Content Creation is Just a Lesson Plan with Ashley Wood
Nov 13
Creating engaging, impactful content doesn’t have to feel overwhelming—especially when you treat it like a lesson plan. Ashley Wood, a life coach and dedicated educator, believes the principles that shape lesson planning can be seamlessly adapted to content creation. Ashley, who works as a kindergarten teacher in Washington State, knows firsthand the value of carefully planning, engaging, and assessing learning activities. In her dual role as a teacher and a certified life coach, she’s learned to apply this same structure to help educators and coaches create content that resonates deeply with their audiences.
In this blog post, we’ll break down Ashley’s approach to content creation, inspired by her classroom strategies. By the end, you’ll have a clear, actionable framework for creating impactful content that serves, connects, and grows your audience.
The Content Creation Lesson Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide
1. Know Your Audience
In teaching, understanding your students’ backgrounds, interests, and prior knowledge is crucial. For example, you wouldn’t introduce a complex math concept to kindergarteners who haven’t yet mastered basic counting. In content creation, knowing your audience is just as essential.
Ask Yourself:
- What does my audience already know?
- What information are they actively seeking?
- What specific value can I provide?
In coaching, it’s easy to assume everyone knows what we know, but the truth is, many people aren’t aware of the insights we take for granted. They might be struggling with challenges you’ve already overcome, and they’re looking for solutions that you can offer. Think of your own journey. What were the pivotal lessons you learned along the way? By reflecting on these experiences, you’ll be able to identify valuable content ideas that resonate with your audience’s current challenges.
2. Define a Clear Objective for Your Content
In teaching, every lesson has an objective. This objective helps guide the flow of the lesson and keeps students focused on what they should know or be able to do by the end. Similarly, your content should have a specific purpose or outcome.
Think Long-Term: To stay organized, Ashley recommends creating yearly, quarterly, and weekly content outlines. This approach mirrors how teachers structure their curriculum and ensures that each piece of content aligns with your overarching goals. Setting objectives helps you avoid confusion and keeps your content focused. Once you know your end goal, you can reverse-engineer your content to guide your audience toward that outcome.
Create a Content Calendar: Once you have your objectives mapped out, translate them into a content calendar. Planning in advance—whether quarterly, monthly, or weekly—gives your content structure and purpose. This proactive approach also makes it easier to execute on a daily basis because you’ve already defined your focus areas.
3. Design Engaging Learning Activities for Your Audience
The best lessons capture students’ attention right from the start. In the classroom, Ashley might use a craft project, a song, or a hands-on activity to make a lesson more engaging. In content creation, this translates to finding creative ways to present your message.
Brainstorm Content Ideas: Consider sharing a personal story or a “behind-the-scenes” glimpse of your life. Other options include:
- Mini-trainings on specific topics
- Real-life case studies or success stories
- Problem/solution posts that showcase a challenge and how you solved it
Write down all your ideas and plug them into your content calendar. By diversifying your content types, you can keep your audience engaged and eager for more.
4. Check for Understanding: Engage and Assess
In the classroom, teachers frequently check for understanding to ensure that students are learning as intended. Ashley might use quick quizzes, exit tickets, or discussions to gauge her students’ progress. Similarly, it’s essential to assess whether your content is resonating with your audience.
Encourage Engagement: Invite your audience to interact with your content in meaningful ways. Here are a few ideas:
- Polls on social media stories or posts
- Calls-to-action that encourage comments and questions
- Responses to direct invitations to join in on the conversation
This feedback is invaluable. By observing what topics generate the most engagement, you’ll gain insights into what your audience finds valuable. Use this data to shape future content, so you’re always providing what your audience needs most.
Additional Tips for Effective Content Creation
Beyond these steps, Ashley offers several practical tips that make content creation both effective and sustainable. These insights stem from her experience as an educator and a coach, where relationships, efficiency, and adaptability are key.
Build Relationships with Your Audience
In the classroom, students are more willing to learn from teachers they trust and connect with. The same goes for your audience. Building a genuine relationship will encourage your audience to engage with and trust your content. Let them get to know you through personal stories or authentic insights.
Ways to Connect:
- Share your personal “why” or journey.
- Let your audience see your authentic side.
- Respond to comments and messages thoughtfully.
By creating a relationship of trust and openness, you’re more likely to build a loyal following that values your insights.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel: Repurpose Proven Content
Teachers often rely on tried-and-true methods or resources from other educators. In content creation, you can adopt a similar approach by drawing inspiration from popular or viral content within your niche.
Repurpose Ideas:
- Recycle past content: Find ways to repurpose blog posts into social media snippets or turn videos into infographics.
- Adapt popular trends: Pay attention to the types of posts or topics that perform well within your industry. Tailor them to reflect your unique perspective or add a fresh twist.
By leveraging what’s already proven to resonate, you’re saving time while delivering value.
Reflect and Improve
Teachers are constantly reflecting on what worked in a lesson and what didn’t. They keep notes to adjust their approach in the future. This same habit can help you fine-tune your content over time.
Tips for Reflection:
- Track performance metrics: Monitor engagement rates, shares, and saves.
- Note feedback: Keep track of the questions or comments your content generates.
- Adjust as needed: Use these insights to continually improve your content strategy.
Being open to refining your approach not only benefits your audience but also helps you grow as a creator.
Keep Content in Bite-Sized Pieces
Too much information at once can overwhelm students and make it harder for them to grasp essential concepts. For your audience, the same principle applies. Break your content into manageable, focused pieces so it’s easier to digest.
Focus on One Key Point:
- Start small: Make one main point in each post and build on it in future content.
- Use clear calls to action: Invite your audience to take small steps rather than overwhelming them with too much information.
By delivering content in digestible bites, you help your audience stay engaged and more likely to take meaningful action.
Conclusion: Lesson Plans and Content Creation—A Perfect Match
Applying lesson planning principles to content creation can provide structure, clarity, and engagement. By understanding your audience, defining clear objectives, designing engaging activities, and assessing effectiveness, you’re setting yourself up for content success. Remember that building relationships, repurposing content, reflecting on progress, and focusing on small, actionable steps will keep your audience invested in your message.
So, the next time you’re crafting content, think like a teacher. Follow Ashley Wood’s lead, and you’ll create valuable, engaging content that resonates with your audience and drives lasting impact.
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