Time management is an important ingredient of successful content creation and marketing. Writer's block, distraction and poor scheduling are common problems. Staying focused and creating valuable, high-quality content on schedule should be a top priority. Now, let us discuss some ways to increase your content creation productivity.
Just Start Writing
Sometimes, your well of creativity and ideas dries up. When this happens, perusing your favorite industry blogs and websites for inspiration can be helpful. However, do not spend too much time trying to jumpstart your creativity. After half an hour, if nothing has sparked your imagination, just start writing whatever comes to your mind. You may be surprised by the gems that are hiding in your subconscious. As you begin to freewrite, try to incorporate a relevant and useful topic, which you need to write about. Your freewriting should generate plenty of ideas for you to develop into your finished content piece.
Create a Plan
Once you have a solid idea for content creation, it is time to plan. Take a few minutes to create an outline; the outline can make your writing task appear less daunting by diving it up into smaller, more manageable parts. Selecting a topic is often the hardest part of generating original content, followed by developing relevant sections or subheadings with insightful ideas to flesh them out. A thoughtful outline can supply you numerous subtopics and ideas-simplifying your completion of the content piece and allowing you to continue writing until you have your finished product.
Limit Your Distractions
Getting distracted can cause significant losses to your productivity, and plenty of distractions are often ever-present in our hyper-connected, mobile reality. As you research a new content idea, it is easy to get sucked into to social media or irrelevant content-wasting your valuable time. When it is time to write, close down your email and social media accounts. Your physical environment is important as well; figure out what works best for you. Some writers work best in silence, while others prefer to listen to music as they write. If you find it difficult to focus in busy locations, try to avoid doing your content creation in coffee shops or a loud, open-office environment.
Set a Schedule
Content creation usually entails firm deadlines. Although you need to meet your deadlines, the exact time of day that you do your writing is up to you. Try doing your content creation, when you feel most creative. However, consistency is vital, so select a certain time of day and days of the week, and do not let anything interrupt your work. Develop a writing routine that works with your schedule, optimizes your creativity, and allows you to meet your commitments and exceed expectations.
Preserve Valuable Ideas
Consistently writing fresh, high-quality content calls for an openness to your muse-wherever and in whatever form she may appear. Great ideas can spring to life at any time-when out to lunch, at the gym or watching a movie, for example. Life often gets busy and chaotic, so ensure that you record your ideas before they fade away. With an ever-present, updated "ideas list," your content creation could be streamlined and less stress-inducing. Consider creating such a list in your cell phone, since you likely always have it nearby.
Increasing content creation productivity is certainly a worthwhile pursuit. Not everyone has the same requirements for high productivity, so experiment to determine which methods and practices are most effective for you. Content creation is highly valuable and integral to a successful inbound marketing plan.