Trappe Digital LLC may earn commission from product clicks and purchases. Rest assured, opinions are mine or of the article’s author.
Once companies see the value of content, the pressure to perform and create even more good content can be there. And that begs to answer the question, what are some ways to write content faster? No pressure to just crank out content isn’t good either, but there is something to be said that quality content happens when the right quantity of content gets published.
In this article, I discuss strategies that help us write content faster. Those strategies include:
- content planning
- voice dictation to text
- the importance of an outline
- subject matter expertise
- knowing what you want to say
- proper keyword research
- use of available software tools
- maximize the workflow
- update existing content
I’ve covered the topics of voice dictation and the importance of an outline in other articles. But in summary, voice dictation can be a great way to get content published quicker. For example, I am recording this copy on my computer. I certainly have to go back and edit it, but it makes it much faster to get the thoughts out.
The importance of an outline also shouldn’t be undervalued. And it doesn’t have to be super formal. Many years ago, I created a formal Word outline before I started writing anything. Today, I create the outline directly in WordPress by jotting down the H2 headlines. Then I add to that structure and, at some point, start filling in the copy.
Read next: How long does it take to write a blog post?
But let’s talk about other ways to help us write content faster.
Do content planning well
Content planning can help us create content faster. Because we are more strategic and hopefully we know what we want to talk about, and can basically to an extent just churn that content out.
Estimating how long something will take, is one of the most difficult things when putting a content plan together.
It’s so easy to underestimate how long tasks will actually take.
…. How long is the approval process?
…. How well does the writer know the content and do they have a unique angle to just write it out?
… What other demands need to be factored in?
… Hoe hard or easy is the technology that the company uses?
… and the list goes on…
It’s a bit of trial and error and let me tell you I’ve trialed all the errors when it comes to this. And unnecessary pressure in content creation can actually make the content perform worse. So it is important to use good project management skills can’t be realistic when rolling out a content strategy that we want to drive results.
Subject matter expertise
Understanding and knowing the topic we are writing about can make increase the speed at which we’re writing. For example, I have experience in this topic which I’m writing about, so it’s relatively easy for me to share my thoughts and the knowledge I have accumulated over the last couple of decades or so.
Certainly, this is not an area that every creator has from Day 1. It takes time to understand the subject matter, and it takes time to be able to write about it in a way that is simple enough but not oversimplified.
Knowing what you want to say
Writing truly is easier when you know what you want to say. For example, I know what my opinions on a specific topic are, and I know what value I might be able to offer to my readers. Once I have that formulated in my head, putting it down on paper or in my digital CRM is not that difficult.
Of course, like anything, this is easier said than done. But, after all, we have to figure out what we want to say, what the right structure is, and then, after all, present it in a way that will engage people to consume the content.
Read next: How to improve written communication skills
Proper keyword research
Doing the proper keyword research can help us write content faster. For example, this article came out of me doing keyword research for a different content piece. While doing that, I also noticed that there was interest in how to write content faster. And certainly, I have something to say about that topic, so I decided to share my tips with you in another article.
My point here is that, yes, we should look at the keyword landscape on the content we’re already planning on producing. But one way to create content faster and more of it is by always keeping an eye out for the next story worth sharing. Keeping an open mind while we look at keywords, even when they’re unrelated to what we’re currently working on, can help us write count in faster in the long term.
Use of available software tools
Today you can voice dictate, use an iPad or a different device to produce content. In addition, there are many content production tools out there that make it way easier for us. For example, tools like Grammarly and Yoast help us fine-tune our content while writing it. Making use of these software tools can help. AI headline assistant can be helpful.
Maximize the workflow
Sometimes it’s not about the physical act of writing or cranking out the copy faster, but the overall process is just slow. For example, if 59 people have to approve any piece of content, that can slow down content production.
With that, it’s super important to develop the correct workflow with the right set of eyes on content before it publishes. But that also ensures that content can get published as quickly as possible.
Update existing content
Something it’s not about writing completely new content but updating, adding to, and rewriting existing content. Once you have dozens of articles, and definitely, once you have over 100, it’s possible to update existing content when it’s outdated or new information is available.
We should not just crank out content because that’s the thing to do, but we should find a way to be as efficient as possible with our content strategy and content creation processes. In the long term, that makes the process easier and more enjoyable for the team and drives higher content performance.
Discover more from Christoph’s Content Corner
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.