Content Creation Strategies for Non-Writers
Confession time… I don’t really like writing. That’s why I put off starting my blog for so long, even though I knew how much it could benefit my business. It’s why I’ll likely never be someone who posts an article a day, or even each week. And I’ve discovered that a LOT of my clients feel the same way.
So what are our options if we’re averse to writing? Here are my top three:
- Outsource
- Toss the pen (or step away from the keyboard)
- Just do it (AKA “Suck it up, Buttercup”)
Outsource
Finding a great copywriter who can write intelligently about your topic, in your voice, is a challenge. Finding one who will also take the time to understand your long-term goals and learn about your audience, brand, and positioning is even harder.
BUT… with that said, if you simply don’t have the time, ability or inclination to write your own blog content, hiring a skilled copywriter can be a tremendous boost to your content marketing / online marketing efforts.
Working with a copywriter to craft your blog content has the side benefit of setting you up with talking points and dynamic language for discussing your work, both online and off. The process of discussing topic ideas also helps clarify your point of view and strengthen your talking points. The work you do with your copywriter naturally carries over into all of your verbal and written communications.
Hiring a copywriter is an added expense but you can find writers working at all price points. And if that new content brings in even one new client per month, their work can pay for itself.
Toss the Pen
There’s no reason your blog posts need to be limited to text. Nor do you need to write them all from scratch.
Many people find it easier to express their ideas verbally than in writing. Talking allows them to be more natural, less stiff or formal.
One great technique for beating the “blank page” syndrome is simply to record a video of you discussing your topic as if you were talking with a friend or colleague. It doesn’t need to be fancy or require special gear — your iPhone or webcam will do the job just fine.
The key is to keep it short (between 2-3 minutes), on topic, and to the point.
Include a brief outline or bulleted list of your main points when you post the video to your blog as a courtesy to your viewers/readers. This helps them to quickly decide if the content is relevant to them while also giving your on-page SEO a boost.
Another time-saving approach is to have a friend interview you about your subject. By using a free shared conference line (or your smart phone or computer if you’re meeting in person), you can record your conversation with a click of a button.
Then send the audio file to an online transcription service and within a day or three you’ll have your full interview written out and ready for editing. For many people, this is a much easier starting point than writing something from scratch and you may even end up with multiple blog posts from one conversation.
If you can’t find anyone available to interview you, try writing out a few questions and then recording your responses on your own. You might be surprised at how naturally the ideas flow when you’re just talking aloud.
Just Do It (As Painlessly As Possible)
One of my clients is working with well-known author and consultant Alan Weiss who impressed upon him that no one knows your business like you do and only you can write your own thought leadership pieces in your authentic voice and perspective.
There is some truth to that. Your best ideas and business breakthroughs may just come from committing (and sticking) to a writing schedule.
Once you dedicate time in your week to write your own blog posts, there are ways to make it easier on yourself:
- Write a few posts at a time. Get ahead of your targeted posting schedule so you’re not always under pressure to write.
- Be flexible about your post length. Not every post needs to be (or should be) a 2,000 word opus. In fact, shorter is often better as people have a tendency to save long articles to read later. The sweet spot is about 500-750 words which can generally be read in a quick 2-3 minutes.
- Write about what interests and inspires you. Share what is currently going on in your business. This helps minimize the time you need to spend researching. Plus it’s always easier to write on a subject that excites you and your enthusiasm will show through in your posts.
BTW, once that client I mentioned started blogging consistently (about 2-3 times per week), his website traffic tripled compared to the previous year.
What’s Your Approach?
Do you outsource or write/record you posts yourself? Or have you found other options that help you create quality content on a regular basis? Share what works best for you in the comments below.
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