How to write a blog post fast
The experts say everyone from small business owners to authors should be blogging, but let’s be honest, it takes too much time, unless you learn to write a blog post fast. On top of that, many experts recommend blogging multiple times per week!
When it takes for-freaking-ever for one stinking post, you may be tempted to give up. That or learn how to write content faster and how to write blog posts quickly.
How to write a blog post faster
Today I’ll share nine of my favorite tools to improve your post workflow, so you can keep blogging and write more blog posts!
But first, let’s talk about why blogging is important in the first place.
Why blogging is important
It’s important to know your reason for blogging. According to Entrepreneur, you shouldn’t start a blog just to sell.
It’s a place where you find your customers, feed them information, and position your value — the equivalent of a digital salt lick.
– Entrepreneur
But, if you’re a solopreneur busting it to make ends meet, let’s say with a day job and young kids, AND it takes you ten hours to compost a blog post, then is it really worth it?
Only you can answer that question. But I’d say, if you find yourself in this position, then you have three choices.
- You can not blog.
- You can hire someone to blog for you.
- You can cut–like seriously cut–down the amount of time it takes you to compose a quality post.
If you’re in this situation, like I am, the only choice that makes sense is the third one, do things faster. Much faster.
But you can’t just type complete drivel. Let’s talk about what constitutes quality in Google’s eyes.
What constitutes a quality post?
Here are 101 blogging tips for 2019. If you don’t have time to read all of them, here are a few highlights relevant to the solopreneur.
You should be writing 1000 words plus, and it takes the average post three hours and sixteen minutes.
Hmm. For an author or solopreneur–that’s a LOT of time. I mean, if you’re doing this as your tenth thing while trying to manage a family and full-time job, how high converting would the post have to be to make it worth it?
Since not all of us can afford that time, or to hire someone to write for us, there are tools that make things more efficient. Some take a little time to set up on the front end, but the results are well worth it.
Here are the nine tricks I use. I’d love to hear what others are doing.
9 ideas for how to write blog posts quickly
Keep a note with blog content ideas–
I don’t know about you, but when I plop down in front of the computer with–say–an hour to write, I have trouble honing in on one thing. I need to do twenty things! But if I skip around I’ll end up with nothing to show for that hour. The solution? So instead I keep a simple note with ideas
Clone an old blog post–
I used to use a plugin called clone post, but Gutenberg blocks take away the need for an extra plugin for this.
You can either save something as a reusable block or copy past (simple html) content to start your new post. That way I can use some of the same formatting and calls to action.
Copy image in Canva–
Use a tool like Canva to make beautiful images for your blog and social media accounts. If you have Canva for work, you can start with an image that already uses your fonts, colors, and overall look to speed up the process of making your new image.
Pro tip: use image resize plugin to configure your feature images to the optimal Pinterest size. Then you just need one pinnable image that can be used for your feature and footer image.
Reusable blocks in Gutenberg –
I have calls to action and my author bio saved as reusable blocks in Gutenberg. That way it only takes one click to deposit a nicely formatted bio, suggested readings, call to action and email capture, etc into a post.
Pro tip: Don’t get a special plugin for related posts, instead use the Gutenberg recent posts and a header, like this at the bottom of your post
More resources for your write life:
- Social Media Platforms for Authors
- 21 ways to level up your author website
- Listen to your wip on the go with google docs
- Get Published Podcast- Using Pinterest to Build your Email List
- 21 Online Tools Writers Need to Make an Impact
Pinterest keyword tool –
I use a tool like this one to quickly find relevant keywords for my pinnable image alt-text and description.
Use Convertkit forms to organize email captures –
I post about writing, but I also like to post about endurance training and even mom-life. Although I hope there is crossover between the three categories, I can’t expect that everyone into wordpress tips will also be into breast pumps. This is the beauty of segmenting in Convertkit.
Use plugins to streamline further
Use a plugin when you really need one, but don’t go too crazy with the plugins. Not only will readers get bored and click off while your page is loading your organic traffic is affected by google pagespeed insights score. What does that mean? Basically, if you have too many plugins, your site is slow, penalized, then everyone loses.
That said here are a few of my favorite plugins you NEED to speed up your own workflow:
- Yoast
- Simple Image Sizes
- W3 Total Cache
I won’t go into this more here, but if you’d like a complete list of the plugins I use–and those I ditched–on a path to take my google pagespeed insights score from 60 to 94 (out of 100), just tell me where to send the swipe file.
Personally, I use Tailwind to schedule Pinterest, Instagram, and my Facebook Business Page. It’s convenient for facebook and IG, but Pinterest is where Tailwind really shines, and makes it possible to, say, go from 24 – 170,000+ views in only a month.
Here is a very bare-bones summary of how I use the tools listed above to complete my post.
How to write a blog post fast summary
- Select a topic from your note
- Clone a similar post from your dashboard
- Clone an image, fix it up, add alt text
- Plug in and tweak reusable blocks
- Choose keywords to better plan and target the post
- Add in convertkit form for email optin or content upgrade
- Use Yoast to check off basic SEO items
- WRITE THE POST
- distribute via social media channels.
That’s it! Your blog is ready to distribute via relevant social media channels. As a point of reference this post took me one hour and twenty-five minutes to write from start to finish. I hope this blog posts helped you with some ideas on how to write blog posts quickly.
Writers: do you have other tricks that make blogging faster? What’s your favorite tool I missed? I’d love to hear in the comments below!!
Looking for courage to try something new? I’m here for that. Join 1470 others for a mostly-weekly dose of mojo.
Other ideas to spruce up your write life:
- Social Media Platforms for Authors
- 21 ways to level up your author website
- Listen to your wip on the go with google docs
- Get Published Podcast- Using Pinterest to Build your Email List
- 21 Online Tools Writers Need to Make an Impact
Next up: 7 reasons your readers click off your website hella fast [and how to fix them.]
Like this idea? Pin it!
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
3 Comments
Emma Hersh · May 9, 2019 at 9:12 am
Nice tips. I haven’t used reusable blocks yet but that’s a good idea
Biz Tips: 9 blog workflow tips so you can create content faster and add more value | BizAtomic · March 30, 2019 at 8:50 pm
[…] 9 secret blog workflow tips so you can write hella-fast […]
6 Online Tools Writers Need to Make an Impact — Bethany Rutledge · June 13, 2019 at 3:26 pm
[…] P.S. If you’re a writer looking to save time, be sure to check out these blog workflow tips that will save you tons of it. […]
Comments are closed.