5 Blog Content Writing Hacks for Digital Marketing

Fun fact: nobody likes writing- not even writers. Writing can be creatively rewarding, but it can also be a constant struggle of trying to produce consistent, quality content for your digital marketing strategies. But the good news is that you can fake it till you make it. Here are 5 content writing hacks that will guide you how to write a blog post when the motivation simply isn't there.

1. Have a Clear Topic

Having one clear topic will help guide your writing and keep it on track. If you need help brainstorming how to write a blog post, start with a broad topic and slowly narrow in on specifics. You can use the five question technique of repeatedly asking yourself "why" readers should care if you're struggling to find a topic. For example, my brainstorming for this blog went something like this:

  • Broad Topic: Content
  • Narrower Focus: Blog content
  • Narrower Focus: How to write content for blogs
  • Narrower Focus: How to write content for blogs for people who aren't writers
  • Final Topic: How to write content for blogs quickly for people who aren't writers

Once you have your focus, keep it in the back of your mind while writing. This will help give you direction and steer you away from writing rambling paragraphs. If it's not immediately relevant to your topic, shelve it for later to use in another blog post. If you're not sure where to even start with a topic, use your keyword research from your SEO strategy to find a subject for your blog.

 

2. Curate Content

This content writing hack will save you hours of time in the long run. Curating content is the process of leveraging existing content pieces to create something new. Start by finding some content that resonates with your topic - this could be blog posts, an infographic or even videos. Then use those as a jumping-off point to create your own unique blog post. 

The easiest way to curate content is in a roundup-style post, where you create a list and share content pieces (e.g., "Top 10 Indie Bands in Minneapolis" or "5 Examples of High-Performing Sales Scripts"). Another popular style of curating content is to find an existing piece of content and summarize it in your own words.

The key to curating and what sets it apart from a no-no like plagiarism is that you clearly state where you got content pieces and link back to the original source. Even if you're rewriting the content in your own words, it's best practice to give credit to the original article with a link back. If you directly quote an article, make sure you indicate which parts of your blog are your own words and which are quoted (two easy ways to do this are either use quotations or indent the content, depending on the amount of words). 

 

3. Write For Your Audience

It's true that your blog is an excellent way to boost your SEO and rankings in search engines, but the primary goal of your blog should always be to provide useful information to your audience. The most optimized post in the world doesn't amount to squat if people aren't interested in it and leave your site immediately. Do you know who your customers are? What are they interested in? Is this information useful to them? Worry less about optimization and more about whether or not your post is useful. You can always go back later and make your content more search engine friendly. Which brings me to...

 

4. Don't Overthink Your First Draft

I know it sounds counter-intuitive to make multiple drafts when you want to save time writing a blog post, but hear me out. Trying for perfection the first time around actually takes more time because you're constantly worrying over time-wasters like word choice and formatting. The best method is to simply just write and keep writing, then go back and clean it up. Pausing to find the perfect phrasing only jolts you out of the flow of writing.

 

5. Know When to Take a Break

It's tempting to want to keep pushing through, but sometimes when writer's block hits it's better to just leave and come back later. If you find yourself staring at a blank page, unsure of how to continue, set a timer for 15 minutes. If you're still stuck when the timer goes off, it's time to move on to another activity and pick back up later. The mental break of doing another activity will help you write more fluidly later on. Forcing yourself to write when you're struggling will just waste more time in the end. Eat a cookie, watch some Netflix and give your brain a rest.

Using these blog content hacks will help you generate more quality blog posts for your digital marketing. You can't always be a highly motivated writer - but you can always create compelling content with less effort.

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Free Template: Content Audit

As you plan out your content, you want to make sure that you have goals in mind and track towards them. Your content is the main driver towards your SEO, so having an organized plan is key to measuring results! 

With this template you'll get:

  • An organization method for all of your content
  • Ability to share with your company the results of your efforts
  • Place to plan future content and promotion activities

Download the Content Tracker today!

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BizzyWeb is a Minneapolis-based digital marketing and web design agency that helps companies get the high-quality leads they need to grow and thrive. Our tactics include inbound marketing, SEO, advertising, web design, content creation and sales automation. We are an accredited HubSpot Platinum Partner and we offer full-service HubSpot onboarding, enablement and strategy for new and current users.

Dave Meyer
Author: Dave Meyer
Dave Meyer is President of BizzyWeb. Dave has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and communications and has presented digital marketing topics to thousands of people across the US and Canada.