In Greg McKeown’s Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of less. He talks about how we can master the disciplined pursuit of less to become more empowered. And how we can regain control of our choices and where we spend our precious time and energy.

In this following, I will be sharing valuable lessons from the book and how we apply the Essentialism approach to our content marketing efforts.

1. Learn to say ‘No.’

One of the most important essentialism approaches is the art of saying ‘No’. As a content marketer, you might at times be asked by another stakeholder to post up a particular piece of content. However, you might have a different direction in mind on the kind of content share on your various platforms.

To avoid an argument or internal politics, some marketers would just choose to adhere to the request and compromise on the quality of the content calendar.

Although this might just be a one-off situation, it does give the perception to other stakeholders that they are allowed to simply request and get things posted on the organisation’s platforms – Regardless of the quality or if it even aligns with the company’s philosophy.

In such situations, content marketers should always take the high ground and advise the stakeholder accordingly. In short, having the guts to say ‘No’.

2. Eliminate everything but the elements that absolutely need to be there

As content writers, we sometimes like to use big words just to make our content look more sophisticated and end up compromising on the overall readability.

And regarding content quantity, I have worked with some brands who feel that it is of importance to ensure that a certain amount of content is posted every week. So much so that the pressure to meet the numbers often affects the quality of the content.

Consistency is important, but it is essential to note that quality matters more than quantity.

3. Limit: The Freedom of setting boundaries

Although the sky’s the limit when it comes to creativity, Content Marketers who practice an essentialism approach know how to set boundaries: setting constraints in the areas of tonality, style and also being sensitive to the current situation.

We have seen how some brands have failed spectacularly in their efforts to be humorous or trying to piggyback on certain viral trends. One such example would be United Airlines trying to piggyback on Carter Wilkerson’s successful attempt to garner 18 Million Tweets for a year of free nuggets – in the midst of a PR crisis! Needless to say; this did not turn out well for them.

By Setting Boundaries, you have the freedom to move in a certain direction without having to succumb to expectations.

Trying to tap into a viral trend when the company is going through a massive PR crisis? Not exactly a smart decision.

4. Create a Routine

Some of the most successful people in the world follow a particular daily routine, and it helps with improving productivity and creativity.

Start by developing a framework where you can get the best out of your team and stick to it religiously. Example: Here at That Content Guy, we note down a piece of content we see on our social timeline every day. We note down lessons we can learn from, conversely, we also talk about how we could improve on it.

Over time, this helps us to build up an array of ideas and also helps us to think more critically.

5. Sleep: Protect the Asset

Last but not least, SLEEP! As a content marketer, we constantly need to re-charge our batteries. Earlier, I talked about brands who feel the need to push out a certain quantity of content and end up compromising on quality.

A workaround would be to lessen the frequency or take a break to re-evaluate your plans. Such breaks can result in better ideas and even breakthroughs.