Top Gear: Useful Internet Marketing Strategies & Tips to Move You Forward: 5 Easy Ways to Blog in Less Time

Tuesday, 16 August 2016

5 Easy Ways to Blog in Less Time

Do you want better SEO rankings and quality content to share on social media sites? How about increased traffic to your website? Then you might want to consider blogging. While the idea of blogging regularly may seem like a daunting commitment, don’t worry — you have time! Here are 5 tips that will have your blog flowing in a flash.

1. Write about what you already know

Rather than researching and writing about a topic you don’t know much about, focus on your professional expertise and passions. Think about it this way: If you’re a cowboy, you probably know more about herding cattle than the average Joe browsing the Internet. And, in turn, it would be much easier for you to write about that topic than it would be to write about, say, dancing tango. In fact, the very things that seem routine about your job are likely interesting and valuable to anyone looking for more information on that subject.

2. Interview an expert

Occasionally, you may need to blog about issues that you’re unfamiliar with. When this happens, you’ll have to be creative. If you’re working at a large company, you have access to people with diverse professional experience and specialized knowledge. So seek out a coworker whose area of expertise matches your needs, ask for a 15-minute interview, and take good notes. Trust me, a face-to-face meeting is faster and more interesting than sending an email! If you don’t work for a large company, look within your network. There may be a customer, a partner, a vendor, or even a friend who you can interview or learn from.

3. Read other blogs

If it’s that brainstorming phase that’s eating up too much of your time, why not take a look at what your peers are writing? By doing so, you’ll see what’s resonating with your target audience (just look at how many social media shares the posts are getting). Reading another writer’s work can spark new ideas and provide you with material that you can build upon or spin in a unique way. Take a couple of minutes every day to see what’s out there and jot down a few notes about issues that you want to tackle when you have time. That way, you’ll always have a starting point when it’s time to produce. We’ve also got a list of how our content marketing team gets some of their ideas here.

4. Don’t over-think it

Sit down, put pencil to paper, or your fingers to the keyboard, and write. Let the ideas flow naturally without putting too much pressure on the final outcome. Try to block out other distractions and allow yourself to get “in the zone.” Once you have a good chunk of content, then you can start thinking about trimming the hedges. When you finally do begin editing, it’s always a good idea to have a fresh pair of eyes look over your work. That might mean that you step away from what you’ve written and come back to it later, or that you have a second person review the final product and give you notes.

5. Hold yourself accountable

When you have a business to run, blogging usually isn’t at the top of your to-do list. But maintaining a consistent blogging schedule is important and should be a part of your overall online marketing strategy. To keep yourself on track, create a deadline and share it with a colleague or coworker who will be editing the post for you. A blogging buddy can help you take responsibility for the goals that you’ve set for yourself and encourage you along the way.