Content writing: how to save time?

Let's face it: creating content takes time. But with collaborative management and automation tools, it's possible to save time. A smooth and well-functioning workflow benefits both the writer and the client, the goal being to facilitate the work and save everyone's time. Here are some ideas and tips for structuring your text production, which apply to both web and print.  

1. Define the needs and objectives

Optimizing writing time starts well before the production phase itself. A preparation phase is indeed essential before starting the writing work. During this preliminary stage, it is essential to define the client's needs and objectives, as well as to define the framework in which the production will take place. 

But what needs are we talking about?

• What is the volume of texts to produce?

• What are the types and formats of content to produce(marketing content, text for web or print, white paper, infographics...)?

For which objectives (to sell, to inform, to position oneself...)? 

Is it about :

• increase the traffic on an e-commerce site as quickly as possible?

• develop a brand's blog with SEO optimized web articles?

• to position themselves quickly on current issues?

• rewrite existing texts to improve their natural referencing on the internet?

Thanks to a precise specification of your needs and objectives, you can then estimate the resources and tools you will need to complete the assignment. This will prevent you from taking on an overly ambitious assignment alone, or from recruiting another freelance writer at the last minute to ensure timely delivery. 

2. Establish the list of requirements

Once the scope of the assignment has been clearly defined and the resources estimated, make an inventory of your client's requirements. They concern both the operational aspects of the assignment (delivery deadlines, number of texts to be written and sent by a key date), and the rules related to the text itself. 

This preliminary stage of the writing process should thus synthesize :

• the language level and tone of the articles defined according to the target,

• the degree of requirement and technicality of the texts to be written,

• the general structure of the contents,

• SEO strategy (keywords, meshing, services and web pages to be highlighted),

• the sources available on the web to use and those to proscribe...

To go faster, create a generic specification to use for all your projects.  

3. When is an editorial strategy necessary?

For small volumes (between 1 and 5 contents to write)

It is not necessarily necessary to develop a specific strategy to save time on small volumes of writing. Your brief is sufficient, but it is recommended that you define the requirements and needs of your client. A complete brief provided for each text to be written by the client may also be sufficient. 

More than 10 contents: it depends, it exceeds 

For larger volumes, defining a clear method from the beginning will save you time. Why? With content production projects that are spread out over time, your contact person may change. There may also be enrichments along the way as a result of discussions with clients. Suggestions and discussions sometimes lead to rethinking and reviewing certain requirements. The operational enriches the strategic and vice versa. The structuring of an editorial strategy is therefore necessary when there are many texts to write.

In this case, you should also ask yourself the question of exporting all this content: are there any automation solutions to save you time? And by the way, why not write in markdown?

4. Tools and a method to structure a project

A well-structured content writing project will save you time. From the assignment of tasks to the final export of the content, the framework of key steps should be clearly defined.

• Facilitate access to documents, centralize information and sources to be used

  A secure server, a storage service like Dropbox, an online collaborative management tool like Google Drive

• Streamline step-by-step project management (distribution of tasks, texts to be written, editorial calendar, client validation, etc.)

  A homemade tracking board like Google Sheet, a project management tool like Trello, a platform to communicate via chat like Slack

• Optimize the referencing of a text and check its spelling

  A semantic analysis and writing tool like Yourtexguru, a grammar checker like Antidote, or a plugin like LanguageTool or Grammarly (very useful if you use Google Drive to write your content!)

• Production, writing, customer validation and follow-up of modifications

  A collaborative tool like Google Drive with a versioning history and a suggestion/comments mode

Two more tips to save time and simplify your interactions with your clients and editors: 

• do not multiply the communication channels;

• Choose simple tools, available online, and take the time to explain them to your clients or your team's editors via a written guide or a short telephone or video training.

5. Delegate, share and build on each other's strengths

Who does what? Who validates? Who proofreads? Break down content production into tasks. If you work in a team, assign tasks as a good conductor. On the client side, the validation process must also be clearly defined. Also leverage each other's skills to save time. Depending on the level of expertise required, don't hesitate to call on a specialized freelance writer.

6. Accept that some tasks cannot be compressed

You can't save time every time. The duration of certain tasks is incompressible, but it can be optimized with a little method. The time spent researching, reading a brief or learning about a topic should not be neglected. This learning phase is essential in the content creation process. You don't become a thermal insulation specialist without spending some time on it. 

Depending on the content to be produced, thinking time is difficult to measure and can vary from one text to another. The same goes for creativity. If we can delegate and automate certain technical aspects of SEO via tools, creativity is worked on a daily basis and requires a minimum of time. Services such as Yourtexguru can also help you to remedy the syndrome of the white page by providing you with axes and research tracks. 

In order to guarantee the quality of your content, the time spent proofreading and correcting grammar, syntax or spelling must not be neglected. If some tools save you time by spotting repetitions or classic spelling mistakes, they do not provide a sufficiently satisfactory level for the moment. It is therefore important not to delegate this task solely to algorithms and software. 

By automating certain tedious tasks, you will have more time to devote to training, or to developing your added value: your specialization or your creativity. 

BONUS: to save time, learn what you do with it...

We all have time. But sometimes (often) we don't see it passing, we overestimate or underestimate it. How long did it take you to write a 1,500 word text on the effects of soil erosion on potato fields in Auvergne? Two hours? An hour and a half? And to read the question? 20 seconds, or maybe 25? 

To help you estimate the time you spend on writing or on certain steps, use a tracking tool like Toggl. The precise indications provided by Toggl's reports give the actual time spent on certain tasks. It is then up to you to find concrete solutions or tools to spend less time on tasks that can be automated, for example, or if you need to review your production method. If you notice that the back and forth between customers is time-consuming, it is high time to review the specifications!