Podcast Summary: Ep 256 // 7 Steps to Be Faithful With Your Content Marketing Strategy in 2026

Podcast: Simple SEO and Marketing
Host: Faith Hanan
Date: January 8, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Faith Hanan zeros in on the vital ingredient to a thriving content marketing strategy for 2026: consistency rooted in faithfulness. Drawing inspiration from recent personal lessons and biblical principles, Faith shares her seven practical steps for planning and executing content marketing in a way that is both effective and sustainable—without the overwhelm or reliance on expensive tools. The episode is a blend of tactical advice, encouragement for Christian entrepreneurs, and candid reflections on what it truly means to steward one’s business faithfully.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Core Message: Faithfulness in Content Marketing

• Faith opens with the observation that marketing industry chatter is fixated on 2026 trends, but the most critical factor for content success hasn’t changed: consistency and faithfulness (01:17).
• She underscores that “faithfulness” isn’t just about grand gestures or launching new things, but about diligent, small, consistent actions—especially vital for small teams or solo entrepreneurs (07:47).
• Biblical parallels (e.g., the Parable of the Talents) and lessons from a recent church message drive the theme: faithfully tending to what God has put in your hands, including your business and audience (06:30–09:43).

Why Consistency Matters

• Faith emphasizes that regular delivery of valuable content—showing up for your audience—is key to growing organic traffic and influence (10:30).
• She notes, “If there’s one thing you can do this year to be successful in your content marketing, it’s to be consistent” (10:46).
• Consistency is tied to planning, which counters the tendency for entrepreneurs (especially non-planners) to scramble and burn out (13:00).

7 Steps to a Consistent, Faithful Content Marketing Strategy

1. Plan Around Your Life and Launches

• Timestamps: 14:50–17:16
• Begin by blocking out important family/vacation time and major business launches—let your business schedule serve your life, not the other way around.
• Notable Quote:

  “Your business schedule should serve your life and your family, not run right over it.” (15:55)

• Only then reverse-engineer your content calendar to support these priorities.

2. Analyze What’s Performed Well

• Timestamps: 17:17–20:40
• Review content metrics to see what resonates and what doesn’t (without obsessing over vanity metrics).
• If you have a side passion that doesn’t align with your audience (e.g., potbelly pigs), don’t let it distract from your business goals.
• Notable Quote:

  “If you want your business to grow, you have to plan your content strategically.” (19:00)

3. Strategically Batch Plan Content to Reduce Decision Fatigue

• Timestamps: 20:41–22:01
• Plan in batches so when you sit down to create, “the logic has already been thought out,” making creation much faster and more focused.
• Notable Quote:

  “Planning out your content in batches truly is going to save you time and make you better when you’re actually creating.” (21:00)

4. Refer to Your Master Content List

• Timestamps: 22:02–24:31
• Use a digital document (like a Google Doc) you regularly update with content ideas.
• Even if the list doesn’t always spark the perfect topic, it keeps creativity flowing and ensures nothing gets lost.

5. Put Pen to Paper or Fingers to Keyboard

• Timestamps: 24:32–27:21
• Move beyond rough ideas—write down the main point and a few supporting points for each content idea to build a “rough outline.”
• Faith advocates for analog brainstorming to unlock new ideas:

  “There’s something in the brain that, that shifts when we do things analog or pen to paper versus keyboard.” (25:11)

6. Conduct Keyword Research

• Timestamps: 27:22–30:46
• Don't start here—wait until you have ideas. Now, check if people are searching for them. Adjust your titles and language to meet your audience where they are.
• Faith spotlights her “Keyword Research Kickstarter” as a streamlined, practical tool.
• Notable Quote:

  “This is where the rubber meets the road with the strategic part of your content marketing strategy.” (28:55)

7. Schedule It Out—Visually!

• Timestamps: 30:47–34:22
• Put your content plan into a physical or digital calendar. Visual scheduling is key to execution and accountability—even if you’re not a natural planner.
• Faith candidly admits:

  “To be honest, this is where I really suck, which is why I have to have a visual calendar in front of my eyeballs...” (31:05)

• She advocates for annual planning calendars to ensure follow-through and to see the bigger picture.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On using AI for planning:

  “I love my Chatty ... but when it comes to planning out content, AI just kind of sucks. I’m being real with you. ... We’re gonna actually use our God-given brains for this.” (13:45)

• On the lasting impact of evergreen content:

  “Blogging lasts so much longer than your social media posts, but you’re not getting hearts and stars and likes immediately after you post something. So it feels like this is pointless. But when you think about the long term gains... then you just need to be faithful to do the planting, to do the watering, right? And let God bring the increase...” (33:11)

• On tying business and personal purpose:

  “Let’s just all pinky promise ourselves together that we’re going to be faithful with our content marketing this year and just watch how God grows, what he’s given us, how he expands our tent stakes, and how he helps us to reach more people and help more people with the God given gifts that he’s given us.” (34:15)

Important Timestamps

• [01:17] — Faith introduces the role of faithfulness in business and content marketing.
• [06:30–09:43] — Story from church and the spiritual foundation for the episode.
• [10:46] — Consistency as the single most important trait for content marketing.
• [14:50–17:16] — Step 1: Planning around life and launches.
• [17:17–20:40] — Step 2: Tracking content performance.
• [20:41–22:01] — Step 3: Batch planning for reduced decision fatigue.
• [22:02–24:31] — Step 4: Using a master content list.
• [24:32–27:21] — Step 5: Writing out outlines and ideas.
• [27:22–30:46] — Step 6: Keyword research and practical SEO tools.
• [30:47–34:22] — Step 7: Scheduling content visually and holding yourself accountable.

Episode Tone and Audience

Faith’s style is approachable, practical, and laced with humor and Christian encouragement. Her empathy for overwhelmed entrepreneurs shines through. The actionable nature of the episode, plus Faith’s transparency about her own strengths and weaknesses, make it motivating and highly practical for believers building online businesses.

For Further Action

• Check out Faith’s “Keyword Research Kickstarter” for step-by-step SEO help.
• Episode 254 is recommended for listeners feeling stuck in content creation.
• Upcoming episode: “Setting Goals According to the Bible.”

Summary by:
Simple SEO & Marketing Podcast Summarizer