How To Build a Content Machine in 60 Days: The Complete Behind-the-Scenes Guide

From "we should post more" to "holy sht we're building real momentum"*


The Challenge: From Content Chaos to Content Engine

Three months ago, Averi's content situation was... let's call it "nonexistent."

We had brilliant ideas, a clear vision for our brand, and a platform that was genuinely transforming how marketing teams work.

But our content? It was sporadic. Unfocused. The kind of thing that happens when you're building a company and content becomes an afterthought.

Sound familiar? I'll bet.

We knew we needed to change.

Not just post more—but build something systematic. Something that would consistently communicate our values, attract the right people, and turn casual readers into genuine advocates.

Here's exactly how we did it. No excess, no theory—just the actual playbook.


Phase 1: Getting Ridiculously Clear on Our POV (Week 1-2)

The Offsite That Changed Everything

What we did: The CEO and I locked ourselves away for two days. No laptops initially—just whiteboards, Post-its, and honest conversation about what Averi really stands for.

Why this mattered: You can't build a content machine without knowing what you're trying to say. Most companies skip this step and wonder why their content feels generic.

The Questions We Asked Ourselves

  1. What pisses us off about the current state of marketing?

    • The growth-at-all-costs mentality

    • AI tools that create more noise, not more value

    • The false choice between human creativity and AI efficiency

  2. What do we believe that others don't?

    • AI should amplify human creativity, not replace it

    • Execution matters more than strategy

    • The best marketing feels calm, not chaotic

  3. How do we want people to feel after consuming our content?

    • More confident in their marketing decisions

    • Inspired to try a different approach

    • Like they found their people

  4. What would we say if we had no competitors?

    • This helped us find our authentic voice, not our reactive voice

The Output: Our Brand Pillars

After two days, we emerged with five core pillars that would guide every piece of content:

  1. AI + Human - The future is collaborative, not competitive

  2. Execution Over Ideas - Strategy without execution is just expensive PowerPoint

  3. Calm Over Chaos - Growth that gives you your life back

  4. Specialists Over Generalists - Deep expertise beats Swiss Army knife marketers

  5. Anti-Growth at All Costs - Sustainable scaling for humans, not just metrics

Actionable Tip: Book a full day (minimum) with your key stakeholders. No phones, no Slack. Just honest conversation about what you really believe.


Phase 2: Building Our Content Hub (Week 2-3)

"Don't Feed the Algorithm" - Finding Our Flag

The insight: We realized that everyone was creating content to please algorithms, not humans. Our brand needed to be the antidote to this.

The process:

  1. We brainstormed 50+ potential taglines/concepts

  2. "Don't Feed the Algorithm" kept coming up in conversation

  3. We tested it with our team—immediate excitement

  4. We built everything around this concept

Why it works:

  • It's contrarian (stands out in feeds)

  • It's memorable (people quote it back to us)

  • It's defensible (aligns with our AI + human philosophy)

  • It's expandable (works for newsletters, content, events)

Setting Up the Infrastructure

Content Hub Setup:

  • Platform: Custom-built section on our website

  • Categories: Organized around our five brand pillars

  • Design: Clean, editorial feel (not corporate blog vibes)

  • SEO: Every piece optimized for both humans and LLMs

Newsletter Foundation:

  • Platform: Beehiiv (chosen for design flexibility)

  • Name: "Don't Feed the Algorithm"

  • Frequency: Weekly, religiously

  • Structure: News + Jobs + Tips + Feature story


Phase 3: AI-Powered Content Planning (Week 3-4)

Keyword Research with AI

Our approach: Instead of traditional keyword research, we used AI to think like our audience.

Prompts we used:

The output: 200+ content ideas organized by:

  • Search volume (AI estimates)

  • Alignment with our POV

  • Ability to show Averi's value without being salesy

Content Calendar Creation

Our system:

  1. Quarterly themes aligned with our pillars

  2. Monthly focus areas (e.g., January = "New Year, New Marketing Stack")

  3. Weekly editorial calendars with specific pieces

  4. Evergreen vs. timely content ratio (70/30 split)

Tools:

  • Planning: Notion database with content status tracking

  • Ideation: Averi AI for generating article concepts

  • Research: AI for competitive analysis and trend spotting


Phase 4: Creating Our AI Writing Assistant (Week 4-5)

Training Averi on Our Brand Voice

Step 1: Voice Documentation We documented our voice across multiple dimensions:

  • Tone: Confident but not arrogant, helpful but not preachy

  • Personality: Your smart friend who's been there

  • Language: Direct, conversational, occasionally irreverent

  • Topics: What we talk about vs. what we avoid

Step 2: Example Library We fed Averi examples of:

  • Our best email copy

  • LinkedIn posts that performed well

  • Internal Slack messages that captured our vibe

  • Competitor content we admired (and could improve on)

Step 3: Prompt Engineering Our go-to content generation prompt:

You're writing as Averi's content team. Our brand voice is: confident but not arrogant, helpful but not preachy, slightly irreverent but always professional. We believe AI should amplify human creativity, not replace it. We're anti-chaos, pro-execution, and believe the best marketing feels calm rather than frantic.

Write a [blog post/email/social caption] about [topic] that:
- Challenges conventional wisdom
- Provides actionable insights
- Uses concrete examples
- Ends with a clear takeaway
- Feels like it's written by a human with strong opinions, not a corporate content team

Tone: [specific to the piece]
Audience: [Marketing leaders/CMOs/Founders]
Goal: [Educate/Inspire/Convert]

The Human Review Process

Our workflow:

  1. AI generates first draft (saves 60% of writing time)

  2. Human editor reviews for:

    • Factual accuracy

    • Brand voice consistency

    • Logical flow

    • Unique insights

  3. Final review by CEO or Head of Content

  4. Publish with performance tracking

Quality checkpoints:

  • Does this sound like us?

  • Would we share this even if we weren't promoting Averi?

  • Does it provide genuine value?

  • Is it different from what everyone else is saying?


Phase 5: Newsletter Strategy (Week 5-6)

Studying What Actually Works

We analyzed 50+ successful newsletters across different industries. Common elements:

Content Mix:

  • 40% industry news and insights

  • 25% original editorial content

  • 20% practical tips and resources

  • 15% community and networking

Engagement Drivers:

  • News: People want to stay informed

  • Jobs: Career opportunities create loyalty

  • Events: Networking drives newsletter value

  • Tips: Actionable advice gets shared

Our Newsletter Structure

Weekly format:

  1. Opening Hook (1-2 sentences that grab attention)

  2. Featured Articles (Original long-form content)

  3. News Roundup (3-4 industry stories with our take)

  4. Job Board (5-7 marketing roles, curated not automated)

  5. The Algorithm Could Never (Our favorite ads of all time & why)

  6. Averi Tips + Prompts (Strategies straight from Averi you can steal & community prompts)

  7. Event Calendar (Industry events and our own)

  8. Community Spotlight (Reader submissions, Expert spotlights, wins)

Writing principles:

  • Write like you're emailing a friend

  • Have strong opinions, loosely held

  • Always provide value, even if someone never buys from us

  • Make it skimmable but substantial


Phase 6: Rapid Content Production (Week 7-8)

The Content Factory

Our production rhythm:

  • Monday: Week planning and topic finalization

  • Tuesday-Wednesday: First drafts (AI + human collaboration)

  • Thursday: Review, edit, optimize

  • Friday: Publish, promote, analyze

Content types we prioritized:

  1. Thought leadership articles (2-3 per week)

  2. How-to guides (1-2 per week)

  3. Industry commentary (Daily social posts)

  4. Case studies (1 per month)

  5. Newsletter (Weekly, no exceptions)

The Podcast Launch (Week 6)

Why we added audio:

  • Repurpose existing content in new format

  • Reach people who prefer audio

  • Create intimate connection with audience

  • Generate social content from clips

Our approach:

  • Format: Conversational interviews with marketing leaders

  • Length: 25-35 minutes (respects people's time)

  • Frequency: Bi-weekly (sustainable for us)

  • Distribution: Spotify, Apple, YouTube, embedded in newsletter

Week 1 to launch:

  • Day 1: Decided to do it

  • Day 2: Recorded three episodes

  • Day 3-5: Editing and setup

  • Day 6-7: Launch announcement and promotion


The System: How Everything Works Together

Content Workflow

Ideation:

  1. AI generates topic suggestions based on trends

  2. Team votes on priorities during Monday planning

  3. Topics assigned based on expertise and interest

Creation:

  1. AI creates detailed outline and first draft

  2. Human writer reviews and refines

  3. Editor polishes for voice and accuracy

  4. Creator does final review and approval

Distribution:

  1. Publish on content hub

  2. Adapt for newsletter feature

  3. Break into social media posts

  4. Consider for podcast topic

  5. Repurpose into different formats

Performance tracking:

  • Newsletter open rates and click-through

  • Website traffic and time on page

  • Social engagement and shares

  • Lead generation and conversions

  • Qualitative feedback (DMs, replies, mentions)

Tools We Use

Content Creation:

  • Averi AI: First drafts, ideation, optimization

  • Notion: Content planning and pipeline

  • Figma: Visual content creation

  • Loom: Quick video content

Distribution:

  • Beehiiv: Newsletter management

  • WordPress: Website/blog hosting

  • Buffer: Social media scheduling

  • YouTube: Video content hosting

Analytics:

  • Google Analytics: Website performance

  • Beehiiv Analytics: Newsletter metrics

  • LinkedIn Analytics: Social performance

  • Custom dashboards: Unified reporting


What We Learned: The Crucial Success Factors

1. Consistency Beats Perfection

The insight: We published 100+ pieces in 60 days. Not all were perfect. All were valuable.

The practice: We established non-negotiable publishing schedules and stuck to them. Momentum matters more than perfection.

2. Voice Before Volume

The insight: Finding our voice took two weeks. Scaling production took six weeks. Voice first, always.

The practice: Every piece gets the "does this sound like us?" test before publication.

3. AI as Amplifier, Not Replacement

The insight: AI helps us produce 3x more content, but humans ensure it's 3x better.

The practice: AI handles structure and first drafts. Humans add insight, personality, and judgment.

4. Community Over Broadcast

The insight: The best content starts conversations, not monologues.

The practice: We actively engage with every comment, reply, and mention. Content is the beginning of relationship, not the end.

5. Distribution is Creation

The insight: Great content that nobody sees is the same as no content.

The practice: For every hour creating, we spend 30 minutes on distribution and promotion.


The Results (What Actually Happened)

Quantitative Metrics

Website traffic:

  • 340% increase in organic traffic

  • 180% increase in session duration

  • 220% increase in newsletter signups

Newsletter growth:

  • 2,400 subscribers in 8 weeks

  • 47% average open rate

  • 3.4% average click-through rate

Social engagement:

  • 500% increase in LinkedIn followers

  • 280% increase in profile views

  • 150% increase in DMs and comments

Lead generation:

  • 190% increase in demo requests

  • 130% increase in qualified leads

  • 45% of new customers mention content as discovery method

Qualitative Feedback

What people are saying:

  • "I look forward to your newsletter every week"

  • "Finally, marketing content that doesn't feel like marketing content"

  • "You guys are everywhere lately – in a good way"

  • "This actually changed how I think about AI and marketing"

Internal impact:

  • Team alignment on brand voice

  • Increased employee advocacy

  • Clear content guidelines for hiring

  • Confidence in our market position


Your Action Plan: How to Replicate This

Week 1-2: Foundation

  1. Schedule brand clarity session

    • Block 1-2 full days with key stakeholders

    • Answer the core questions we used

    • Document your brand pillars

    • Define your contrarian POV

  2. Content audit

    • Review existing content for voice consistency

    • Identify what's working vs. what isn't

    • Determine gaps in your content strategy

Week 3-4: Planning

  1. Choose your platform stack

    • Newsletter platform (Beehiiv, ConvertKit, etc.)

    • Content management (WordPress, Webflow, etc.)

    • Social scheduling (Buffer, Hootsuite, etc.)

  2. AI training

    • Gather voice examples

    • Create brand guidelines document

    • Test content generation prompts

    • Establish human review process

Week 5-6: Content Strategy

  1. Develop content calendar

    • Use AI for topic ideation

    • Map content to buyer journey

    • Plan quarterly themes

    • Schedule consistent publishing

  2. Create templates

    • Newsletter format

    • Blog post structure

    • Social media templates

    • Editorial guidelines

Week 7-8: Launch and Scale

  1. Start publishing

    • Begin with 1-2 pieces per week

    • Focus on consistency over volume

    • Gather feedback and iterate

  2. Build distribution system

    • Email list building

    • Social promotion strategy

    • Community engagement

    • Performance tracking

Beyond Week 8: Optimization

  1. Analyze and adjust

    • Review performance data

    • Refine content based on engagement

    • Expand into new formats

    • Scale successful approaches

  2. Build community

    • Engage with audience actively

    • Create two-way conversations

    • Develop reader loyalty

    • Turn audience into advocates


Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Waiting for Perfect Strategy

The mistake: Spending months planning the perfect content strategy before publishing anything.

The fix: Start with good enough. Iterate based on real feedback, not theoretical perfection.

2. Treating AI as Magic

The mistake: Expecting AI to create publication-ready content without human input.

The fix: Use AI for efficiency, humans for quality. Always edit, always review.

3. Ignoring Distribution

The mistake: Creating great content but not promoting it effectively.

The fix: Spend as much time on distribution as creation. Great content needs an audience.

4. Inconsistent Voice

The mistake: Different team members writing in different styles.

The fix: Document your voice clearly. Review everything for consistency. When in doubt, read it out loud.

5. Vanity Metrics Focus

The mistake: Optimizing for likes and shares instead of business outcomes.

The fix: Track metrics that matter: qualified leads, customer acquisition, revenue attribution.


Tools and Resources

Essential Tools

Content Creation:

  • [Your AI platform of choice] for first drafts

  • Grammarly for editing

  • Hemingway for readability

  • Canva for quick graphics

Distribution:

  • Beehiiv/ConvertKit for newsletters

  • Buffer/Hootsuite for social scheduling

  • WordPress/Webflow for website

  • YouTube for video hosting

Analytics:

  • Google Analytics for website

  • Native platform analytics for social

  • Newsletter platform analytics

  • Custom reporting dashboards

Templates You Can Use

Content Brief Template:

Topic: [Specific topic]
Audience: [Primary audience + secondary]
Goal: [What should happen after reading?]
Key points: [3-5 main insights]
Brand pillars: [Which pillars does this reinforce?]
Tone: [Specific to this piece]
CTA: [What action should readers take?]

Newsletter Template:

Subject: [Clear, specific benefit]
Opener: [Hook that makes opening worthwhile]
News: [3-4 industry insights with your POV]
Jobs: [5-7 curated opportunities]
Feature: [Main content piece]
Tool/Tip: [One actionable insight]
Events: [Relevant networking opportunities]
Sign-off: [Consistent signature]

Social Post Template:

Hook: [Pattern interrupt or strong statement]
Context: [Why this matters now]
Insight: [Your unique perspective]
Example: [Concrete illustration]
Takeaway: [What should people do?]
CTA: [Encourage engagement]


The Bottom Line

Building a content machine in 60 days isn't about perfection—it's about momentum.

It's about getting ridiculously clear on what you stand for, building systems that scale, and refusing to wait for the perfect moment to start.

Most companies overthink content strategy and under-execute on content creation. We flipped that script.

The result? In two months, we went from scattered content to a system that consistently generates leads, builds authority, and creates genuine connection with our audience.

Your turn.

The Definitive Guide to LLM-Optimized Content: How to Win in the AI Search Era ›

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