Why the Heck Is Posting Good Content So Hard?

There are no two ways about it: marketing is hard. (And anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.)

But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn how to at least make it a little easier. That’s the premise of my podcast conversation with Dave Polykoff, the cofounder and CEO of Zenpost, a brand and content strategy agency. We talked about:

• Overcoming content creation challenges
• Practical steps to start creating content
• Brand transformation and authenticity

Overcoming Content Creation Challenges

According to Dave, there are two main reasons content creation feels hard. The first is translating your knowledge into content that resonates with your audience. People often find it difficult to package the information in their minds and structure it in an effective way, which includes engaging stories that hook and educate the audience and have a call to action.

The practical challenges of content creation, such as learning to use new software tools and overcoming writer’s block, comprise the second obstacle. Dave highlights Zenpost as a possible solution—his company provides a done-for-you system to translate what’s in his clients’ heads into quality content.

Practical Steps to Start Creating Content

Not everyone may be in a place to pay for done-for-you solutions, so Dave offered some tips that anyone can use to start publishing their own content.

He suggests starting by commenting thoughtfully on other people’s social media posts to build confidence and practice formulating ideas. Even setting a small goal of commenting on a handful of posts each day can create positive inertia and build confidence.

Second, Dave talks about the need to accept that your content won’t be great at first—and that’s okay. Whether you’re writing social media posts or blogs or speaking on camera, you just have to get the reps in. He told me, “I’ve interviewed dozens, if not hundreds, of successful personal brands. And one thing I ask them is, ‘How did you get so good at content?’ And they [always] say, ‘I just got the reps in.’”

Brand Transformation and Authenticity

I also found out that brand transformation is one of Dave’s passions. When I asked him to elaborate on what that means, he told me that it is simply the process of diagnosing why your current marketing efforts aren’t getting you the results you want and reworking them until they are.

He also clarified that brand transformation is not about changing who you are. Rather, it’s about packaging your existing value and worth more effectively. He compared brand strategy to a jigsaw puzzle, stating most entrepreneurs have all the puzzle pieces but “don’t know how to put [them] together to make a beautiful, full picture.”

Dive Deeper with Dave Polykoff

If you want to learn more about how to overcome the content-creation obstacles holding you back, you can watch my entire interview with Dave below.