BEST PRACTICEElite AgentOPINIONTECH + SOCIAL

The 3-Minute Content Rule

If youโ€™ve ever stared at a blank screen thinking, โ€œWhat on earth do I post today?โ€โ€”youโ€™re not alone. Social media can feel like just another thing on your never-ending to-do list. But what if coming up with content didnโ€™t require a full brainstorm session? Enter the 3-Minute Content Rule: a simple habit for busy property managers who want to stay visible without the stress.

How come up with social media ideas (fast)

When youโ€™re growing a rent roll, coming up with social media content is probably somewhere between โ€œbook the gutter cleanโ€ and โ€œfollow up that referral partnerโ€ on your priority list.

You know itโ€™s important. You know you should be posting. But between chasing tradies, explaining the โ€œtwo weeks rent in advanceโ€ mystery, and fielding 14 landlord texts before lunchโ€ฆ who has the brain space to think about social media?

So maybe a little reframe would help. Try this one: You donโ€™t need more time. You need better habits.

Thatโ€™s where the 3-Minute Content Rule comes in. Itโ€™s not a magic hack for instantly writing perfect posts (sorry). Itโ€™s about finding actual content ideas from your day-to-day lifeโ€ฆ in three minutes or less.

Because you might not realise it, but youโ€™re already creating content. You just donโ€™t realise it yet.

So, whatโ€™s the 3-Minute Content Rule?

Itโ€™s exactly what it sounds like. Set a timer. Three minutes.

Then brain-dump as many content ideas as you can from whatโ€™s happened this week.

Think about these questions:

  • What did a landlord ask you that made you want to roll your eyes but also explain for the 50th time?
  • What did you explain to your team that you wish everyone knew?
  • What went wrong that became a โ€œwell, Iโ€™ll never do that againโ€ moment? Be honest, weโ€™ve all had them!

These are all perfect content ideas.

You donโ€™t need a clever hook or Canva graphic right now. Just a list. Scribbled in a notebook, typed in your phone, written on the back of an envelope, spoken to ChatGPT to save it and expand on it later.

Doesnโ€™t matter. The goal here is volume, not perfection.

But letโ€™s just say youโ€™re still stumped and you want some prompts (not ChatGPT prompts) – ones for your brain.

Here are some angles to take.

  • The question I got asked three times this week wasโ€ฆ
  • I used to think [insert belief about property investing], but now I knowโ€ฆ
  • Hereโ€™s what no one tells you about routine inspectionsโ€ฆ
  • This small win made a big difference for one of our landlordsโ€ฆ
  • A simple way to avoid [insert common mistake made by investors].
  • Why we donโ€™t [insert outdated processes that AI or tech does for you now or legislation prevents].
  • This 1 market stat landlords are getting wrong right nowโ€ฆ

If youโ€™re thinking, โ€œWait, I could talk about that for daysโ€ – thatโ€™s the sign! That means itโ€™s content.

And if youโ€™re thinking, โ€œBut this is so basic,โ€ remember: Whatโ€™s basic to you is brand-new to your audience.

So now what? You need to turn these ideas into content that doesnโ€™t suck. Your next step is to choose one and turn it into something bite-sized and shareable.

Keep it simple:

  • Talk to camera for 60 seconds
  • Snap a behind-the-scenes photo and write a quick caption (this is where you can get some ChatGPT or Claude help)
  • Turn a common question into a mini myth-busting post
  • Write a short story about something that happened this week (names changed, of course – unless you have their permission.)

It doesnโ€™t need to be fancy. Your followers donโ€™t care about your lighting setup.

They care about whether youโ€™re the kind of person they can trust with their biggest investment.

And if youโ€™re still stuck, this is where AI can help (if you use it wisely).

You can take your idea and feed it into a tool like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok (whatever robot you prefer) to help shape the wording or suggest a few angles.

Just make sure it still sounds like you, not a robot whoโ€™s read too many marketing blogs.

(And if you want the full AI how-to, Samantha McLean has you covered over at AI Powered Agents. Sheโ€™s the go-to for that.)

The reason the 3 Minute Content Rule works so well is because it takes away the pressure. Itโ€™s not about being โ€œonโ€ every day.

Itโ€™s about noticing whatโ€™s already happening in your business and turning that into something useful. Itโ€™s an easy way to create a list of good stuff you already know, ready to go when itโ€™s time to show up online.

Over time, youโ€™ll start seeing content opportunities everywhere. Youโ€™ll build trust with your audience without even realising it.

And one day, someone will say, โ€œIโ€™ve been following you for ages – I feel like I already know you.โ€

And thatโ€™s when the magic happens.

So hereโ€™s my encouragement to you: Set a timer for 3 minutes.

Dump your ideas into a note. Done is better than perfect. 

And the more you do it, the easier it gets.

You donโ€™t need to go viral. You just need to show up. 

Your future clients are watching, so you might as well give them something to watch.

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Ellen Bathgate

Ellen Bathgate is the founder of ContentCollab, a content marketing agency helping property managers, BDMs and rent roll owners to start and grow their rent rolls using affordable content marketing.