Some days begin with the best intentions. We wake up. We go to work. We begin the process of tackling our to-do lists. That one item that was supposed to be the easy item to check off never is.
I can’t tell you how many times something I’m supposed to write takes longer than anticipated. The good news is there are plenty of tips and strategies out there for how to write faster.
Sometimes when we do something faster, we don’t put as much care into the end product. That’s not what I’m talking about here. Speed doesn’t have to be equated with haste. There are plenty of ways to improve the product you put into the world, and do it in less time.
Your blog posts and website content are worth it. Your emails are worth it. All that quality content is working to help you engage with your audience. It’s working to help you establish trust and likeability. Even if you’re in b2b and you don’t think you need to relate on a human level. Even if you’re in b2c. Even if your audience isn’t banging on your door for sales immediately, it’s you they’ll think of as they shop in your industry.
Learning how to write faster will give you a leg up on the competition. It will help you become more prolific, and increasing your output. It will help you have the time to concentrate on the aspects of running your business that drew you into your industry to begin with.
Some Tips and Tricks on How to Write Faster
Don’t Succumb to Writer’s Block
Are you short on ideas? There are sources of inspiration everywhere when it comes to finding blog post ideas. Read more. Think about your customers’ questions. What do you want your audience to know? There are ideas out there.
If it’s the actual writing you’re stuck on, sometimes just sitting down and letting the words hit the page is the best route. Chances are, your internal editor is working overdrive. Write first, ask questions later. It may not be immediately perfect, but chances are a path forward will start to emerge. If you want, use a timer or set an arbitrary deadline. This can sharpen your focus.
If burnout is your problem, take a small break. The best ideas come in the shower. They come while the garbage is being taken out, or the dog is being walked. Slow down, don’t beat yourself up, and just take a few deep breaths.
Block Out The Time
We all get busy with client work. The trick is to come back to your business priorities. If a customer or client wants to call a meeting, chances are you make the time. Maybe it means putting your own writing down on your to-do list, and carving out the hour to make sure that it’s done.
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Writing is a practice. The only way to improve is to keep at it. If it’s been a little while since you published anything, you can always return. If you want to know how to write faster, you have to stay in practice and understand what it takes to commit your message to the screen or the page.
Organize Your Plan
Simply having a plan and sticking to it can increase the speed and quality of your writing. These questions can help guide you.
- What are some of your larger marketing goals?
- Does your blog post or website content fit in with your other marketing and branding?
- Does your post fit with your general message to your audience?
You might be stuck on your current writing because it doesn’t fit with what you are doing. It could simply be time to adjust course and keep your work cohesive.
An editorial calendar might help you keep your blog posts and overall marketing message more cohesive. It can help you to keep all content on a relevant subject, and make sure that you are working to attract and help the right people for your business.
Maintain an Edge in Productivity
Americans now take in more content than in any other previous generation. The irony is that while we’re consuming more news than ever before, the journalism industry is no closer to building a sustainable business model, but I digress.
I’ve always been someone who would read the back of the cereal box while eating breakfast if there’s nothing else available to me. That shifted into a desire – a need – to be constantly updated on my Facebook feed until my head is ready to explode. While it’s important to take that content in, there is more we can do to filter, or edit how we do it.
We can close out of the Facebook tab on our computer, and delete the app off our phone to help us return our focus. I’ve started doing this more often while I need to concentrate, or while I just need to calm my racing brain. We can wear headphones and allow the music to pull us into our work. We can make a greater effort to single task, rather than multitask at everything.
So, go ahead and block out that writing time. You will feel the urge to return to your overflowing stream of content intake – in whatever form fits your preferences. Resist for a couple hours while you make your contribution. All that content will be there when you come back.
Conclusion
Learning how to write faster and better simply takes practice. It takes the discipline to learn how to communicate your message more clearly, and that means a commitment to writing as a way to communicate with your audience.
