Today, content creation couldn’t be easier. But why does it feel like such a heavy task?

I recently received an email from a social media service provider that said more than 40% of business owners are burnt out on social media. That’s probably how you feel, too. And I can totally understand how that happens, especially since many companies are still handling their socials like a communications department would.

I say that as a person who started in a corporate PR/communications office and — years later –ended up pushing social media content through my agency. Those two settings work in entirely different ways. But you might not be aware of exactly how and why it’s different.

In Corporate Land…

A communications staffer is assigned a task to capture X content that supports Y business goal for Z audience. They do the assignment and send it to another colleague to edit it, then the department manager who still has to approve and send revisions back to the communications team. By the time approval happens, an important moment is missed, the post is no longer relevant and everyone is overwhelmed by the waste of time when a piece of content doesn’t work out.

If what you just read seemed like a lot, then you’d be right. This process used to make sense — in 2006.

But fast forward to 2026, in the Content Creator Zone…

Creators start with a hook, a catchy angle that can be used to attract and retain viewers. This could be done visually or by using a caption to maintain attention. Once the team agrees on a hook that fits the product or service, they go for the gold, recording something either in their office environment or in the field that fits the entire vibe. After reviewing the captured footage and adding hooks and effects, not much time is needed before it’s approved and catching wildfire on Beyonce’s internet.

Additionally, many emerging content teams are doing this one habit so that they never have to hunt for content again.

Documentation is the foundation of content.

Documentation is — simply put — the gathering of video footage that helps to tell a story about your company or brand. Videographers call this “b-roll”, and if you are doing any sort of marketing or PR in 2026, you should have plenty of it on hand.

Unfortunately, a lot of teams are still stuck in 2006 and are not in the habit of building their marketing collateral through routine documentation. That leaves marketing managers and directors scratching their heads while brainstorming the perfect attention grabbing moment.

My hope is that this doesn’t describe you. But if it does and you’re wanting to wise up in 2027 and not let days go by without publishing, you should have a documentation strategy in place. Because with documentation, so many of your marketing and media related tasks become a breeze. Imagine…

• Your annual report video presentation will be 80% ready.
• You could “spin the wheel” and pick a video or photo to post to your socials.
• With decent photography, you can cancel your stock photo subscription.
• Your graphic designer/web developer/ad agency will love you to pieces.

What I love most about documentation is 1. it’s simple to do so long as you have a smartphone in hand, and 2. many audiences LOVE raw, real moments that simply take a little thoughtfulness and wit to capture. It’s proof that your company or brand is actually in the moment rather than saying you are.

I hope that write up encouraged you to at least start thinking about how you’re going to do PR and promotions differently in the New Year. If you enjoy insightful commentary like this, why not consider subscribing to my newsletter. It’s called The Passport. In fact, you just read one of my posts. So if you want more, simply scroll to the bottom of this page and leave your best email address. You’ll start getting my posts in your inbox right away.

xoxo

-Nea