How to Build a Content Marketing System That Doesn’t Burn You Out

Ellen Bathgate | Founder of ContentCollab

I’m going to say it: You didn’t start your property management business to spend your days wrestling with Canva, writing captions, or trying to keep up with Instagram trends.

But here you are, juggling lease renewals, maintenance requests, team management… and somehow, you’re still expected to post “something engaging” three to five times a week.

Sound familiar?

This is where so many property managers, BDMs, and principals get stuck. Marketing ends up feeling like one more thing on a never-ending to-do list. Which means it either gets done in a panic, or doesn’t happen at all.

But I don’t believe it should be like that. Your content shouldn’t be a stressor. It should be a system that works in the background while you focus on what you actually want to be doing.

Reactive Marketing

This is what reactive marketing looks like: You finally get a quiet hour. You throw together a post. It goes up. Crickets. Then two weeks go by, and you realise you haven’t posted anything since.

That’s reactive marketing. And it’s exhausting.

It usually leads to:

• Inconsistent messaging that makes it hard for people to understand what you’re about

• Missed opportunities to build trust with future clients

• A constant sense that you're behind or not doing enough

  
  

And no one wants to feel like they’re constantly behind. Well I don’t - how about you?

Proactive Marketing

“Proactive” doesn’t mean fancy or over-the-top. It means clear. Planned. Repeatable. It means you’re showing up online in a way that feels aligned with your brand and doesn’t rely on bursts of last-minute creativity.

It looks like:

• Knowing who you're speaking to (and not trying to talk to everyone)

• Having a plan so you're not winging it every week

• Letting your content speak for you when you’re not available (because you’re not always available all the time)

  
  

When it’s set up right, your content becomes a quiet worker in the background. It builds awareness. It builds trust. It keeps your name top of mind with landlords you haven’t even met yet.

Three Changes To Make This Month

So how about we simplify it?  If your current strategy is “post when I remember,” here’s what to change first.

1. Plan quarterly, batch monthly

No one has time to plan content every week. You don’t need to be posting every day to stay relevant, but you do need consistency.

Start by mapping out some key themes for the next quarter:

• What’s happening seasonally?

• What questions are landlords asking?

• What problems are you solving right now?

  
  

Once you have your themes, batch a month of content at a time. 12 to 15 solid posts each month is a great start. Repurpose them across platforms and keep it simple.

And remember, just because you have a plan doesn’t mean you can’t pivot. It just means you have a framework you can use, without stressing.

2. Stop selling, start solving

The best content doesn’t scream, “Hire me!” It quietly shows, “I’ve got you.”

Focus on answering the questions your ideal clients are already thinking about:

• What’s the cost of a bad tenant?

• Is it time to review your rent?

• When is DIY property management no longer worth it?

  
  

Be helpful. Be clear. That’s what builds trust.

3. Build systems, not stress

If you’re doing everything yourself, it’s only a matter of time before something drops. Set up workflows. Schedule ahead. And if it still feels too hard to stay consistent, outsource it. That’s not failure. That’s leadership.

When your marketing is systemised, you get to show up regularly without being glued to your phone or stuck writing captions at 9pm.

Remember this:

You’re not a marketer, but you are a business owner (even if the business you own is your own personal brand and career.)

Marketing might not be your job, but it is your responsibility. If you want to grow your rent roll, attract better landlords, and stop relying on word-of-mouth alone, your content needs a system behind it.

That doesn’t mean doing more. It means doing it smarter.