Speed Blogging Tips: Write 500 Valuable Words in Under 60 Minutes

What does 500 words look like? It's approximately one single-spaced Word document with 12-pt font (or two double-spaced pages). Here's a visual example:

Does it look like a lot? Don't worry - if you follow these simple blogging tips, it'll feel like nothing at all.

In 2016, it took the average marketer less than 3 hours to write a 500-word blog post. 

For more stats on the state of inbound marketing, check out the full report here.

Are you the average marketer? Do you have 3 hours to perfect every blog post you write? Probably not. You're probably a businessperson who understands the importance of blogging, but doesn't have time to spend on weekly 2,000-word masterpieces.

We know what it feels like to be tight on time. We understand the pressure of wanting to put out your best work, but not having the hours to make everything just right.

Here are some tricks we've learned to bring blogging down to 60 minutes. 

5 Speed Blogging Tips for the Busy Businessperson

1. Write About Stuff You Know
2. Write About Stuff You Like
3. Explain Yourself!
4. Use Lists and Bullets
5. Perfection Is the Enemy of "Good Enough"

1.  Massive Amounts of Coffee Just Kidding

1.  Write About Stuff You Know

What's great about this? Only that the knowledge in your head is a valuable resource. The best part? You don't even have to think about it. Your processes, your benefits, your operations - you know them by heart. 

Tell your audience how your product is made. Tell them a story about the worst day you've ever had in the office. Explain the pros and cons of your product vs. the leading competition.

You live these things every day. Let the stories flow out of your head and watch the words pile up.

2.  Write About Stuff You Like

This is the easiest way to cut down on your writing time. Writing about the things you like will have your fingers flying over the keys. 

You don't have to rehearse, you don't have to research, you barely have to stop to think. I had a blast writing this post about Marketing Lessons From Pokemon Go. Currently, it's one of the highest viewed blog posts. I truly believe that's due to my love for the game showing through.

So, whether you like football, mobile games, or exotic cuisines, write about it in your business blog. Connect your industry and your interests. And always, always, make the information valuable to your audience.

You'll have 500 words in no time.

3.  Explain Yourself!

Chances are, your readers don't know as much as you do about your chosen topic. That means they'll find it helpful if you break each aspect down into simple, easily digestible chunks. 

4.  Use Lists and Bullets

This makes your reader's life easier, but it also makes your life easier. Lists help you keep ideas straight, and prevent you from muddying the waters with off-topic stuff. They'll also help your reader scan through the article to quickly find what they want.

Bullets help you condense long, complex thoughts. If you find yourself rambling, try turning the sentence into a few bullet points. This keeps your writing clean, easy to read, and quick to write.

5. Perfection Is the Enemy of "Good Enough"

Even if you're not a writer, you want your writing to be impeccable. You want to say everything exactly the right way, with exactly the right words. You want your readers to be enthralled, unable to look away from your post. 

Reality is, your readers probably don't care (unless they're writers themselves). They don't care which words you use when, or how many spaces you put between sentences.

So, when you're tight on time, loosen your grip on perfection so "good enough" can shine through. If your post appeals to your readers, you've succeeded - no matter which form of healthcare/health care you use, or how you spell color/colour. 

We're not telling you to publish a crap article. That's the last thing you want to do. What we are saying is take a deep breath, and trust that your expertise and passion will drive engagement. After all, that's what your visitors expect from you the most.

(Also, this is the Internet. They've definitely read worse.)

Still worried about speed blogging and creating great content?

To recap, here are our five tips for getting quality blog articles out in less than 60 minutes:

1. Write about the things you know
2. Write about the things you like
3. Explain everything
4. Use lists and bullets
5. Let go of your death grip on perfection

If you're really struggling, you have a few more options to get quality content on your blog.

1. Delegate responsibility
2. Grab a freelancer
3. Hire an expert blog copywriter to optimize your ROI

Whatever you choose, make sure your blog follows current best practices and provides multiple ways for visitors to convert. 

Good luck, and happy blogging!

Want more blogging and marketing copywriting tips? Check out this free downloadable (not just for medical marketers -- it's a useful tool for all marketers!):