More Content With Less Stress: The Hub and Spoke Model

Many creators struggle with consistency.

When I first started writing, my process was quite chaotic. Every day felt like a race to think of a new idea, write about it, and publish it on time. This constant pressure was exhausting. But as I studied top creators, I noticed a common pattern.

They don't just churn out more content. They build reliable systems.

Systems that:

• Streamline their workflow
• Reduce stress and overwhelm
• Ensure consistent quality output

Unfortunately, many creators think setting up a system is too complex or unnecessary for where they're at. You might worry you lack the time, won't stay consistent, or don't have enough ideas to make it work.

The irony is that a system can fix these exact issues. Sure, you need to frontload some time and effort to set it up.

But it will pay off in the long run.

The Hub and Spoke Model

The Hub and Spoke model is a distribution network that resembles a bicycle wheel.

Hub. This is your central long-form content, such as a newsletter, article, case study, video, or podcast episode. It’s the foundation of your content strategy that provides in-depth value and insight.

Spokes. These are short social media posts based on your hub content. They drive traffic from social media platforms to your hub, where people can dive deeper into your content.

Spokes expand your content network. They're gateways to your hub that increase your chance of reaching and engaging a wider audience.

Each post is an opportunity for someone to:

• Subscribe to your newsletter
• Buy one of your products
• Fill out a contact form

Or perhaps all three.

This system makes each piece of content you create work harder for you:

1. You repurpose and expand your content. Easily turn your hub content into multiple social media posts and come up with new ideas on the same topic.
2. You build your email list. Drive traffic to your website, where visitors can subscribe to your newsletter and engage more deeply with your content.
3. You develop a web of ideas. Create content that links back to your main topics, keeps your audience's attention, and positions you as an expert.

How to Build Your Hub and Spoke System

Let me walk you through the Hub and Spoke content strategy step-by-step.

Step 1. Create Your Hub Content

Some readers want more than surface-level content.

That's what hubs are for. They let you dive deeper into topics than you can on social media. By sharing your insights, you not only meet the needs of those readers but also get to show your expertise and build trust with your audience.

Plus, you pull people from social media to your website, where they can find even more of what you offer.

Some examples of creators using the Hub and Spoke model:

• Justin Welsh: I first learned about this from Justin. He publishes every issue of his Saturday Solopreneur newsletter on his website and links back to it from 𝕏 and LinkedIn.
• Kieran Drew: Kieran follows a similar approach. Although, he mostly drives traffic to one of his lead magnets, instead of linking to his published newsletters.
• Dan Koe: Dan publishes his newsletters on his website and even embeds the YouTube video based on his newsletter script at the top.

Remember, your hub isn't limited to newsletters. It could also be videos, podcasts, or lead magnets.

You can see this pattern on YouTube too. Many YouTube Shorts are clips from a longer video that link back to it.

Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

Step 2: Expand Your Reach with Strategic Spokes

Spokes help you get the most out of your original work.

When you break down your hub content into different angles, you reach more people, keep your content fresh, and build a network of ideas. This makes creating short-form content so much easier and more valuable.

Here are a few angles to consider:

1. Story: Share a personal anecdote that ties back to your main topic.
2. Listicle: Create a list of tips, tricks, or tools related to your content.
3. Analogy: Use a comparison to explain your topic in a relatable way.
4. Prediction: Forecast trends or developments related to your topic.
5. Contrarian: Offer an opposing view to a widely held belief or practice.
6. Case Study: Analyze a real-life example or success story to illustrate your points.
7. Observation: Share a unique insight or perspective on your topic.

If you write one of each, you end up with 7 short-form posts about one topic.

But don't post them all at once…

Step 3: Pace Your Posts for Maximum Impact

Bombarding your audience with too many posts about the same topic can cause them to lose interest.

That's the last thing you want.

So, spread out your posts to make sure each one gets the attention it deserves.

Example schedule:

1. Story: This Monday
2. Listicle: Next Tuesday
3. Analogy: Wednesday in 3 weeks
4. Prediction: Thursday in 4 weeks
5. Contrarian: Friday in 5 weeks
6. Case Study: Saturday in 6 weeks
7. Observation: Sunday in 7 weeks

If you're still growing your content library, there's nothing wrong with tightening this schedule to 2-3 posts a week.

Do what works best for you.

Step 4: Link Back to Your Hub Content

Your hub is where the magic happens—so always link back to it.

Because your hub content directly relates to your social media posts, you create a natural path for your audience to continue their journey. If someone wants to dive deeper, they can. You're not forcing anything. You simply invite readers to explore further if they're curious.

This approach is far more effective than the generic "If you liked this tweet, you'll also like my newsletter" you see everywhere.

But watch out.

Social media platforms want people to stay on their platform because that's how they make money. That's why it's no surprise that both 𝕏 and LinkedIn penalize outbound links.

So be smart about this.

Post the link to your hub as a reply to your post—not in the post itself. And not immediately. Wait about an hour before you post your link.

Now, let's talk about how.

• Teaser: A short sentence to tease your hub content. For example: "I wrote a full guide on building a content system to create a web of ideas."
• CTA: A simple call-to-action such as "Read it here:"
• Link: The link to your hub content… duh. Pro tip: Add UTM parameters to measure which post or platform drives the most traffic.

Take every opportunity to lead your audience back to your hub content.

That's how you maximize the impact of every post you publish.