Content marketing involves not only just planning your content but writing your content.
It’s all to easy too be overwhelmed at the thought of writing a weekly blog or two so here’s how to become a more productive writer using these 7 helpful tips.
Not only will this help with writing your blog but with creating any kind of written content.
We all want to be able to write more and do it effortlessly….
Become a more productive writer with these 7 tips
Tip 1: The right tools
Use the right tools to maximize your productivity and I start with using Google Spreadsheet, Google docs and a timer.
Yep it’s that simple just 3 things….
I research and plan my blog writing out 1 quarter at a time and it all goes on a google spreadsheet.
I’ve got each of my weekly blogs set up in a template in Google Docs organized by month….it keeps it all organized and ready for me.
As for the timer, I just sit down at the time I’ve blocked out and turn on my timer. For some reason having a timer on just pushes me to make the most of the time I’ve set aside to write and less distracted.
Tip 2: Batch Process Your Writing
Break it down into separate tasks and your productivity will improve.
Here’s a simple blog post process:
- Research & Planning
- Writing
- Gather Images & Edit Them
- Set up on your blog
- Promote on Social Media
- Rinse & Repeat
- Re-purpose
By breaking these into 7 separate tasks and time blocking the entire process is much simpler. And where you can delegate to someone else so you can focus on the important stuff in your business.
Tip 3: Find your best time to write
I’m sure you know when you are at your best mentally right?
That is the time you should set aside to write on your calendar. Use that time to bang out a couple of posts.
The smart thing here is to batch out the process. What I mean by this is to just sit down and write. Don’t research, look for pictures or get on social media…
Just focus on one thing and write.
Do this a few times and keep track of how long it takes you to write your content. You’ll have a good idea of how much time and when to set aside for writing on your calendar.
Tip 4: Use Journaling Daily
Set aside time daily to journal, the mere act of writing in any form helps to improve your production.
I’ve become a much better writer the more I write. I seen it countless times with the clients I work with as well.
Another tip here is to pick things to write about that you are passionate about.
Don’t write what you think people want to hear…write from your heart, your soul and your perspective.
Tip 5: Eliminate Distractions
Go offline…turn off all distractions and avoid multitasking.
Multi tasking is not beneficial to getting things done according to research conducted by the American Psychological Association:
- Experience a 40% drop in productivity
- Take 50% longer to accomplish a single task
- Make up to 50% more errors
Tip 6: Give Yourself a Deadline
“Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for it’s completion.”
Avoid giving yourself too much time to complete your writing If give too much time to the task, according to Parkinson’s law the task will increase in it’s complexity to fill that time slot.
Not just that it will add unnecessary stress and tension to your life when you worry about getting it done.
Ugh….
Track your time, practice writing and work to assign smaller amounts of time to getting your writing done. You’ll find that you’ll gain back more time and writing will become more enjoyable.
Tip 7: Structure Your Content
The best content has a structure to it….so set aside time when you begin to creating a structure for your post.
You want to make sure your content flows, has a beginning, middle and an end to it. So planning this out first makes is much easier and faster to fill in with your content.
Here’s two great resources from Copy blogger to help you out:
Finish Up With An Edit
Feeling stuck?
Then find someone to take a look at your post or just step away and come back later.
Here’s my 3 step process for editing:
- Spelling & Grammar – turn on spelling and grammar
- Structural – make sure my content is scannable, that I’ve used headers, bullets and shorter paragraphs
- Content – read it over and make sure what you’ve written flows smoothly and makes sense. This is a good place to get a second (or even a third) set of eyes on your content.
Over to you….
Take action today to become a more productive writer by taking at least one of these 7 tips (and hopefully all of them!) and start implementing them into your writing process. You’ll see results and even enjoy the process more.
