How to Produce Content Faster

9 Proven Tips for Optimized Content Creation (without sacrificing quality)

Are you either a content writer or a business owner or marketing manager looking to boost your outreach by writing articles faster? You're in the right place! In the fast-paced world of online content creation, efficiency is your life jacket. Here are nine proven tips that will help you write more articles more quickly—without sacrificing quality.

1. Remember what they told you back in school: Outline first!

Before you begin writing, create a detailed outline of your article. An outline acts as a roadmap, helping you stay on track and preventing writer's block. Break down your content into sections, list key points, and arrange them logically. This will streamline the writing process, give your piece flow, and save you time in rewrites.

2. Set a schedule. Stick to it!

Consistency is key when it comes to writing faster. (Actually consistency is key in everything.) Set up a schedule. Whether you're an early bird or a night owl doesn't matter; it's about whatever works for you. Allocate dedicated time for writing, and stick to it. This discipline will help you build momentum. It will also make writing second nature to you.

"Can't help with the laundry, honey. This is my Scheduled Writing Time."

3. Minimize distractions (Stop playing with the cat or dog)

Oh, am I so guilty of this! It's hard to resist quality time with the household pet...or, if you don't have one like me, watching cat videos on YouTube. (I am secure enough in my manhood to admit I love cat videos and watch them shamelessly.)

We writers are masters of distraction. The internet's addictive nature does not help things: "If you like this, you'll also like..." can lead you down rabbit holes from which there is no escape. I know. Consider using website blockers, turning off notifications, muting that phone, and working in a quiet space to maintain focus. Take scheduled breaks to catch up to the rest of the world but stay disciplined.

I'm going to have to start disciplining myself. Until now, I was having this tall Dutch woman do it. —Emo Philips

4. Research efficiently

Start by identifying credible sources and using tools like Google Scholar and reference management software. Try to find multiple sites and multiple cites for your information. Newsflash: Wikipedia isn't always the God's truth. I know I've corrected some doozies on their pages, only to have some editor restore the mistake.

Take organized notes. Someone once said writing is 80 percent research and 20 percent writing. A focused approach will help you gather the necessary information swiftly.

5. Write first, edit later

One of the biggest time wasters is editing while writing. Instead of constantly revising your work as you go, focus on getting your thoughts down on paper. Let your ideas flow freely during the initial draft. You can edit and refine your content in a separate editing phase. (Note: I should follow this one myself but I don't. I edit on the fly because I'm terrified I'll forget what I wanted to fix later and it will scoot on by. But I edit later as well. Maybe that saying should be 80 percent research, 20 percent writing and 20 percent editing. I know that doesn't add up to 100 percent, but I was never good at math. That's why I became a writer.

6. Get help

Leverage technology to your advantage. There are numerous writing tools available. Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and Evernote are popular ones, though I admit I haven't used them much and am not that familiar with them. There are also old fashioned paper tools like dictionaries (I prefer book dictionaries, and have both Webster's and Oxford, depending on who I'm writing for). If you stayed friends with your high school English teacher (and I did) that's a plus, too.

You were definitely one of my more unique students. —My former high school English teacher, 11th grade

7. Get more help

Creating or using pre-fab templates for your articles can save you significant time. Develop a standard format for different types of articles you frequently write, including introductions, headings, and conclusions. This will help you write faster by plugging in necessary information. You can also do tweaks to make the templates look different, while keeping the basics the same, saving you lots of work.

8. Stay up-to-date and organized in your field

If you follow everything that's going on in your field this will help you when it comes time to write. That means reading huge amounts about everything in your specialty. You may not think you need to know something on the fringe of your expertise, but who knows, tomorrow you might be asked to write about it.

And file those articles away, too, in some sort of well-organized system, so that you can pull them up again when you need them. There's nothing worse than wondering "Where did I see that?" and spending a whole day on Google searching your history, only to be unable to find the valuable nugget. The faster you can pull up the information you need, the more efficient you will be.

9. Learn to say "No"

Learn to say no to projects that don't align with your goals or exceed your capacity—or that you just plain hate to do. If you still want to see them completed, and they're for your own business, farm them out to qualified freelancers. Or put an SOS up on LinkedIn. Use your time wisely. You probably shouldn't do everything yourself.

I hope you find this article helpful in improving your writing speed. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Happy writing!