Late one night several years ago, I was reading a book on how to get started writing fiction. The book suggested setting aside a whole day for writing, and to make sure it’s the only thing you do that day.
It would be hard, but the payoff would be worth it: for that day you’d be able to treat your novel like a full-time job.
The next morning I was at my new office in San Francisco when I got an email from Amazon confirming my purchase of “No Plot? No Problem!” the book I had read the previous night.
It must have been around 11:00 am when the idea hit me: Why don’t I give myself twenty-four hours to write six blog posts? So that’s what I did… and it worked!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Plan your topics and outline in advance. |
| Set a strict time limit for each writing session. |
| Minimize distractions and create a focused work environment. |
| Use templates or frameworks to streamline your writing process. |
| Break down your content into manageable sections. |
| Prioritize speed and quality equally. |
| Edit and proofread after completing all drafts. |
| Schedule posts for consistent publishing. |
| Embrace experimentation and refine your process over time. |
| Celebrate your achievements and set new goals. |
1. Outline Your Blog Posts
The first step to keeping your blog posts organized and on track is outlining them before you even start writing.
I know that sounds like a lot of extra work, but it’s a great way to get organized and stay focused on what you’re trying to accomplish. And if you’re not already doing it, here’s why:
Outlines help you stay focused on what matters most in each post. You’ll be able to see the big picture as well as all the details and keep them in order without getting sidetracked by unimportant stuff that would take away from the piece itself.
Outlined blogs are easier for others (namely editors) to read and make sense of without missing anything important or needing more context upfront than they should have before reading through every single word that went into creating this blog post (or any other piece).
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2. Make A List Of Resources You Need
The next step is to make a list of resources you will need for each blog post. This can be anything from an image, video, or article for content creation, research material like a quote or statistic, or even just some links in the post that point back to your site.
This step is going to vary from person to person and also from topic to topic depending on what resources are most helpful for your readers and how effective they are at conveying the message you want them to get across.
For example, if your audience is older then maybe using images would be better than text but if they’re younger then maybe not having any images will work best because their attention spans aren’t as long as someone older.
And they won’t have time while read through something long otherwise they’ll lose interest midway through which isn’t good either because now we’ve got two problems instead of one!
3. Work Quickly
When you write quickly, you don’t have time to think. Instead of worrying about making mistakes or grammar and spelling, just get down on paper what you want to say.
I also found that writing quickly helps me overcome procrastination. If I sit around for an hour thinking about what I’m going to write, chances are I’ll find some excuse not to write at all (such as “I need coffee” or “I need a snack”).
But if I tell myself that all I have is 20 minutes before my next meeting, then it’s much easier for me to get started and keep going without stopping (which usually leads back to procrastination).
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4. Cut Corners
- Use a template
- Cut corners where you can
Since I’ve been working on this blog for over two years, I have some pretty good templates for my posts. If you’re just getting started and need help with structure or word choice, check out these resources:
- [The Blogger’s Guide To Writing Your First Blog Post](https://www.thebloggersguide.com/blogging-101/) (for content creation)
- [Bloggers HQ](https://bloggershq.com/) (for style)
I also keep an ongoing list of ideas and topics that I can pull from if inspiration strikes at any given moment. This helps me get through the first part of writing usually the most difficult and ensures that I’ll always have something to write about!
5. Use Templates
A template is a pre-written document that you can use as a starting point for your writing.
When I say “template”, I don’t mean something like an invoice or a letter. I’m talking about a single page of text that has already been formatted for you you just have to fill in the blanks with your content!
This saves you time and gets you started quickly so that you can focus on getting words out instead of formatting them.
Templates can also help with your writing and research skills because they force you to ask questions before hitting “publish”.
For example, if I were writing this blog post, one thing I would do is open up Wordpad (or Notepad) and type up everything that came into my head about my topic first before even thinking about formatting it or publishing it anywhere online.
Then when it comes time for me to publish it here on Medium, all those words will already be written down somewhere else (even if they’re scattered across different files).
That way when people ask me questions after reading my article later on down the line—like “Why did [insert reason here]?” I’ll know exactly what happened without having had any confusion about what went down beforehand.”
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6. Use Filler
Filler is a great way to fill in the gaps between your outline and the end of your post. It can be anything from an image or quote to an anecdote or question-and-answer section.
For example, if you want to write a blog post about how you overcame writer’s block by taking a break from writing, then use filler at the start of this blog post where you talk about what writer’s block is and how it feels.
In this case, filler would help break up all that information into manageable chunks that are easier to read on their own (or as part of one big chunk).
7. Write It All At Once, Then Edit Later
It’s a good idea to write the whole thing first, then edit later. This is because you’ll have more people reading your blog post if it’s already posted on your site and not just sitting in a Word document somewhere.
It also means that you can get feedback from other people on what they think about your blog post while it’s still fresh in their minds and before they forget anything they want to say!
This way, when you go back and edit the piece of writing later, everything will be easier because there won’t be any pressure or stress involved (yet).
You’ll be able to focus on one thing at once without worrying about what else needs editing or how long something should be in terms of length (or word count).
8. Skip The Introduction
The introduction is the most important part of your blog post. It’s where you explain why the reader should care about what you’re writing about.
A good introduction will include an interesting hook, which gets people interested in reading more of your story or learning more about the topic. You can use a question or an analogy to draw in readers and make them want to keep reading your material.
I spend at least 20 minutes on my introductions because they are so critical to getting people to read my content!
9. Don’t Worry About Perfection
I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve been stuck in this cycle of perfectionism, where I’m so concerned with getting it all right that nothing gets done. I’m finding that even just writing down my thoughts here has helped me turn off my inner critic and write more freely.
All you need to do is get it done and move on! Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation they’ll come later when you’re editing your work.
Don’t worry about what other people will think either; if they don’t like what you have written then they can go elsewhere for their reading material!
And finally: don’t let perfectionism stop you from just pushing through those words until one sentence leads into the next until eventually there’s an entire article…
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10. Create A Pinterest Image For Each Post
Now that you’ve written your content, it’s time to create a visual for each post. I use Pinterest images in my blog posts and my business website because people love photos. They help with engagement and increase the likelihood that someone will click on your link.
For this round of blogging, I created six different images using Canva and added them directly to the blog post. If you want more information about how to use Pinterest for your business or writing, check out some of these articles:
- How To Use Pinterest For Your Business
- How To Use Pinterest For Your Writing
11. Create Something Valuable For Each Post
This is the most important piece of advice I can give you because it will make all the difference in your writing.
You need to create some sort of value or help for your readers. It could be an interesting story, a blog post template, or even just a quote from someone famous that will inspire your blog posts.
You have to find a way to make every article valuable for at least one person out there, otherwise, no one will read it and you won’t get any traffic or shares!
Think about what you want to achieve when writing your posts and how they fit into your overall strategy.
This will help with creating value by providing clear goals so that they are focused on the right topics while still being interesting enough not only for yourself but also others who might find them useful too!
12. Make A Checklist For Sharing Your New Post On Social Media
Now that you’ve written your first post, it’s time to share it on social media. You can do this from the same place you published it just click “Share” at the top and select which networks you’d like to use (e.g., Facebook or Twitter). You can also add a description of your blog post here.
Once you’ve shared once, we recommend repeating these steps for each new blog post but don’t forget to edit some details. For example:
- Add a link back to your site in each post description (so people know where they’re reading).
- Change up which social accounts are mentioned in each description accordingly (e.g., if you recently started using Instagram as well as Facebook).
13. Make Sure Your Writing Is Good
Make sure your writing is good. This should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: make sure that you have edited your posts and checked them for spelling and grammar mistakes before publishing them online.
If you don’t do this, or if you ignore the advice of others who tell you to edit before going live, your readers will quickly spot errors and lose trust in what you say and how you say it.
Your post doesn’t need to be perfect; no one ever published a blog post without making any mistakes at all (but if they did publish one without any mistakes then let me know because that would be cool).
What matters more than anything else when it comes to content quality is whether or not people are willing to read what you have written and two ways can happen:
Firstly by getting more traffic from Google Search results pages (more on this later).
Secondly by actively encouraging people through social media channels like Facebook groups or Twitter chats where everyone participates together as equals rather than just “listening” passively like regular viewers might do elsewhere online like YouTube videos or podcasts hosted by celebrities etcetera…
14. Ask People To Check In With You
In the middle of writing all of these posts, I was very tired. I was also extremely excited about what I was doing and wanted to share it with someone else! In this case, that person was my husband who is a freelance writer himself (and has been published in a variety of places).
He made sure I stayed on track and got all six posts done within 24 hours while simultaneously helping me edit them and offer suggestions as they were being written.
I highly recommend finding someone who can do this for you when you’re writing multiple pieces at once!
15. Announce Your Goals, Make Them Public
Make goals public. One of the best ways to ensure you’re heading in the right direction is to make your goals (and progress) public. It’s a great way to keep yourself accountable, and it also creates a sense of accountability among those who know you.
If they see that you’ve achieved your goal, they’ll be inspired by that success and want their own. Or if they are struggling with their own goals, seeing yours might give them some inspiration.
In addition to using tools like Journler (which lets you keep track of how many words or pages per day/week/month) or The Positivity Project (a site where people can share their daily positive habits).
Consider making use of tools like The Muse (a tool that helps writers focus on their work) and RescueTime (which helps writers stay on top of their writing).
16. Have A Party! Invite Friends To Join You
Have a party! Invite friends to join you, help you, celebrate with you and motivate you.
When it comes to writing blog posts, the biggest challenge for me is motivation. I’m not a natural writer and I don’t enjoy sitting down for hours on end trying to think of things to write about.
That’s why having people around who are also writing or editing makes all the difference in my ability to complete a post.
The other thing that can make or break your motivation is having someone else look over what you’ve written so far before starting another blog post and that’s where friends come in handy too!
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17. Put It On Your Calendar And Put It In Front Of You
You’ve got to set aside time for this. The easiest way is to store your calendar in a spot where you can see it without having to go looking for it. If you’re using a physical calendar, make sure that it’s up-to-date and has no holes or missing dates (and if there are, fill them in).
If you use an online service like Google Calendar or Outlook, make sure that the information is easily accessible from multiple devices so that you always have access when needed.
Finally and this might be the most important part make sure that whatever tool(s) you choose are user-friendly enough that they won’t distract or confuse anyone else who might need them too!
18. Treat Your Writing Like An Important Appointment
The National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) method is a great way to make sure you’re writing every day, even if it’s only for an hour or two.
The method is simple: announce your goal publicly, then make yourself accountable by posting about it often on social media and in chat rooms.
I’ve done NaNoWriMo twice, and both times I’ve finished more than 50K words each month. It’s amazing how much easier it is to write when you know that other people are going to be reading what you write!
You can use this same idea in any type of writing project and get into the habit of announcing your goals online and sharing them with friends, family members, or co-workers who might be interested in following along with your progress toward those goals.
That way they’ll know when they should expect new content from you!
19. Write For An Audience Of One (You)
Write for yourself. Don’t worry about what other people think of your writing, whether they will agree with it, or if they’ll share it. This is your blog and there’s nobody else reading it except you.
Write for your future self. When you’re older, will this still be a relevant piece of information? Will it be embarrassing? Will the way you view things have changed so much that the article will no longer make sense to you? Scrap anything that seems outdated by then.
Write for your past self. The best thing about being able to look back on old posts is seeing how far I’ve come since then and how much has stayed the same!
You can see growth in my writing style over time; but also, some themes that were important at one point in my life are still very relevant today (like using social media responsibly).
20. Use The National Novel Writing Month novel-writing method
National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a yearly event where thousands of writers all over the world write 50k words in one month. The goal is to get as many people as possible to try writing for the first time (or again) and give them a deadline to meet.
I used this method when I was just starting and it was a great motivator for me to write more often and think about what I would want my blog posts to look like before I wrote them.
I recommend using the timer on your phone or computer so that you can see how long it takes you to write something and then set goals based on that timing until you’re comfortable with writing without needing a timer anymore!
Conclusion
The takeaway here is simple: To accomplish big goals, you need to believe that you can do it. That’s what I did, and as a result, I successfully published six blog posts in only 24 hours.
You’ll also notice that I didn’t spend a lot of time writing up this post. It was more important for me to publish the content than it was for me to write it all up perfectly which brings us back to the original point of this article: To accomplish big goals, you have to take action first.
You can follow all the tips in the world about how to make content easier and faster, but nothing will get written if you don’t sit down and hit “publish.”
Further Reading
Expand your knowledge on effective blog post writing with these insightful resources:
How to Write a Blog Post: A Step-by-Step Guide – Dive into a comprehensive guide that walks you through the process of crafting engaging and impactful blog posts.
How to Write a Blog Post: The Definitive Guide – Explore a definitive guide by Neil Patel that offers practical tips and strategies for creating blog posts that resonate with your audience.
How to Start a Blog – Discover the essentials of blog creation and get started on your blogging journey with this resource from HubSpot.
FAQs
How do I write an effective blog post?
Writing an effective blog post involves understanding your target audience, conducting thorough research, organizing your ideas, and crafting engaging and valuable content.
What are some key elements of a successful blog post?
A successful blog post typically includes a compelling headline, well-structured content with subheadings, relevant images or multimedia, actionable takeaways, and a clear call-to-action.
How can I make my blog posts more engaging?
To make your blog posts more engaging, use storytelling techniques, incorporate visuals, add relevant examples, ask questions to encourage reader interaction, and maintain a conversational tone.
How long should my blog post be?
The ideal length of a blog post varies depending on the topic and audience. However, aiming for around 1,500 to 2,000 words is a good starting point to provide in-depth and valuable content.
How important is SEO in blog writing?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is crucial for blog writing as it helps your content rank higher in search engine results, making it more discoverable to your target audience. Incorporate relevant keywords, optimize meta descriptions, and focus on providing value to readers.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.