Last Updated on April 8, 2022 by Kelly Thoreson
If you’ve been in the blogging game for longer than 10 minutes, you know that:
- you need to write a shit-ton of blog posts
- you’ve got to write them quickly
- they need to not suck
And if you’re struggling with figuring out how to write high-quality blog posts fast, you’re not alone.
When I started my first blog it would take me a month to write a single blog post!
You read that right – 30. Painful. Days.
Thank goodness, I got my blog writing shit together and now publish 2 – 3 blog posts per week.
Below we’re going to examine how to write blog posts faster while still publishing quality work that serves your audience.
One Free Tool = Faster Blog Post Writing
One day I decided to get super organized and create a checklist using all the steps I take to go from foggy blog post idea to fully SEO optimized, published, and promoted blog post.
After that one magical day, my blog post process became an efficient, lightning-fast, post publishing machine.
It works so well for me, that I turned it into a free printable for you!
#1: Identify the Reader’s Pain-Point First
Problem: your blog posts don’t have a clear purpose, making them difficult to write
Blog writing tip: figure out what your reader’s pain-points are before you start writing
We can’t talk about how to write blog posts faster without addressing the user pain-point.
If you don’t know what problem your blog post is solving for your readers, then you shouldn’t even be writing it.
Don’t waste your time.
Before you sit down to write, before you even draw up an outline, ask yourself what your reader stands to gain by reading your post.
Ask the following questions:
- Why would someone type your targeted keyword into Google in the first place?
- What are they struggling with?
- How would their lives change if you eliminated that struggle for them?
- How will your reader be affected if they never solve this problem?
By answering these questions before you start writing, you will have a much clearer idea of what points the post should revolve around, making it easier (and faster) to write.
Related reading:
5 Weird AF Ways to Make Your Blog Writing Not Suck
#2: A Consistent Blog Writing Schedule
Problem: you don’t write frequently enough for blog post writing to flow freely (and not take a bazillion hours)
Blog writing tip: establish a daily writing routine and stick to it
If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ve heard this before:
You wanna write better blog posts quickly? You must be writing every day.
There’s no way around it.
When you signed up to be a blogger, you signed up to be a writer.
The good news is the more you write, the easier it becomes!
One of the best things you can do for yourself as a blogger is to establish a writing routine and perform it around the same time every day.
By writing at the same time daily, you will train your brain to be ready and willing to write at that time.
For me, 6 am = writing time.
My brain knows, accepts, and expects to go into writing mode after my first cup of coffee. So it might be more accurate to say …
First cup of coffee = writing time.
Related reading:
What is the Ideal Blog Post Length? (+ free workbook)
#3: Use an Outline
Problem: when you sit down to write, you often don’t know where to start and/or get off-topic and ramble
Blog writing tip: outline your posts before you start writing
I resisted using an outline in my blog post writing for way too long.
Somehow, I thought an outline was going to interrupt the artistic and creative flow that I experienced from writing a post with no structure in mind.
WRONG.
Instead of inhibiting my creative instincts, using an outline set them free from worrying about the structure of the post.
The result of using an outline for my blog posts was faster, better-organized writing and a more frequent publishing rate. Win-win-win!
Related reading:
How to Slay Self-Doubt in Writing & Publish Blog Posts Like a Boss
#4: Keep a Blog Post Idea Notebook
Problem: you’ve got lots of blog post ideas all the time, none of which you can remember when you sit down to write
Blog writing tip: keep a blog post idea notebook
I used to keep all my blog post ideas scribbled on post-it notes and little scraps of paper.
If they happened to make it out of my pant pockets before getting tossed in the wash, they were deposited into the blog post idea graveyard (aka – my desk drawer):
Needless to say, not many post-its became blog posts.
Sometimes I would pull out a Post-It, cock my head and say, “what the hell does that mean?”.
Just because I wrote an idea down, doesn’t mean I could remember what I wanted to say about it or why I was excited enough about the idea to stuff it in my pocket for later.
One day, I decided to fix my broken blog post idea system.
I went through each little scrap of paper, one-by-one, kept the ones that excited me and tossed the rest.
Then, I got a brand spankin’ new notebook (I love a new notebook …) and gave each blog post idea a whole page!
At first, I only used the space to write down keyword research and supporting ideas as I found them in podcasts, books, statistics, etc.
After implementing the use of outlines, I added an outline to each blog post idea page and the notebook became the beast of a writing tool it was born to be.
Now I can flip to any given page and find an almost-ready blog post.
Here’s what I keep on each page of the notebook:
- Main idea
- Possible headlines
- Keyword research
- Target word count (learn how to find your target word count here)
- Outline
- Any supporting details I’ve picked up surrounding the idea (other blog posts to link to, statistics, quotes, resources like books or podcasts)
Each page is like a blog post seedling, it just needs a little love and BOOM – it will blossom into a full-blown blog post.
If this sounds like a winna-winna-chick’n-dinna to you, you can grab a free copy of my Blog Post Seedling Template here:
#5: Capitalize on Your Momentum
Problem: you’re having trouble getting started on your blog posts
Blog writing tip: write the easiest parts first
“An object at rest tends to stay at rest.”
And an object in motion tends to write fast, bitch’n blog posts like a boss.
Pretty sure that’s an exact quote. 😉
Often, starting your blog post is the hardest part.
Do yourself a favor by starting where it’s easiest.
Look at your blog post outline. Chances are, there’s one heading that you’re most excited to write about – begin there.
The momentum you gain from starting where you are most excited will spill over into the other headings and soon, you’ll be done!
#6: Write in a Word Processor
Problem: WordPress has tons of distractions from writing
Blog writing tip: compost in a word processor like Google Docs
WordPress is a pretty badass content generator and a pretty inefficient word processor.
It’s chalk-freaking-full of distractions.
You know what I’m talking about:
- Blog traffic stats to obsess over
- Plugin updates nagging at you
- Comments needing approval
- Yoast SEO giving you a red light
- A million other things not as important as writing blog posts
When I first started blogging, I composed my posts right in WordPress.
I’m easily distracted by nature, so this became a problem quickly.
Even the option to add a photo to my blog post can send me careening down an hour-long, “gotta find the perfect pic” rabbit hole.
When I removed WordPress from the equation, my blog post writing speed increased exponentially.
Now, I write all my posts in MS word and simply copy and paste them over. Easy-peasy-no-distractions-squeezy.
#7: Write First, Edit Later
Problem: trying to make your first draft perfect is preventing you from completing it
Blog writing tip: turn off all spell/grammar checkers until you’re finished with the first draft
Get all your thoughts out on paper before going back through with the red editor’s pen.
Editing for spelling and grammar will interrupt your writing flow and ultimately slow down your publication rate.
You can temporarily turn spell and grammar check off in word processors, including Google Docs, and on internet browsers (if you’re ignoring tip #6 and composing straight in WordPress).
Use these links to learn how to disable spell/grammar check on popular word processors and browsers.
Just don’t forget to turn them back on when you’re done!
How to turn spell/grammar check off using:
Word (Windows)
Google Docs (cloud)
TextEdit (Mac)
A note on Grammarly: I use and love Grammarly. It saves me from looking like an idiot all the time and for that I am grateful!
Much like the word processors and browsers above, Grammarly can be temporarily disabled. This Grammarly support page explains how.
Turn off grammar and spell-check until you are finished writing and ready to go into editing mode to preserve your creative flow and write fast.
Conclusion
If you want to be a successful blogger, you’ve gotta be posting badass content on a regular basis.
And now that you’re armed with these 7 strategies and tools – it’ll be like eatin’ crispy tacos on a Tuesday – easy and oh so enjoyable!
What is your favorite hack for how to write fast blog posts that don’t suck? Leave your answer in the comments below!
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