Content Hand Grenade Checklist

The big idea?

WHAT will this help you do? 

• Easily generate ideas. One good piece of content is your source for countless ideas.

• Create different forms of content. A structured method teaches you how to create posts for many different platforms.

• Plan ahead. Focused and organised monthly scheduling process keeps you from falling behind. 

WHY should this matter to you?

• Maximise the value of your content

Spread in varying lengths and media, so every angle of your message is covered. 

• Attract your ideal customers effectively

Let people consume your messages in their preferred ways, lending more power to your voice.

• You get your time back

When content posting is consistently managed, you avoid wasting your time. 

A keystone piece of content is one big piece of really good content. Usually a blog post, this can also be a video or infographic. Make sure it has one or more relevant images. 

Your keystone piece is ideally a previous piece of content you created, but can also be borrowed from someone else. 

*Top-tips:

• When reusing your previous content: look it over for needed edits or updates. 
• If you borrow content, make it CLEAR that this is NOT YOUR CONTENT. Properly attribute the author and provide a link back to the original article.

You need to be creating your own original content and showing that value to your audience. A quality piece of content does take time. But it is 100% necessary. So as soon as you can, make time for this. 

Create an auxiliary piece of content to complement your keystone in a different format.

If your keystone is in written form:

• create a 2-5 minute video to accompany it

If your keystone is in video form: 

• create a write-up (summary article or written transcript)

Pull out 5 bite-sized snippets from the article or video you just created. These snippets will be perfect Tweets. Provide the link to the full article or video.

Remember – these are self contained points. Give them a little taste of value as a tease so they feel they need to click the link for the full content. 

*Top-Tip: 

• Create a Google doc table and write in your 5 snippets in the left column, saving the right one for your next step. 
• You may have to tailor them (once link is added) to ensure they conform to a Tweet size.

Here’s a screenshot of 3 of my snippets pulled from the Content Hand Grenade article:

Expand those 5 snippets to make fuller Facebook and/or LinkedIn posts. Make sure to include a link to the full video or article. 

Remember to add some more juicy details in the expanded post. But just like before, end it by teasing the reader for even more value in the full article/video. 

Again, here are 3 out of my 5 snippets from before, expanded:

Create a visual element for each expanded post. Either a mini 20 second video intro and/or create a header image using a graphic designer like Canva.

*Top-Tip:

• Any visual elements you already have in your article are great to use as visuals with your posts. Make sure it relates to the specific point of your snippet. 
• Any visuals you create, don’t forget to add your logo somewhere.

One example of a header is actually the blog banner I used in the CHG article. It could easily be repurposed to go with a post: 

For one of my snippets (#3), I simplified an infographic from the article that related to the same point:

Integrate and publish your Keystone and Auxiliary.

Publish video to your YouTube channel

• “Upload videos in YouTube Studio:

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. At the top right, select Upload.
  3. Select Upload video (beta).
  4. Select the file you’d like to upload.”

(Google) http://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en

• Add link to full article in video description and tease viewers to click to learn more 

• Create a YouTube card and add the same link

  “Add cards to a video

  1. On a computer signed in to your account, go to your Video Manager.
  2. Find the video that you want to add cards to and select Edit.
  3. In the tab bar at the top, select Cards.
  4. Select Add card and choose what type of card you want.
  5. Next to the type of card that you want to add, select Create.
  6. If you haven’t done so previously, for some link types select Enable first to accept the Terms and Conditions.
  7. Enter the URL where you want viewers to be sent from the card.
  8. Upload an image or select one of the suggestions from the site if applicable. Uploads need to be in .jpg, .gif or .png format and no larger than 5 MB. Keep in mind that this image will be cropped to be square.
  9. If applicable, edit the title, call to action and any other text (up to 30 characters). You can change the start time for the card teaser in the timeline below the video.
  10. Select Create card.”

(Google)  https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6140493

Embed YouTube video in your article

• “Embed a video:

  1. On a computer, go to the YouTube video that you want to embed.
  2. Under the video, click SHARE.
  3. Click Embed.
  4. From the box that appears, copy the HTML code.
  5. Paste the code into your blog or website HTML.”

(Google)  https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/171780?hl=en-GB

Schedule your snippets with the visual elements attached. Make sure you link back to the full article (not the YouTube video). 

For Tweets

• Schedule snippets for multiple times/day – first week
• Schedule them less frequently after that

For Expanded Posts

• Publish posts to Facebook
• Publish posts to LinkedIn

*Top-Tip: 

• Take a look at CoSchedule – they make this process really easy

Here is an example of what your first week of posting might look like:

Start a conversation around the topic. Nurture your relationship with your audience based on the snippets you’ve been putting out.

Ask questions. Start a competition. Open up an opinion poll. Anything to get your audience talking, thinking and sharing. 

Idea # 1 – Make Them Think

• Pick one of your Tweets or Facebook/LinkedIn posts
• Think of a good question to get someone to stop, think and comment
• Find an image that relates to the topic and question
• Post these together 

Idea # 2 – Comment Competition

Make CLEAR that the competition is NOT sponsored or endorsed by Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn.

• Pick a different Tweet or Facebook/LinkedIn post
• Announce an offer related to the topic (product, discount, etc.) for someone commenting
• After X number of days, pick a winner at random

Idea # 3 – Opinion Poll

Similar to the 1st challenge, but easier for people to participate.

• Pick another Tweet or Facebook/LinkedIn post
• Think of an aspect of your topic that is likely to have different view points among your audience
• Post an opinion poll 
  • *hint* these answers can point you in the direction of your next great keystone…

Get your keystone to start generating leads for you! 

A lead magnet offers value in exchange for a small action – providing an email. That email is your lead. 

Use a graphic design tool like Canva or Designrr to make a PDF lead magnet. It can be anything from a checklist, case study, infographic or a process guide… like the one you’re using. Just make sure it has enough valuable content to be worth giving their email address. 

Another example is this infographic I made with Canva:

***If you haven’t noticed already… 

These infographics, visuals and headers all get repurposed. All it takes is a little tweaking to give it a new function. It means a lot less work for you. 

This process isn’t difficult, but it can be if… you don’t have that first step squared away. 

Your first keystone can be hard to create. We can fix that.

Whether it’s a customised case study to showcase one of your success stories, a cracking blog post based on an interview with you to highlight your brand or…

If need be, we can help with this whole Content Hand Grenade process. 

Once we help you with this first step, the rest is easy. 

We’ll get you started right away. 

Fill out this quick form today.