10 Tiny Content Habits That Build a Big Creative Business
Less is more, but with greater impact. Explore these ideas before adding yet another system to the mix. 📂 PLUS my free swipe file with 100x ways to engage and activate your audience!
Let’s bust a myth real quick: You do not need a 37-step content funnel, a full-time team, drip content galore, or 12 hours a day on the Internet to build a thriving creative biz.
What you do need?
A few tiny, sustainable content habits that compound over time like creative compound interest.
We’re getting into 10x low-lift, high-vibe content habits that don’t require selling your soul (or your sanity) to the algorithm gods.
This post includes affiliate links for books, tools, and apps that we like and feel confident recommending to you.
🧩 1. Capture the content as it happens.
That random voice memo, that one-liner in your texts, that spicy IG comment you left?
It’s content.
Start a “Swipe File” in your notes app or a Google Doc. Add freely. Mine it later. Boom.
We Like…
Loom for recording audio, video, and screenshares on the fly.
Basecamp as a project management tool to keep all your stuff in one place and share with a team or collaborators. You can get a forever free plan with 1 GB of cloud storage to start!
⏱️ 2. Set a 15-minute content timer.
Not “write for 4 hours.” Not “perfect the thing.”
Just 15 minutes.
Pick a platform.
Pick a point.
Write like you’ve got one espresso left in the tank.
💬 3. Reply With Content
Answer a DM or email in a thoughtful way? That’s your next post.
If one person asked, others are wondering.
Multi-task that brilliance.
We Like…
Vimeo for creating professional content with top-notch stock video.
Kapwing on laptop for editing shortform content and burning in text.
🔁 4. Repost Your Greatest Hits
The algorithm forgot. Your audience forgot.
You forgot.
Pull a strong post from 6 months ago, update it, and put it back in rotation.
Remix It
You can also grab quotes from your article and turn it into a shareable series of social media posts as an Instagram carousel, Substack Note, or LinkedIn post.
✨ 5. Choose One Platform To Nurture
You don’t have to be everywhere.
Pick one place to show up with intention.
Then repurpose elsewhere with less pressure.
We Like…
🧵 Instagram Threads for promoting Substack! Check out the Substack Threads feed to find fellow Substack creators to support and share your work.
💼 LinkedIn for partaking in creative discussions and sharing advice in your niche.
🔍 Reddit for gleaning content ideas and timely topics to talk about. Reddit is a great place to share information in your niche and support fellow artists and creators.
🗒️ Substack Notes to connect with fellow creators, share uplifting quotes, and post artwork in progress.
📆 6. Theme Your Content Days
Consistency gets easier when it’s not a blank page every time.
Consider creating content “buckets” by day to simplify the content creation process and keep consistency.
Creative Enabler themes out by days to help our audience anticipate what’s on deck and also stay consistent:
🧠 7. Steal Like A Strategist
See a format you like? A thread that popped? A carousel that caught your eye?
Reverse-engineer it with your voice and message.
Don’t copy; Remix.
We Like…
| https://substack.com/@austinkleon
🎯 8. Add A CTA To Everything.
CTA = Call-To-Action
Even if it’s “comment a 🔥 if this hit” or “forward this to your biz bestie.”
Engagement doesn't happen by accident. Ask for it.
Grab the Swipe File! 📂
Get 100 copy-and-paste ways to activate your audience into action! Download our free CTA Swipe File:
🧹 9. Audit Your Link-In-Bio Monthly
Is it working for you or just sitting there collecting dust?
One strong CTA link. One compelling reason to click. Make it count.
We Like…
Linktree is a great link-in-bio tool that lets you easily share links, products, and capture important analytics! I love that you can now shorten links, integrate outside email marketing software like Kit (Formerly ConvertKit) and Mailchimp, and schedule social media posts.
🥳 10. Celebrate The Small Posts
You showed up. You shared a thing. You were visible.
That’s the habit. That’s the whole game.
The posts don’t need to be perfect but they just need to exist.
🔗 Make it a point to check in on your engagement to get a sense for what your audience loves
💬 Respond to comments as they come in
🌱 Learn and grow
Q For You:
🔄 Which of these tiny content habits are you already doing—or which one are you going to try this week?
Drop your fave in the comments so we can cheer each other on (and maybe remix your strategy 👀).
☀️ P.S. “Summer of Fearless Creation” is officially in WEEK THREE!
We’re deep into this joyful chaos of content clarity, audience growth, and big creative energy and it’s not too late to jump in.
🚨 Special July Promo: Upgrade to paid for $5/month (normally $7)!
If you’ve been vibing with the free content, come hang out in the paid zone where we get weird, strategic, focused up, and a little more unfiltered.
Get this promo in July only:
🟢 $5/month for the next 12 months
🟢 Cancel anytime (but you won’t want to)
🟢 Weekly fearless creation guidance, plus access to the archives and past posts