4 Smart ways to save time and effort in creating content for your online community.

As a community manager, creating content for your online community can take up a significant amount of your time. 

Between planning, research, and writing for some online groups and communities you could be spending around 40% to 50% of your time and it can become overwhelming to constantly produce fresh content. Luckily, there are ways to reduce the time you spend on content creation without sacrificing quality or engagement. 

Here are four ways to do so:

Recycle:

Have you ever written a great piece of content that received a lot of engagement? If so, it might be worth revisiting and updating. Check for outdated information, add new insights, and give it a fresh spin. This way, you can get more mileage out of a piece of content that your audience already loved.

Repackage:

Reformatting your content into different types can help you reach a wider audience. If you've written a blog post, for example, consider turning it into a video, infographic or podcast episode. This can also help you keep your content fresh by releasing it over time in different formats or breaking it down into smaller chunks.

Content Curator:

You don't always have to create content from scratch. Keep an eye out for interesting and relevant content from other communities, websites, newsletters, or social media. Sharing relevant content will show your members that you are well-connected and keep your community engaged.  Also, add your comments and thoughts and ask your members for their opinion.  (Read our blog post on How Clever Content Curation Positions Your Online Community as a Thought Leader)

Ask:

Your community is full of talented individuals, and they may be willing to contribute content. Consider asking for contributions on hot topics or crowdsourcing content ideas from members. Not only will it take some of the content creation workload off your plate, but it will also make members feel more involved in the community.

By using these four methods, you can reduce the time you spend creating content while keeping your community engaged and informed. Remember, it's important to find a balance between creating original content and reusing existing content to ensure your community stays fresh and up-to-date.