Thanks to guest blogger, Michelle Shaeffer
Do you sit down to write and end up frustrated at how much time you’re putting into your blog? Does it take you hours to create a blog post you’re ready to publish and share with the world?
What would your day be like if you could write better blog posts in half the time?
You CAN blog well in less time if you know how to approach it! Part I reveals tips 1-5. Read Part II with tips 6-10 here.
1. Be Yourself and Write What You Know
Trying to blog like someone else usually just causes frustration. Not only will it take you longer, but it will destroy your own creativity and voice if you try to fit yourself into someone else’s mold. It’s okay to “sound” like you!
Part of being you is writing what you know. If you’re blogging about a topic you know little or nothing about, expect it to take a while since you’ll have to research everything thoroughly before you publish. If you pick a topic that you know about you’ll find it much easier to write quality content quickly.
2. Let Go of Perfection
That crazy impulse that drives you to proofread and edit your post for the 37th time… you have to get control of it. Stop at the 36th proofreading run, okay?
It’ll save amazing amounts of time if you accept now that at some point you’re probably going to accidentally publish a typo, say something you need to edit later, or even change your mind about a stance you’ve taken. You don’t have to get it all right all the time. The world will not end if your blog isn’t perfect, I promise.
3. Practice Short & Be Flexible
Some posts might hit 1,000 words because the topic demands it and some posts will necessarily take more time and research than others. But not every post needs to be that long. Sometimes short and sweet can get your point across best. Practice writing shorter posts.
This will also free you to jump in and write a blog post when you’ve got the inspiration and a few minutes, instead of waiting until you’ve got an hour or two blocked off for blogging.
4. Use Templates
This is a “Top 10? or “10 Tips” style post. I chose the headline and format before I started blogging. And it made this post much easier to write.
Here are some free blog post templates you’ll find helpful:
• http://remarkablogger.com/?s=post+templates
• http://www.fuelyourblogging.com/five-possible-blog-post-templates-to-follow/
5. Be Inspired by Others
Are you reading other blogs? Choose at least a few successful blogs to subscribe to and read regularly — it’ll help you generate ideas and give you a model of what works that you can learn from.
Find out about tips #6-10 in Part II of “10 Ways to Blog Better, Faster.”
In the meantime . . .
Are you ready to really get your blog working for you?
If blogging ever feels like a frustrating time-suck that you’re putting tons of energy into and not getting results from, I want to help. I’ve been there. When I started blogging… well… it took quite a while before I started to figure things out.Once I did, everything got easier. I’m able to blog consistently, easily come up with dozens of ideas for blog post topics, attract traffic from the search engines and social networks, and build credibility with my blog that allows me opportunities to get new clients, participate in joint ventures, and grow my business faster while helping more people.
The next Launch Your Blog workshop begins May 29th, 2012. Get the details here.
Michelle Shaeffer’s Twitter profile describes her as: “Helping entrepreneurs build visibility, voice and community. Homeschool mom, SciFi fan, voracious reader, lover of coffee.” That sums it up nicely. You can find her at MichelleShaeffer.com or on Twitter @MichelleShaeffr.
