Creating content is the foundation of your marketing strategy. It’s the content that will sell your brand, and if you cannot produce a killer piece, you are wasting your time. You have heard of bloggers who have spent years creating content, but they are unable to gain traction. Their audience is always running away! But why? Probably because the content is boring, and the reason could be that they are not confident when creating it. To write content you don’t have to be the most creative person or even a wordsmith; however, the way you schedule your time and how you approach your content writing can make a difference. Here are ways to remain alert when writing content and doing content marketing:
Stop Becoming Disoriented by the Internet
It’s easy to get lost on the internet because you are distracted. Copywriters spend a lot of their time online. And, considering that there are so many things happening on the internet, if you are not careful, you will be lost and won’t be attentive when creating your content. There are so many things you come across while doing your research – like funny videos you can watch on Facebook, Youtube or Instagram – that can really eat up your hours. So, the best advice is that you need to put a lid on the multitude of distractions you face on the internet. For example, you can use browser plugins that keep the distractions away. You also need to have a list of your to-dos and your priorities.
Have a Phone-Free Workspace
Your workspace zone should be free of phones. The amount of time you spend picking up the phone can make your productivity take a plunge. If you are going to be successful and remain alert when writing, you have to do away with your phone. Not that copywriting is too involved or that it requires a lot of focus, but because the biggest distraction to copywriters is a ringing cell phone. When you stop to check some texts that have just come in or if you answer a buddy’s phone call while in the midst of writing or coming up with a title or researching a particular topic, it becomes difficult to pick up from where you left off. In the end, you will have sub-par content that has taken all your time.
Have a Daily To-Do List
Having a planner containing the content that you have to create (a to-do list) will help you to keep track and on top of what has been accomplished and what is remaining. A planner not only keeps you organised but also prevents you from forgetting assignments. It also prevents you from skipping past your due dates. Research conducted at California’s Dominican University by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor, shows that people who write down their goals are 42 percent more likely to accomplish them.
Take Frequent Breaks
Among the most effective productivity hacks is taking a moment from being productive. It may seem counterintuitive that instead of being productive, you take time and get out of work. Frequent breaks are an effective way to stay sharp and remain driven throughout the day. When you step away from your desk, it reduces eye fatigue, especially if you are working on computers. People who have two minutes of frequent breaks are 11,15 percent more productive than those who don’t. When you feel like you have started being bogged down or getting distracted, take a break. You can even set an alarm so that you have the breaks at a regular interval.
Batch-Check Things
In a world taken up by push notifications, inboxes, alerts and text messages, it is unlikely that you can focus on one thing only. With time, you will experience mental burnout and a rise in stress levels. To help reduce the time you spend on other things other than creating content, you can batch-check the virtual communications like emails, alerts, SMS’s and push notifications. Define two times in a day when you will check your voicemails, emails, text messages, alerts and social media notifications and limit it to that.
When you observe these tips, you will be able to remain organised, alert and productive while creating content and doing content marketing. And, you will also ensure that you produce quality content that audiences will love and will probably want to share with their peers.
At WSI OMS, we can help you to create not only content that is interesting and informative to the reader, but that is also SEO optimised. Contact us today for more information.