by Benny | Dec 11, 2023
Blogging typically requires three posts or more per week to keep the target audience engaged and returning to the site. This means your writing needs to be fast. The good news is that you can speed up how fast you write your blog posts.
Being able to write quality articles quickly for your blog is a must to keep your audience engaged with your blog. This guide will help you become a faster writer.
How Can I Speed Up Writing My Blog?
To become faster with writing your blog, you should follow some time-tested skills and practice these skills every day.
- Schedule blocks of time dedicated to writing
- Choosing a subject or topiC
- Creating a map- main topics and subtopics
- Initial research
- Creating an outline
- Writing the content
Following all of these steps and not cutting corners may seem like it’ll slow you down, but having a thorough idea of where you need to go with every post will eventually work wonders to speed you up.
Create a Schedule to Speed Up Your Blog Writing
Schedules help you prioritize your time. When you need to write blog posts, you should ensure you are blocking out the required time to do so.
One of the easiest ways to create a schedule is to use a template designed specifically for this, such as this editorial calendar and this hourly schedule planner.
How Do You Use an Editorial Schedule For A Blog?
On the editorial planner, you can plan as much or as little as you’d like. Though it might feel superfluous, it really helps!
Think of an editorial guide as a general template that you can use for every single article you write. It’ll help you figure out how much time you typically devote to your blog and writing, which will help with efficiency. Also, it keeps you organized and gives potential ghostwriters something to follow.
Why Do I Need a Daily Schedule For My Blog?
You should also fill out a daily schedule planner because many other things are going on in our lives aside from writing, and that can feel overwhelming. To find and balance our time and keep our sanity, following a schedule can help.
Here is an example of a daily schedule that includes blocked-out time for your blog writing:
| Task |
Time |
Description |
| Wake Up |
05:30 |
Good Morning |
| Morning Routine |
5:35 to 6:30 |
Breakfast, Shower, Kids, Pets |
| Take Kids to School |
07:00:00 to 7:30 |
Drive time 15 minutes one way |
| Blog Writing: Begin Research |
08:00 |
Research for 15 minutes |
| Outline |
08:15 |
Take 15 Minutes for Outlining |
| Write |
8:30 to 9:00 |
Write for half an hour |
| Break Time |
09:00 |
Take a 10-minute Break |
| Write |
9:10 to 9:40 |
Write for half an hour |
| Household Chores |
10:00 to Noon |
Clean the House |
| Lunch Break |
12:00 to 12:30 |
Enjoy |
| Blog Writing: |
12:30 to 1:00 |
Write for 30 minutes |
| Break Time |
01:00 |
Relax for 10 minutes |
| Return to Writing |
1:10 to 1:40 |
Write for 30 minutes |
| Pick Up Kids |
01:45 |
Schools out at 2, find parking |
The daily schedule allows you to visualize your day while blocking in time for mandatory items on the agenda. You can see at a glance what you need to accomplish and when you need it completed.
How Much Time Should I Block In For My Blog Writing?
At a minimum, you should set aside two hours per day dedicated to writing. Even if you do not have assignments, continuously practicing will help you become faster.
How often you write is dependent upon you and what you need to accomplish. If you are writing your blog, you need to realistically decide how much content you can produce.
How Long Should It Take to Write a Blog Article?
Writing a 1,000-word article can take half an hour to more than three hours. Most writers can write an article this size with minimal research in about two hours. Of course, there are many factors to examine as to how long it should take to write a blog post.
Here are a few examples of these factors:
- Writer Experience: A new writer will take longer to research, organize, and write.
- Research Methods: It can be easy to research for a long time (Be time conscious)
- Keyboard Type Speed: Depending on fast or slow writers type can affect speed.
When you do not understand the subject, you are going to spend more time researching it. This can overshadow your writing time frame immensely.
On the other hand, if you are an expert in the subject it may only take a few minutes to write your post.
Choose Your Blog Topic Efficiently
When writing your blog, choosing a topic can feel daunting. To get some ideas, you can search for a trending topic in your niche.
An even better suggestion is to take a topic within the content you already have. Doing so will give you an internal link opportunity and allow you to work with previously gained knowledge.
Once you have a topic to write about, it’s time to create a map.
Creating a Map Helps Boost Blog Writing Speed
Having a map/outline is essential. A map will help you develop your thoughts into an outline.
Do you remember using concept maps in school? These handy maps are just as relevant to writing successful blog posts, and creating them can actually be kind of fun! All you need is some paper, pens, and a basic idea of how to do it.
Alternatively, you can create a mind map using a template by Canva (which is exactly what we did for the graphic – it was super easy!) if you are familiar with the format. Using paper might be a little more fun, though, since you’re about to spend hours on a screen actually writing. Grab some fun pens!
How Do I Find My Blog Subtopics?
When brainstorming for your subtopics, keep your target audience in mind. Try to imagine the questions they are asking. What else would you like to know about the subject?
Once you have some subtopics, type each one into Google’s Search Bar. Google is designed to anticipate what you are going to search, and this is going to help you come up with more subtopics, as well as your research links.
Here’s how to do it:
- Type your main topic into Google’s search bar.
- Pay attention to what Google is suggesting as you type; there may be ideas you had not considered.
- Scan the first three articles that Google brings up. These are Google’s top choices for relevant information on the topic. You can use these for ideas, but dig deeper when you’re actually researching.
- Scroll down the Google search page to “People Also Ask” and study the questions. These questions can often be used as the base of your subtopics.
- Type your subtopics into new Google search tabs to bring up related articles
- Write your subtopics down on your concept map.
Once your concept map is created, you can start your outline using your concept map; create your H2s and H3s, then add your content.
Copywriting Agencies Can Boost Blog Content Production
Hiring a content agency will help boost blog production. A good content agency will help you in every aspect of producing and posting your content.
TextGoods can help you speed up production in no time. We offer:
- Keyword Research/Hit Lists
- Professional ghostwriters trained in P24 format
- Social Media Management
- Content Repurposing
At TextGoods, you will have an entire team working with you to produce the high-quality content your blog needs. You can sit back and not have to worry about producing the content yourself!
by Benny | Nov 29, 2023
Podcasts have become immensely popular over the past few years, with about 38% of the world’s population tuning in. Unsurprisingly, many blog owners are tapping into the market, adding podcasts to their pages. Should you add a podcast to your blog, too?
Adding a podcast to your blog is an excellent opportunity to reach younger audiences and multitaskers who might not be able to sit down and read your posts. So long as you can make the commitment and have a good topic, creating a podcast for your blog is worth a try.
Are you thinking about creating a podcast for your blog? Keep reading to find out whether or not this is a suitable avenue for you to take!
6 Reasons You Should Create a Podcast for Your Blog
For the most part, podcasts are a pretty good idea! Overall, there are benefits to adding a podcast to your blogging routine:
1. Starting a Podcast Could Help Reach a Younger Audience
It’s estimated that 47% of podcast listeners are between the ages of 12 and 34. So, if you’re looking to tap into a younger audience, a podcast can be an excellent route to take.
How does this benefit you?
It’s pretty simple: the more listeners you obtain, the more traffic to your website. This can result in additional subscribers, increased profits, etc. Essentially, a podcast can be your gateway to a better return on investment or ROI.
2. Starting a Podcast to Your Blog Makes it Accessible to Busy People
Plenty of people opt for podcasts over blogs because they don’t have to sit there and read them. This is beneficial for two reasons.
For one, it’s hard for people to find time to read blogs in this busy and complicated world. With a podcast, they can pop in their headphones and listen to something interesting – all while they’re working out, doing chores, or performing other essential activities.
Secondly, some people just don’t like reading. They’d much rather have someone read to them. With a podcast, people who don’t enjoy reading don’t have to worry about skimming through texts. Again, they can pop their earbuds, turn their device on high, and listen to interesting content.
Additionally, a podcast is a great way to connect with your differently-abled users. Whether they’re visually impaired or can’t read well, a podcast will make your content accessible to them in a human way. Giving people a break from those robotic screen reader voices can truly make all the difference.
3. Starting a Podcast Will Add a Personal Touch to Your Blog
Although a good writer can add personality to their articles, it’s not always easy for readers to “connect” to the content creator. And believe it or not, connecting with your viewers is absolutely essential for several reasons.
Adding a personal touch – like a podcast – to your blog will form a bond with your viewers. At this point, they’ll be able to know the face – or, at least, the voice – behind the blog, building trust.
In turn, people will feel more comfortable and excited to visit your blog. Again, this can equate to plenty of ROI on your end – which is likely the goal of creating your blog in the first place.
4. You Have a Unique Idea That Will Increase Traffic
There are over five million podcasts worldwide. Needless to say, that’s a lot of competition.
But if you have a unique idea, you can rest assured that it will increase traffic.
Some niches you may want to avoid include true crime, book and movie reviews, news (especially celebrity news), advice, and health/fitness. These markets are oversaturated, and you’ll likely find breaking through and gaining traction challenging.
Oh, and here’s a tip: ensure you talk about your blog during your podcast shows. This will encourage listeners to check out your blog, which will also lead to improved traffic.
5. Creating a Podcast For Your Blog Will Add Variety
Blogs are great.
But if you have a wall of articles, it may be less appealing to some viewers. After all, variety is the spice of life – and the last thing you want to do is bore your viewers right off your blog.
The solution?
Add some variety – such as a podcast. You can cover different topics, bonus information on things you’ve written about, and more. You could even do “podcast special” topics that make listeners think they’re getting more – and it opens you up to starting something like a Patreon, where loyal fans can pay for bonus content.
6. Podcasts are Fun if You Don’t Mind the Commitment
Starting a blog isn’t the easiest or quickest thing in the world. Many steps are involved, from creating a topic and name to creating the website. And that’s not even including writing all the content!
With a podcast, though, you don’t have to focus on making everything look as polished and proper as you do in a blog post. If you know you can’t write well, you could hire ghostwriters for the blog content and spend your own time on the podcast!
While starting a podcast might be more fun, it may be more challenging. You’ll need equipment like microphones, recording and editing software, and other essential items. While these don’t have to be expensive, you’ll need to shell out some dollars if you want quality.
Aside from the cost of starting a podcast, you must also consider the time commitment. It takes a good chunk of time to put together a top-tier blog, from brainstorming to performing, editing to publishing. If you’re someone who doesn’t like to talk much, a podcast is out of the question.
For some, starting a podcast sounds more like a chore or a burden than something fun and exciting. If it sounds anything other than exhilarating, it’s best to avoid it altogether.
3 Reasons a Podcast Isn’t the Right Choice for Your Blog
While podcasts are typically a good idea for blogs, they’re not always the right choice. Here are two key reasons why you should pass on podcasts:
1. Time-Consuming
Although it might seem like you can just “start talking” and make a top-notch podcast, that isn’t the case.
Podcasts require a lot of your time, which can be difficult if you’re already spending a lot of time on your blog.
However, you can remedy this situation by outsourcing some of your blog tasks. For instance, you can reach out to third-party companies – like TextGoods – to handle your article creation so you can focus on the upcoming podcast.
2. Oversaturated Topic
If you’re planning a podcast in an oversaturated market – like movie reviews or fitness – forget about it.
Spending time on a podcast using oversaturated niches won’t do you much good. It’s better to focus on other avenues.
3. The Topic is not Deep Enough
If you’re thinking about starting a podcast, you should make sure you have enough ground to cover. Traditionally, podcasts are 45+ minutes and can stretch into a years-long project depending on your audience.
Podcasts often don’t survive topic switches. Your listeners know you to be knowledgeable in one niche. They share that interest with you, so making an abrupt switch could lead them to think you don’t care anymore.
That entails picking something that’s both broad enough to cover for a long period of time, yet unique enough to help you establish a special connection with your listeners.
If you think you’d just like to cover specific parts of some topics just to supplement your blog posts, you’re better off creating a YouTube channel instead.
4. You Are Not Passionate About the Podcast Subject
Creating needs to be fun for you. If you’re not having fun, everyone is going to be able to tell. Think of it like a school presentation: were you ever given a topic you didn’t really care about?
What happened? Odds are, you trudged through it, the presentation wasn’t engaging, and nobody really listened.
The same will happen if you’re not passionate about your podcast subject. If you’re just reading off a script and seem like you’re checked out, your audience will get bored and click off. Not only is that bad for business, it’s a waste of your time that you could spend on a project you’d like better.
Podcasts May Be an Excellent Addition To Your Blog!
Depending on the time you have available for creating a podcast and your chosen topic, a podcast can be an excellent addition to any blog.
Do you need help creating captivating content for your blog? TextGoods can help! Our experts can write articles, research keywords, and more. Reach out today!
by Benny | Nov 24, 2023
Are you a blogger, and do you want expert tips for researching your blog? Research is one of the most essential parts of writing for an audience because it makes you an authority on the topic and credibility.
Research for blogging involves so many components, like keyword research, competitor research, and the contribution of personal knowledge. Being a blog writer is a responsibility because users are counting on you to be a reliable source. Here’s what you can do to be the best you possibly can!
1. Commit to Conducting Very Thorough Research For Your Blog
Research is so important when it comes to your blog. You want to give the most pertinent facts that express the article’s main idea. When starting with your blog, it will take longer to provide a complete piece for your blog.
The time it takes depends on your topic, how long the post is, the complexity of the subject, and how experienced you are. For the most part, you cannot put a time frame on research and writing; however, there is a formula for the long article that you can use.
The average seasoned blogger can research and complete a 1,000-word article in about 2 – 4 hours. However, it could take 5 – 6 hours if you are just beginning. Essentially, the more experience you have, the faster the work will flow.
There are many ways to research your blog; your goal is to be thorough, not redundant. Some of the reasons why good research will make your article stand out:
- Increases user engagement.
- Builds trust with your readers.
- Enhances the quality of your writing.
- Revealing current trends in your niche.
- Improves the credibility of your content.
- Allows new and fresh insights into the topic.
Quality research helps improve SEO on your blog because you are writing for a target audience interested in the facts about the subject. You will also have the appropriate information to educate your users, giving you an edge over the competition.
If you’re not going to commit the thorough research you need to, you’re better off hiring someone else.
2. Identify the Purpose of Your Blog
How you research will depend on what you’re trying to get across. Before you even start, you should figure out what you want to do with this post. Some staple purposes include:
- Increasing traffic: SEO is essential in helping you research your blog. Keywords are crucial in attracting an audience and driving traffic to your site.
- Demonstrate your expertise: You will likely write about something you were interested in or know a lot about. This gives you an edge over the competition because you have your unique perspective of the topic, and when you use your own words, it will come together naturally.
- Educating your audience: You want to write to inform on a particular topic and educate your audience. Remember to back up any facts you derive with your sources and always credit the source in your blog.
- Entertaining your readers: Almost as important as educating, learn how to engage your readers with a conversational tone that is comfortable to read and understand. You want to be a readable and relatable authority, and the best way to do that is to establish a rapport with your readers that makes them want to return.
For example, if you’re goal is to entertain the reader, you probably don’t need a million statistics and dissertation-level writing, which might mean you’ll be able to spend less time in the research stage.
If you’re super concerned about SEO, you’ll spend more time doing keyword research than someone who isn’t. If you want to be educational, you’ll need more sources than if you’re just showing off your own expertise with personal anecdotes.
3. Define Your Blog’s Target Audience
Before you begin researching a topic, you need to define your audience. For example, if you are writing a blog post about the best cat toys and products, you have determined that you are writing to a cat-loving audience. This helps you choose the best products to feature in the article and the links you will provide.
You will need to brainstorm the questions the person coming to your site may ask and how to answer those questions. Type those questions into the search bar and see what comes up. Start by thinking of ways to explain the information to your audience in your own words and develop details that will help the audience understand the topic better.
4. Keyword Research Your Blog Post
Keywords are essential to help you write your blog post because they help you understand what users are searching for, and integrating keywords into your article will allow you to rank highly in the search engines.
Sources for Keyword Research
There are a comprehensive variety of keyword research tools to choose from. The following include some of the best and most popular programs for keyword exploration:
- Google Keyword Planner provides you with information straight from the horse’s mouth. The data comes from none other than Google itself.
- Ahrefs Keywords Explorer This product will go deep into keyword research and gives you in-depth information about each keyword. It tells you how many backlinks you will require to place first on the Google search engine.
- RankIQ This program is an easy-to-use platform where you can quickly search for related keywords for your blog. It is one of the best SEO tools for a beginner.
- Serpstat This program comprises tools for link building, local search optimization, and keyword research. It can help you track your competitor and monitor trending keywords.
Should You Hire a Content Agency to Do Keyword Research For Your Blog?
Keyword research is a daunting task that the untrained blogger might not fully grasp. Instead of doing it yourself and potentially messing up, you can hire professionals to do it for you.
The professionals, like those at Text Goods, know exactly what they’re doing. They’re trained to be able to conduct thorough research for any niche, so you can just sit back and wait for them to finish up.
Content agencies almost always have blogs of their own. We know what you’re looking for, and we can help you get there. Hiring a professional – at least for the first round of keyword research – is definitely a good idea.
4. Draft an Outline For Your Blog Post
Organize the most helpful portions of your research and compile them into an outline. Trying to fit all the information you found into a blog would be a mistake.
You could jeopardize the article’s natural flow, making it seem too cluttered and disorganized. When you organize an outline for your blog, the goal is to remove the excess information that is the least interesting or helpful.
Your information should be arranged according to how you want to present it. Think of it like pop radio: you need a good hook. Your title must attract the reader and make them want to learn more.
5. Start Your Blog Research by Gathering Statistics from Credible Sources
Get the statistics ready first: that’s usually the most tedious part of researching. Statistics are important, and you need to make sure they’re correct. Some examples of sources you can trust:
You can also retrieve relevant videos on YouTube and put them into your blog. The most important thing to know about online searching is that the domain name can reveal whether the source is credible.
You should always check several sites to see if you can back up the information you have found. It may also be helpful to check the date of the publication.
Be aware that, if you’re adding statistics into your blog post and you haven’t dated them, you need to update them consistently. If you say 5% of people in America hate dogs, but in 6 months, a study comes out that 6% of people hate dogs, you need to update your post to stay relevant.
6. Contribute Your Personal Knowledge to the Blog
Once you’ve got your statistics together, you can start plugging in your personal experience: those stats are just your backbone.
You should figure out exactly how much you already know about the topic and how what you know can fit into your blog. Quality research entails that you incorporate your ideas into the article.
For example, if you write about how often you should walk a dog and have an adorable golden retriever puppy at home, you know you should not walk puppies too long because it can interfere with their growth and development.
You can contribute all the information you know about puppies from personal experience, share anecdotes, et cetera, which will help you build trust with your readers. No one wants to read a blog post that sounds like it was written by someone who doesn’t care or know the topic well.
If necessary, write down any information you know in a notebook, as this is another good brainstorming technique. You want the article to be as unique as possible.
7. Check Out Your Blog’s Competition
Check out other sites to see their style and get some ideas. You should never out-and-out copy them, but there is nothing wrong with simply observing the trends. Checking them out could also help you figure out exactly what you don’t like, too, so you know what to avoid.
Know that you and your competitors are trying to attract the same audience. They may even have similar content and many of the same sources.
Competitive analysis will give you a better insight into your competitors and why they have been successful. Identify their strengths and weaknesses. You will need to do some investigation here. Find out the following:
By researching your competitors, you can find out where the competition is lacking: do they not have good images? Is their tone too formal? This is a perfect opportunity for you to fill in those gaps.
What Should You Avoid During Research For Your Blog?
Sources are considerable help with research, but there are some resources you should either use sparingly or avoid altogether.
Remember, you can use Wikipedia to jump-start your research, but it should never be used as a credible source. Wikipedia is a great place to find credible sources, though; you can shop through their footnotes!
Unauthorized biographies are not credible because the subject does not approve of the author’s story and could be filled with lies. Social media posts cannot be trusted (except for direct quotes), as fake news tends to be circulated all over the internet. When it comes to quotes, consider the source.
Chances are, Twitter and Facebook may not be credible. Personal blogs can be excellent sources of information, but if they have not backed up their article with sources, they may not be reliable.
Conclusion
Researching your blog is essential because you must verify your information with credible sources. Hopefully, the above tips will help you when you explore data for your next blog post.
If you are looking for expert writers who are adept at research, look no further than Text Goods. You can get various articles ranging in subjects from health and fitness to personal development.
