No one wins a gold medal or gets their picture on a cereal box for being the first one to publish a blog post. Such a fact does not lessen the pressure to create content at the speed of light. Writing can sometimes feel like running a race with the rest of the universe for the sake of getting noticed by a wider audience.
Speed does not equal greatness in any form of writing. Quality should always win out over first-place finishes if you hire freelance writers to produce content. Any article, e-book or blog post will gain much more traction with an audience when it offers signs of excellent writing instead a frenzied stew of ideas cooked up at a moment’s notice.
What does this mean for small business owners? Taking a step back and slowing down can help you better reach your marketing goals.
Effective content production should always include these specific elements:
Mental Writing
Running a business means living life as a juggler. There are so many tasks to accomplish every day and each one consumes precious hours and minutes. You can keep writing from draining away as much time by mentally fleshing out ideas before your writer takes up a pen or opens their laptop. If creating a blog post, for example, you can hash out a title, primary topic and key points before writing a single word. You can transfer these mental notes to your smart phone or a small notebook and use them as an outline for when you’re ready to create a new blog post. It saves time and mental energy.
Create an Editorial Calendar
Ideas do not enter the brain like a steady rain. They appear like brief lightning strikes. Setting aside time to create an editorial calendar each month can help you come up with more ideas and worry less about being plagued by idea droughts. An editorial calendar is not only useful in content planning, but it can also help you monetize blogs and website content so it attracts advertisers relevant to the content.
Break Down Big Jobs
Content writing does not need to be a buffet. It can work better as a multiple course meal. What that means is that breaking bigger writing jobs into smaller pieces can make it easier to conquer a job that seems overwhelming at first glance. Setting aside 15 minutes each day to work on an e-book, for example, might be all that’s required to complete the project and make it available to your target audience.
Prepare to Create and Rest
All work and no play isn’t a recipe for success. It is the first step toward a meltdown. Set aside blocks of time during the week where to prepare for the work ahead. Have other blocks of time strictly devoted to writing. Finally, reserve a block of time to let your writer rest and recharge their batteries. Structuring a work week this way will enhance productivity and creativity.
John C is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
