blog. 

But your approach to content is an extension of your brand. It reflects how you show up not only for your business but also for your audience.  

Hence, I started to adopt a set of “guiding principles” that direct my content strategy. They are my intentions for approaching, showing up, and providing value with my content. 

Here are mine, pulled right from my content hub: 

My principles act as my North Star for my content strategy. They give me a map of what I want to be known for, my goals for my content, and how I want my audience to receive my content. 

In other words, they are my WHY for creating content.

Moreover, my guiding principles reiterate my overall business vision and the legacy I want to leave behind. They align with my business values and brand themes. 

Having guiding principles allows me to keep showing up for myself. They remind me why I’m creating content in the first place. They keep me accountable so I don’t forget to send my newsletter or skip social posts. 

Further, my guiding principles push me to create better content. They encourage me not to settle for generic and mediocre, but rather deeper and more original.

When you set an intention for your content, it becomes easier to show up for yourself and your business. You don’t have a random reason for doing what you’re doing—everything is aligned to your broader brand vision and business goals.

To figure out the guiding principles for your content, ask yourself questions like:

• What do I want to be known for?

• How do I want to show up?

• What do I want people to get out of my content?

• What goals do I have with my content? 

• How do I want to approach creating content for my business?

• How do you want your audience to perceive me?

• What do I want others to associate me with?

• How do I want my content to align with my overall brand themes and values?

• How do I want my content to align with my business vision and legacy I want to leave behind?

Put them in your Notion. Print them out and pin them up. Regularly review and refresh them. Add to them. 

The first step to creating more consistent content is showing up for yourself.