10 Shortcuts for Writing a Blog Post in Record Time

Haven’t you ever wished you could speed up your blog post writing? Well, you’re not alone.

64% of marketers say producing enough content is their marketing challenge. Writing a variety of engaging work, getting buy in from management and measuring blog marketing metrics is definitely tough, too - but time is the real kicker.

It’s clear the solution isn’t sacrificing quality for volume.

While we can’t help you convince your boss to hire another blogger, we can help you become
as efficient as possible at writing a blog post.

Here are some hard-learned, expert hacks to guide your journey to extreme productivity:

1. Develop Editorial Calendars in Advance

If you haven’t planned your content in advance, no wonder you’re struggling to find the time for writing a blog post! Writer’s block and drained creative energy can extend the process of deciding on topics much longer the necessary. When you plan a month’s content in advance using keyword research best practices and an editorial calendar tool, you’ll find it much easier to just sit down and focus on blog post writing about a pre-planned concept. Plus, there are plenty of ancillary benefits to effective content planning practices, such as a better variety of content, improved SEO optimization, and more effective targeting to your brand’s ideal customers.

2. Become a Master of Productivity Hacks

Sometimes the most effective way to speed up writing a blog post is to be more proactive about managing your time. The world’s most brilliant bloggers don’t necessarily write faster than you or I, but they’ve mastered some seriously smart productivity hacks to avoid distractions. Here are a few that you can benefit from today:

• Schedule Blocks of Time for Blog Post Writing in Advance
• Always Outline Your Content Before You Begin Writing
• Practice Free-Writing or Mind-Mapping to Remove Mental Blocks
• Block Out Social Media Distractions with an App like Freedom

3. Practice Content Recycling

Your brand’s existing content assets are probably the best resource for blog post writing in record time. Look into your external content marketing publications and internal training documents for words that can be repurposed and revised, edited and updated into the perfect blog post.  Here are some forms of content you may be able to “upcycle” into a fresh and relevant article:

• Emails to Customers
• Powerpoint Presentations
• eBooks, Whitepapers and Case Studies
• Prior Blog Posts in Need of an Update

4. Curate Content

If you approach the process properly, content creation can be a powerful tool for providing value to your audience and building relationships with other content creators. Embed a high-value YouTube video, Slideshare or trending infographic, and create supporting content which places the curated work in context. Not only have you sped up your blog post writing, you’re providing new value to your audience. However, always be sure to give credit where credit is due!

5. Answer Customer Questions

You know your industry and your customers, right? One of the fastest and smartest ways to approach writing a blog post is by simply answering customer questions. It sounds too simple to be true, but it really works.

As the world we’re living in becomes increasingly focused on mobile technology, consumers are beginning to search for answers to questions more often than simple keyword queries.

This reason alone is why Google totally rewrote their algorithm with the Hummingbird Update in September 2013. Both search engines and consumers love concise, expert answers to frequently-asked questions, which are also conveniently one of the fastest approaches to blog post writing.

6. Dictate Your Post

Did you know that the Evernote app for mobile phones allows readers to dictate in 30-second chunks? With a bit of planning and preparation, you can effectively let your phone take over writing a blog post while you just do the talking. For content marketers who tend to think on their feet, it can be an effective way to power through a serious case of writer’s block. Content dictated into Evernote needs to be edited carefully, but you may be amazed at how effective this technique is. HubSpot’s Ginny Soskey reports using the app for 1,000-word blog post writing in 10 minutes!

7. Avoid the Temptation to Self-Edit

Spending time refining your work while writing a blog post can be a huge barrier to writing a blog post quickly. In fact, some content marketing experts have a strict policy that prohibits any editing or rephrasing until the first draft is complete.  Once you’ve finished the framework, you can then go in and fix and improve your work. The tactic doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s one of the reasons why blogger Diana Adams is able to write her articles from start-to-finish in just an hour or less.

8. Research in Advance

Power stats, effective quotations and research references are important components of quality content. However, finding the right resources can be time-consuming.

Consider leaving your editorial calendar open when you’re browsing the web and catching up on blogs - and filling out resources as you find them. Sitting down to write with your citations in place can allow you to blaze through blog post writing.

9. Give Yourself a Deadline

It’s way too easy to get distracted by Facebook, your coworker, or your need for another cup of coffee when you aren’t on a tight deadline for writing a blog post. It’s why so many people work better under pressure. Even if you’re ahead on content, give yourself a strict timeline for completing your blog post writing, and stick to it. Set an actual timer if you need to. You may find it’s exactly the boost you needed!

10. Edit by Reading Aloud

Blog posts are a form of storytelling. To effectively and efficiently optimize your content for publication, treat yourself like an audience. The content experts at J6 design recommend reading your work aloud once you’re finished to zone in on narrative and word choice issues as quickly as possible.

How have you learned to efficiently approach writing a blog post, without sacrificing quality content?