Writing quality content quickly can seem like an impossible task, but with the right techniques and strategies, you can dramatically increase your content output while maintaining a high standard. Here are some effective tips for writing content fast:
Start With Outlines – Taking the time to outline your content before writing will save you major time down the road. Jot down the key points you want to hit on a notepad or use a software tool to map out your content with headings and subheadings. This ensures your content stays organized and on track.
Research First, Write Later – Resist the urge to start writing right away. Spend 30-60 minutes gathering and organizing all the research and source material you’ll need. Having substantive facts, stats, quotes, and examples at your fingertips will make the writing process much smoother.
Write In Sprints – Working in shorter bursts of intense focus is proven to boost productivity. Use a timer to write for 45-50 minutes, then take a 10-15 minute break. Removing all distractions and solely focusing on writing for just 50 minutes can generate a surprisingly large amount of content.
Use Placeholder Text – When researching or outlining, add short placeholder phrases like “[example needed]” or “[definition goes here]”. This marks where you still need content so you don’t forget important additions. It’s much faster than going back and trying to remember what else to add later.
Focus on One Section at a Time – Don’t try to perfect an entire piece of content at once. Write the intro fully, then move on to the next section. Coming back to refine sections later is much more efficient than stressing over perfection as you write. Get content on the page first before polishing.
Use Templates and Reusable Content – Create templates you can pull from for common types of content like blog posts, articles, emails, social media, etc. Reuse sections of older content when possible by updating numbers, quotes, or minor details. This saves immense amounts of time over writing completely fresh.
Write for Scanning Not Reading – Readers online scan far more than read deeply. Use short paragraphs, bulleted/numbered lists, and bold/italic emphasis sparingly. Break up content with subheadings and white space. This makes information easy to consume in small bites on mobile.
Record Audio/Video instead of typing – If appropriate for your content, record audio or video instead of writing. Speaking your content aloud is much faster for covering the same amount of information as typing it out. Transcribe or add captions later for accessibility.
Outsource Research/Entry Level Writing – It’s more efficient to focus on high-level writing/editing tasks and outsource simpler content creation jobs that don’t require subject matter expertise. Use freelancers for research, bios, basic articles, social posts, etc.
Repurpose Transcripts as Articles – If you regularly record podcasts, videos or webinars, transcribe them and repurpose the written transcript as a new article or resource page. Simply reformat it and add any needed contextual information.
Set Reasonable Wordcount Goals – Don’t set unrealistic daily/weekly writing goals that become a source of stress. Track your average output over time to determine sustainable targets that maintain quality along with speed. Small daily progress still adds up significantly over weeks/months.
Replace Writing with other Media – When an infographic, video, photo gallery or interactive would better convey the message, consider leveraging those formats that don’t require extensive writing. Multimedia content generally spreads farther online too.
Focus on one major update daily – Commit to completing just one major blog post, article, email draft, or other substantial piece of content each day. Don’t spread your creative juices too thin on minor edits or lightweight content that provides little value. This ensures something significant gets finished daily.
Hopefully these strategies provide a helpful framework to dramatically boost your content output without sacrificing quality. The key is finding workflows and tactics that work best for your writing style while reducing common time-wasters. With practice, it’s completely possible to write high-value, readable content at an accelerated pace.