How to Write Effective Content — Quickly and Well
Step 1: Choose a Topic
I keep a running list of topic ideas in a notebook. When it’s time to sit down and create content, I have a wealth of ideas to choose from! But let’s say you don’t have this magical little notebook. (Even though you will, a month from now – right?) When I’m trying to brainstorm topic ideas, there are a couple of things that I try to keep in mind.- What do I want to promote? What action do I want my audience to take with this content?
- How can I provide value to my audience without expecting anything in return?
Step 2: Set a Timer
Budget the amount of time that you actually have available to spend on a piece of content. When time’s up, it’s up! We can – and will – polish things forever. But really (no, really) good enough really IS good enough! Done is better than perfect! All of the clichés are true!Step 3: Outline
What are your key takeaways? Create an outline for folks that are giving your content a quick read through.Internet reading is different than reading a book – we skim! Don’t feel like everything has to be long. It is MORE THAN okay to keep your content clean and concise.
Step 4: Add more detail
By the time you’ve reached this step, you already have something that’s short and sweet – it’s enough for a social media post! If you’re feeling inspired, flesh it out a little more. It’s as simple as adding 2-4 sentences to each point in your outline. These pieces of content can turn into anything from social media posts, to blog content, newsletters, or podcasts. If they do take on a life of their own and become long-form content, go with it! You can always chunk out bite-sized pieces to pique curiosity and drive traffic to your site from social media. One piece of long form content is a gold mine when it comes to social media posts. You can repurpose them for years to come! Blog posts are going to be closer to 4+ sentences per takeaway, whereas social media posts will look more like a high level overview with maybe 1-2 sentences per item.Step 5: Polish
Go back and re-read your content a few times, editing as you go. Once I’ve gone through once or twice, I find that it’s really helpful to read it aloud – and finally, I send it off to my editor to get some fresh eyes on it. This blog post was written in 15 minutes! Yay!Sometimes you’re just too dang busy bringing home the bacon to sink hours upon hours into your social media. Meet our handy dandy marketing toolbox!
Step 1: Choose a Topic I keep a running list of topic ideas in a notebook. When it’s time to sit down and create content, I have a wealth of ideas to choose from! But let’s say you don’t have this magical little notebook. (Even though you will, a month from now – right?) When […]
