Producing great content can sometimes be tough, we’ve all been there, staring at a blank Word document trying to think of something to say. Here’s a few steps that I usually follow to produce content.

1. Generate a bunch of ideas – I usually separate this from my writing time; I find that they are both very different activities. Sometimes, I get in a creative mood and come up with 1-2 months worth of writing ideas and just jot them down, very quickly. Many times, I do it outdoors, in the fresh air, with a pad and pencil.

2. Create an outline – With long form writing, I always write an outline of the main points I want to say. I find it helpful in structuring my message points, and makes my time writing easier. Even with shorter form stuff, I still create a few bullet points ahead of time, before I start writing.

3. Focus and Write Fast – I always write fast and proof-read later. I never worry about grammar or spelling so much on the first pass. My main goal is to get words on a page.

4. Proof-read and edit – Once I’ve gotten the general piece written, I’ll go back and correct spelling errors, fix my grammar, and restructure sentences for more clarity. I find that the creative aspect of writing is very different from the structural part.

5. Make It Look Pretty by Formatting – The last thing I’ll do, when writing, is to take care of the formatting. Make sure my numbered lists are correct, make sure all the fonts are appropriate, add colors and pictures, etc. If this is a blog piece, I’ll always make sure that everything looks great on the page, and reformat as needed in WordPress (our CMS system.)