5 Ways To Churn Content Out Like A Pro

All content marketers have had to overcome one thing as they walked their path to success.  Fear.  

Content marketing requires the horrific task of writing, and not just the ordinary amount, but it should be done in large quantities.  For many just the process of writing alone is terrifying, but dump on quantity equation and it can cripple some.

One of the biggest fears people have in their lives is failure.

• Afraid they won’t succeed if they try something new
• Fear that they might never “make it” doing what they are passionate about
• Fear that keeps them from following their heart

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?” Vincent van Gogh

To help minimize the fear and suffering through your content marketing efforts, we have put together 5 tips to turn you into a pro content writer quickly and effortlessly.

1. Research Continuously

Sure you might have tons of ideas on topics to write about now, but a month or even two down the road and that might not be the case.  Finding relative subject matter is probably the most time consuming step of the process.  That is why I stay in research mode all of the time.  

If you get an idea, follow theses steps to start developing it:

• Record the idea – either in a notebook or digitally.  Personally, I’ve gotten into the habit of sending myself emails.
• Major points you would like to make regarding the topic.
• URL’s that collaborate your idea.

2.  Outline Your Thoughts

This something that I struggle with daily.  I’ve always been a “fly by the seat of my pants” kinda gal, however my writing style often suffers from not planning ahead.  In both form and time spent on a piece.  

Create a simple outline of the points that you want to convey to your readers and stick with it.  It’s ok to tweak it as you go, but try not to veer too far off course.  

Keep your focus on one key idea so that you can catch and hold the attention of your readers.  You of course can make several points as part of one idea, but your readers should have a clear idea of what they are supposed to take away from reading your post.

3.  Provide answers and knowledge

The ultimate purpose for someone landing on your post, infographic, or video  is that they have come to you for answers to a specific question or set of questions.  They want an answer so that they can knowledge.  

They also want these answers fast. Like it or not, we live in a rather quickly moving digital age in which your readers don’t have a lot of time to waste weeding through your post to get the answer they expected.  So make your content easy to scan so that people can pick up the important pieces quickly.  

Take a look at your articles from the reader’s perspective:

• Are you answering a question?
• Are you meeting a need?
• Is it exciting and entertaining?
• Does it flow naturally?

4.  End with a Call to Action

In content, you have a lot of options for your call to action.

• You may ask for a comment or a social share.
• You may suggest a new way of doing things or thinking about things.
• You could also ask people to click on a link or take a specific action.

5.  Edit

Great writing rarely happens on the first draft.  When you write follow these steps:

• Write the first draft to get your ideas out and onto paper (outline / research process)
• Write quickly so that you can keep up the momentum and not let life or distractions derail you.
• Put your best editing foot forward.  

So chuck those fears and dive into the content writing pool.  You will find that the water isn’t as deep as it seems.  

Get creative.  Tell your stories, if you wish, but keep the content relative to your products and services.  

What steps do you take to create content?  Has one thing stuck out that worked the best for you?

We would love to hear about it in the comments below.