How to Write Great Blog Posts in Half the Time

How can I halve the time I spend writing blog posts, and Maintain the highest level of quality that I’m capable of?

I’ve been asking myself this question ever since I was ecstatically happy with my first ever ‘ten hour post’.

Thing is, it takes time to create certain kinds of blog post. There’s simply no way around it.

Some niches (and some blogs and bloggers) are more open to the ‘short-sharp-shock’ approach. Others – especially where there’s more information or complex ‘how-to’ instructions involved in the process – simply don’t.

How to Write Great Blog Posts Faster

I’m not saying it’s going to be possible to boil down your epic ‘behemoth’ posts into 20 minute memos and still have the same impact. (It’s not)

What I’m going to share with you here is a simple, customizable formula, which will shave a massive amount of time off your content creation process – and any other process you care to apply it to.

I’m going to share with you exactly how I’ve been accelerating my blog post writing speed, and explain how you can apply the same principles to your own blogging.

The result: It frees up more of your time to play with your kids/walk your dog/write more blog posts/engage in the high leverage income generating elements of your business – marketing, sales etc (delete as applicable)

The Better Faster Blog Post Formula

What this formula hinges upon is the process which you already have in place for writing your blog posts.

In simple terms, the question of how to write your blog posts faster is answered by focusing, being conscious of all the steps in the process, eliminating everything unecessary and ‘optimizing’ the rest.

If you’ve ever watched a Formula One Motor Car during a ‘Pit Stop’ (other long distance races have this too, but those guys are the fastest), you’ll have a good insight into what this formula is all about. During long, high-speed races, drivers would stop to refuel, get a change of tyres, and a whole bunch of other minor adjustments to their cars.

Before refuelling was banned in F1 in 2009, the highly skilled teams of mechanics working on each car could change four wheels, refuel the car, clean the windshield, make minor body adjustments and clear the air intakes in as little as 3 seconds flat.

Do you think that team know exactly where everything is, what they’re going to do with it, and in what order? Of course they do. The process is ruthlessly optimized to the max.

And this is the same principle we’re going to apply in order to create good quality blog content in half the time (at least – that’s what we’re aiming for!)

Here’s my ‘Better Faster Formula’ for writing great blog posts faster (click to enlarge)

Download a free blank template here to create your own version of the Better Faster Blog Post Formula

Writing Blog Posts Faster: Sacrificing Quality?

Writing blog posts faster doesn’t mean sacrificing quality.

It means sacrificing:

• Time wasted thinking about what to do next
• Interrupting the process with superfluous activities (email, social media etc)
• Unnecessary activities within the process

Making the Formula Work for You

Some of the steps I take may not be relevant to you.

You’ll have some other elements you like to add, or do differently.

Take the essence of the formula, and make it your own.

Once you’ve put it into action, refined it over a period of time and naturalized the process, it becomes quicker, because you don’t need to think about it so much.

Over time you’ll also become increasingly adept at accomplishing individual tasks within the process more effectively and faster (practice, practice practice!)

Creating Your Own Faster Better Blog Post Formula

To start using this formula, and building your own version of it, observe the steps you take as produce your next blog post.

• Note down every action you take – and I mean every action.
• When you’re done, look at the list. Cross off every step which doesn’t contribute toward completing the task at hand in some way.
• Look at the order your tackling the separate tasks in. Can they be better organized or batched together to save time?
• Create a chart similar to the one above (here’s the template) which describes the steps you need to take, and use it as you write your future blog posts.
• Over time, notice any areas that could be improved. What’s missing? Is there anything in there which isn’t necessary?

That’s How to cut Blog Post Writing Time in Half

Ruthlessly applying this process to my own blog post writing has literally halved the time it takes for me to create great blog posts, and in combination with the other Productivity Strategies I’ve been sharing here on my blog, I’m now achieving at least twice as much with the time I spend building my blog and business.

What does your ‘Blog Post Creation Process’ look like? Where are the challenges and steps you need to overcome to optimize to improve your writing time?

Please help me get this content out by sharing this post (thanks – I always appreciate it), then leave a comment below.

Image adapted from Vettel Red Bull Pit Stop by curimedia

How to Write Great Blog Posts in Half the Time © 2011 Blogger’s Alchemy