Idea To Execution - Use The Next 5 Framework To Build Your Agency Content Strategy
Every agency knows content is important. They talk about thought leadership, inbound marketing, and brand authority. They even have a Google Doc somewhere titled "Content Strategy 2024".
But tumbleweeds blow across their blog pages & their social posting is about as juicy as a handful of sand...
Sound familiar? Yeah, content paralysis is real. The never-ending cycle of overthinking, overplanning & overcomplicating keeps agencies from actually hitting 'publish.' And guess how much impact your insights have when they are stuck somewhere far away from your target audience.
Nada. Zip. Zilch.
The solution? The Next 5.
Content Paralysis Kills Agency Growth
Most agencies don’t lack ideas. They lack execution. Here’s how content paralysis creeps in:
- Perfectionism : Waiting for the "perfect" blog post, video, or social post means nothing ever goes live.
- Overplanning : A 12-month content calendar looks great in a slide deck, but it means nothing if you don’t create anything.
- Lack of Process: No clear workflow means every piece of content gets stuck in review limbo.
- Fear of Crickets: "What if no one reads this? What if it flops?" Spoiler: It might. But you’ll never know until you hit publish.
- Lack of Prioritization: "It isn't going to make us money or help us land a client this week!" BS. If you don't develop content to show your expertise, insight and good looks, you are going to have bigger problems.
The best content strategy isn’t built in meetings. It’s built in execution.
The Next 5 Gets Your Content Moving
Instead of planning a year's worth of content that never happens, focus on just The Next 5.
1. The Next 5 Blog Posts
Instead of mapping out a massive content strategy, write and publish the next five blogs. They don’t need to be perfect. They just need to exist.
💡 What are 5 questions your best-fit clients ask all the time? Answer those. Boom. Five blog topics.
2. The Next 5 Social Posts
Forget about a complex social calendar. What are the next five things you can post on LinkedIn, Twitter, or wherever your audience hangs out?
💡 Turn snippets from your blog posts into social content. Done.
3. The Next 5 Videos
Video is king, but most agencies avoid it because they think they need Hollywood production values. Nope. Grab your phone, talk for 60 seconds, and post it.
💡 Take five key ideas from your blogs and turn them into short videos. Easy.
4. The Next 5 Content Remix
Your content isn’t one-and-done. You can get more mileage by repackaging it in different formats.
💡 Take one blog post and turn it into:
- A Twitter thread
- A LinkedIn post
- A short video
- An email newsletter
- A podcast snippet
There you go - 5 freakin' pieces of content from 1 simple thought. You can do this.
Why The Next 5 Works for Content
- It Reduces Overwhelm: Five things feel doable. A massive content plan feels stressful.
- It Builds Momentum: Publishing begets publishing, which begets more ideas, which begets more content, which begets more publishing, which begets more awareness, which begets more sales calls. Once you start, it gets easier.
- It Eliminates Overthinking: You’re focused on small, discrete actions, not perfection.
- It Gives You Data: You learn what works instead of crickets from the marketplace.
- It Allows You To Do It NOW: No more talking. No more planning. Just doing.
Your Content Machine Starts Up RIGHT FREAKIN' NOW
Not next quarter. Not when you "have time." Not when you finally build that perfect content calendar.
Right. Freaking. Now.
Forget the big, complex content plan. Just ask yourself:
What are the next 5 things we can publish?
Do that. Then do it again. And again. Execution beats perfection every single time.
Like The Idea Of The Next 5?
It’s the secret sauce of our agency’s content fiesta (lead gen & demand gen sprinkled all over your awesome team) called GEN+!
Check Out GEN+