I spend a lot of time publishing content. Whether you have a content marketing strategy in place, lead a team of people or have a corporate blog, there is a relentless vigilance to managing content. I have developed some personal and team collaboration systems which have helped me to get things out of my head and into digital bits as quickly as possible.
- Keep an accessible topic list. Lists of ideas need to be easy to put in. We keep To-Do lists and I can log these with my Android phone. For other article ideas, I also manage a list in Google Apps. I use Google Tasks with a sync program that keeps my mobile device and Google Apps Gmail account continually synced. When I have an idea for a topic, I immediately record it and I know it is out of my head and in my system ready for the next step.
- Write first, optimize second. There are so many distractions that keep me from getting content published. Worrying about formatting, SEO or keyword tagging can inhibit the foremost activity which is writing. I use a simple editor and keep from working on anything but getting content out. There are a variety of tools to help facilitate this. You might want to keep the writing, editing and SEO optimization separated as a production line. Remove tools and features which distract. Otherwise you might find yourself spending time distracted that could be used for volume of content.
- Customize your mobile life. The inspiration to write is important for fresh and enthusiastic content. I carry a MacBook Air with me and if I have time and space, I get to creating content. Sometimes, it is just the start with a draft and I finish later. I have also used mobile portable keyboards with iPad devices and mobile phones to create content on the go. It’s a smaller screen setup, but it is also fun and you can do this anywhere. Another handy setup is to carry Wifi with you wherever you are. I use a Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot SCH–LC11 and can write whether on the highways, between client meetings or in hotels and coffee shops. Live in the cloud. Be mobile and be ready to turn thoughts into results.
- Feed your immediate gratification. A content strategy is a long-term commitment. I need ongoing motivation and goals. Knowing that your content is indexed with Google and your analytics are real-time should be part of the systems you have set up. Leveraging your content with other social media sites and blog posts should be part of your process. Interaction with your content and seeing feedback from your market helps you hone your writing as well as motivate you to create further content.
These are just a few of the intentional strategies I have implemented to create content quickly and in volume across many projects. On top of it all, I enjoy writing and my audiences provide the validation for continuing the journey of writing. In today’s economy, you are what you publish. If you can create speed and execution around this process, then opportunities continue to open up.
How can you implement some of these strategies?