Can you believe we are midway through 2021?

June isn’t just the middle of the year for us, it also marks 2 years since Content Queen was born!

When I first hit the "publish" button on my website and created my first Instagram story from the @Mariah_contentqueen account I was TERRIFIED!! But I had a vision and loved what I did.

Now 2 years down the track Content Queen is my full-time income and I am allowing other freelancers to do what they love!

It’s so crazy to think that it’s already been 6 months, I don’t know about you but for Content Queen it’s been a busy year so far! It feels like there’s been so much happening and so much to do that it’s almost impossible to keep up, but that’s why we have to review!

6 months into the year means it’s time to conduct your mid-year content strategy review. If you haven't already done this, a mid-year review is a perfect way to not only see how far you’ve come with your business, but also to look over strategies and practices that have done well, those that need improvement, and maybe even those practices that you’ve outgrown!

I know first hand how intimidating it can be to start your own business, even more so when you need to go over everything you’ve done, what’s worked and what hasn't worked and really analyse your brand from top to bottom - so that’s why we thought it was the perfect time to go over what a mid-year review is, how you can conduct it and how to grow from what you’ve learnt.

So let’s get into it, shall we?

How do you do a mid-year review?

Whether you’ve just started out as an entrepreneur or you’re a pro-business owner, there is ALWAYS room to learn and grow - especially in a 6 month period. A lot can change over that time, so that is why a mid-year content strategy review is so important to make sure you’re still on trend, you’re making progress and you’re learning from mistakes and small failures that may have happened (and yes, failures happen - it’s a part of the business)!

So with the huge amount of things you do in 6 months, where do you even start a mid-year review? Well, to make it a little less intimidating, here is how I like to break it down to ensure all bases are covered and we make the most use out of our time

Set a day aside to conduct the review, try not to cram or rush - there may be some things you miss. Take your time and be open-minded.
Look at the analytics of your business. Google Analytics is a great way to do this, set up a spreadsheet to measure things like traffic between social platforms, engagement, clicks, and email opens - this can tell you A LOT about what content works and what doesn't.
Have a close look at what content worked for you and what posts gained the most traction. The analytics will tell you this which then lets you know what to keep posting to grow your audience.
Understand what you like creating and do more! Yes, numbers and stats are important, but if you don’t enjoy the content you’re creating - what’s the point? Have a look on a personal level and ask yourself if your content still gives you passion, then evaluate what to do from there.
Ask your audience what they liked (this is called target audience research), see if you’re giving out the message you want to and if it is being received correctly. If you want to learn more about how to conduct target audience research, have a look here.
Personal growth, as well as business growth, is important, have a look at yourself from 6 months - what have YOU gotten out of this time?
Do some goal reviewing! Have you reached those goals you set out to? What have you done to reach them?
With the positive, we also have to look at what things haven't worked. This isn't to dishearten you, it’s to learn from aspects of your content that didn't work out as hoped and change it up to give you the results you want.

Breaking up your review into sections like this and taking note of each thing will help you use your time efficiently and help the process seem a lot less intimidating. Trust me, it works and also makes sure you cover everything so no aspect is missed!

How to measure your content moving forward

While a mid-year review is super important, measuring the highs and lows of your content throughout the year is also essential to grow as a business.

This is where numbers and statistics come in, I know… BORING! But, unfortunately, they’re your best indicator of success and will help you heaps in any venture, launch, piece of content, or review you do. Plus, it saves you time in the long run simply guessing what is doing well just from likes and comments, so how exactly do you measure?

For a simple overview, let’s look at Google Analytics as a starting point.

When it comes to Google Analytics, you need to remember the number one objective of creating your content - You want to get people to your website!!!

Why? because that is where you sell and that is where they buy!

So what are some of the things you want to look at with the numbers/data?

Users
New Users
Sessions
Number of pages visited per person
Number of sessions per person
Bounce rate - the percentage of visitors who have come to your site and have left before going to other pages
The place people landed on your site from (this is called referrals and will tell you what social media channels are working for you)
What pages they looked at (also is good for tracking launches)

You can go VERY deep with this and look at more demographics and you can track certain places on your site. But for now, let’s stick to the basics!

If you want further insight into how else to measure your content throughout the year, check out my blog on how to find out if your content is working, here.

Things I have seen work in 2021

With Content Queen just turning 2, it’s really made me take a step back and have a look at all the amazing things we’ve done and achieved - especially with all of our growth in the last 6 months. I’ve noticed a few stand-out things that I think everyone can take on board and implement more in their own businesses! This is what I’ve found out has worked really well in 2021

Being raw and authentic
Sharing stories
Having a strategy
Short, sharp content (TikTok and Reels)
More shareable content (infographics)
Collaborate with others
Building people up around you, not just you and your business
Exponential growth

Have you noticed anything similar working for your business?

What I’ve learnt over the last 2 years

Over the last 2 years of business, I’ve definitely had my triumphs but also a lot of struggles. Being an entrepreneur is not an easy task, it's completely exhausting and gives you so many reasons to just quit. But this is where you need to dig deep and really be passionate about what you want to do with your business!

The rollercoaster of owning a business is an intense one that teaches you sooo many lessons - here is what I’ve observed and learnt over the last 2 years…

Focusing on a smaller amount of channels works better than trying to do it all
People posting everyday is not a strategy (and it rarely works)
We create more content just to “tick the boxes”, quantity over quality isn't the way to look at content creation
Having guidance is KEY for success, coaches and a team that can support you is golden.
Money will ALWAYS come back, you have to spend it to make it
Mindset work is a must, whether it is meditation, journaling, or something else, it’s amazing to refresh and recharge
Document the process (you never know when you will need it)
Be yourself! Authenticity is your best friend
Have balance - work hard, play hard, and don’t forget to reward yourself for the energy you put in
LOOK after your HEALTH, it’s so easy to push yourself and take your health for granted - DON’T!

Final thoughts

The growth of Content Queen and being able to celebrate 2 years of business couldn't happen without everyone who supports us. We wanted to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has joined our journey, whether it’s through keeping up with socials, listening to the podcast, reading the blog, or purchasing from our website, we love you all!

To show our appreciation and, of course, celebrate Content Queen’s birthday, here is a goodie from us to you! If you want to get your hands on Content Queen's templates, now is your chance, use the code 'BIRTHDAY2' to get $10 off (that makes them only $19)!!! How amazing is that? So go jump on that offer now through this link!

What do you get in the templates? Well, here’s a breakdown of what the templates contain!

Social media caption guide - to help draw in your audience on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and direct them to your other platforms such as your podcasts, videos, websites, and blogs
Sales page template - to boost attention and sales for any product or service you may be offering, a place where these things can be explained further to your clients
Email sequence templates - to create the most impactful, fun, and comprehensive emails to promote your business ventures and keep your audience updated
Guide to starting a blog, podcast, and video content - some tips and tricks on how to start up any blog, podcast, or video you wish to create and how to make sure it is attracting your aligned audience
Writing content for your business eBook - the bible of the content world! This ebook gives you a launching platform into the world of content creation with activities along the way to help you build up the best content for your business

We hope you love the templates as much as we do!

Have an amazing week everyone!