To create a successful online forum or business these days requires the creation of a lot of content. This content will help drive traffic to a site, engage readers, and keep it visible on search engines. Thankfully, we do not have to build this from the ground up. One of the most common platforms for generating this type of content is WordPress. WordPress is a free open-source content management system (CMS) that is useful for creating websites and writing blogs.
Users can use the many features of WordPress like Plugins, Themes, and Posts to build a beautiful interactive and engaging site for their audiences. Even though WordPress is a great tool to get content online, we still need to generate it. So where do we begin? How do we come up with all this great content? Well for starters when we say we need to produce content, we are talking about writing blogs or articles to promote our site.
Unfortunately, not many of us are natural born writers, so the idea of generating loads of content through writing can be intimidating. In the beginning, when I began writing I dreaded the times when I had to sit down and write. I was spending the bulk of my time trying to decide what to write about, instead of writing. You would think writing to a topic or title would be easy right? Nope, instead I spent a lot of time trying to write my blogs to conform to my title or a preconceived idea of what the blog was going to be about.
Over time, I was able to overcome the roadblocks and pitfalls that most encounter when they first start out. These are some of the processes I typically employ in a given writing cycle. I find that these methods have improved my writing style, habits, and help guarantee I meet my publishing dates.
Brainstorming
Before beginning a writing cycle, start out by writing down a list of ideas. At this point, you do not want to be selective. If it pops into your head, write it down. This approach helps remove roadblocks and potential writer’s block. When you think you have enough ideas, or you seem to be staring at a blank paper, stop and walk away. Give yourself about 10-15 minutes then come back and give it one more go. Use this time to get a cup of coffee or go for a short walk. I find the process of taking a break during a brainstorming session allows the mind to regroup.
Group Ideas Into Topics
Once your paper is full of ideas, it’s time to organize them into coherent groups and topics. Continue breaking the items down further by priority. Start with the ones you are familiar with and can quickly write something down about it. If the topic is complicated, put it at the bottom of the list. Then see if you can organize them into categories and subcategories. Repeat these steps until you have something resembling a table of contents.
I typically spend about 15-30 minutes on this. You may find that you can shorten this, but the more time spent here could save you time later.
Research
This stage is where we start filling in the gaps on our outline. Begin by reading newsgroups, forums, or Googling each of the categories on your outline. During this process watch for holes and additional talking points. Continue this process for all of the categories and subcategories. The outline should now look more like an actual document, than a table of contents.
Even if you are an expert on your topic, it does not hurt to do some additional research. Give yourself at least 15 minutes of research per category.
Start Writing
If you have followed the steps thus far then this stage should not be too painful. Now all you need to do is sit down and write. Use that nicely defined outline and start turning it into an article. Remember the goal is to write as much content as possible. Let the words flow. Do not be too overly concerned about grammar and spelling at this point. Just keep writing until you have filled up the page or run out of material.
Each person will be able to write for different periods of time. So during this stage, I recommend setting a timer. Start out writing for about 20-30minutes at a time. Keep increasing this time until you figure out when you need a break. Then take about 10-15 minutes between sessions to clear your mind.
Review, Edit, Repeat
Once you have finished writing your article or blog, it’s time to review it. A typical document should go through at least two or three revisions before considering it ready for publication. Not only do we want to fix our grammar and spelling mistakes, but we also want to make sure the document flows smoothly from topic to topic. After each revision walk away. Repeat this process until you believe your paper is ready to go.
When you are typing your blog into WordPress, I recommend using some tools to ensure your content is written well. In WordPress, you can install the Yoast Plugin. This plugin helps users create blogs that meet the necessary SEO requirements and grade your post on readability. The other tool I would recommend is Grammary. Grammarly is a desktop application with a browser plugin that helps identify grammar mistakes in documents. The browser plugin is ideal for troubleshooting syntax errors in the WordPress editor.
Publish, Share
Your document is now complete and ready for you to click the publish button. Now your done right? Well not so fast, your published and your post is now live, but the analytics show no one is viewing your post. What did you do wrong? Well, unless you have lots of followers you still have some work to do. Copy your posts URL and post it on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr. Depending on your content you may also wish to consider online forums on related sites. Alternatively, you could also consider sending out a newsletter or email blast directing readers to your post.
That’s it. Just remember that the key to promoting your site is content and lots of it. Do not let the task of writing prevent you from having a successful presence on the web. If you give these methods a shot, then the next time you sit down to write things should go smoother.
Additional Resources
I hope you found this article helpful. Here are some other articles as resources to help you become a better blogger.
- Check out how to write posts at WordPress.org
- Check out these books:
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