My 80/20 Content Strategy in Action
How I Maximized Results by Doing Less
I’ve known about the Pareto Principle for many years, but I never truly understood its power until I applied it to my content marketing efforts. It’s a simple but profound concept: Roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes, and it completely changed the way I work.
I used to be all over the place. On many platforms, messing around with too many tools, templates, and methods. And getting nowhere. Just burning myself out. And I still had very little to show for it.
Could focusing on just the vital 20% really deliver most of my desired outcomes? The answer is yes!
Finding My Content Sweet Spots
Have you ever analyzed which content types give you the biggest bang for your buck? I ignored that for a long time, thinking I could just write about what I wanted to. But when I reviewed the analytics, the pattern became obvious.
My data revealed that pillar-specific topics and process-related case studies outperform my other content by a factor of two. Meanwhile, I was spending my time on general-interest subjects that I found interesting and no one else did.
Sound familiar?
And something else happened. As I started focusing more on the content that people responded to, my enthusiasm for those topics increased. And my writing got better. It also became easier to find topics.
Funny how that works. That’s when I discovered my 20%.
Letting Go of Platform FOMO
Remember when we all felt obligated to maintain a presence on every emerging platform? I do. As a relative newcomer to this space, I haven’t been everywhere, but I was still diluting my efforts across channels that weren't serving my goals.
I credit my coach, Barry Morris, for teaching me that I can permit myself to focus primarily on one or two platforms where my target audience is engaged. And forget about the rest. He encouraged me to make Substack my home base and choose one other platform, max. So I ditched Medium mostly and redirected my efforts to LinkedIn as my second platform.
Since taking that approach, my productivity has increased while I am also gaining more subscribers and better engagement. Cross-posting my content on LinkedIn and being active on Notes has been more productive than anything I was doing on Facebook, Instagram, or Medium.
Creating Once, Deploying Many Times
I used to think every platform needed unique content. What a waste of creative energy that was! Now, I create content with repurposing in mind from the start.
My process starts with creating cornerstone content—usually a detailed blog post. Then, I extract the key insights for my newsletter, pull quotable moments for Notes and LinkedIn comments, and transform statistics into simple infographics. One solid piece becomes five or six with minimal additional effort.
I’m still learning how to batch similar tasks. I’ve started creating multiple outlines in one session. Then, I work on at least two drafts at a time. This keeps me ahead of the game and makes my drafting and editing sessions less stressful. I already know what I’ll be working on next.
Could your content creation process benefit from this kind of intentional efficiency?
Measuring What Matters
To truly measure impact, I simplified my analytics. Focusing on just three things: email sign-ups, content shares and direct inquiries. The rest is just noise.
Being relatively new, I don’t yet have a ton of data to measure, but this simplified approach provides a clear feedback loop. I now have a benchmark to measure my results by. I can compare content that performs well to poorly-performing content and adjust as needed. It’s no longer a guessing game.
Sometimes, you gain the most insight from being willing to pivot quickly when warranted by the data.
Finding Sustainability Through Focus
In embracing the 80/20 rule, I’ve discovered something valuable-Marketing finally feels sustainable. By focusing my energy toward high-impact activities, I've reclaimed time while improving results.
How would your business benefit if you identified your vital 20% and reorganized your approach to it? It’s not about doing more, but doing what matters.
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What high-impact activities drive your results? Share your 80/20 insights in the comments below – let's discuss!
Even though I’ve heard of the Pomodoro method, your strategy hit home for me. Since I’m new to Substack, I’ve been learning the ropes and trying to hit my stride. Your strategy lights the way. Thank you.