Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Sofia Williams. Please read more about Sofia in the bio footer.

Internet plays an important part in the lives of present generation whether it is for entertainment, education or Jobs. Today’s generation lives in the chat world having text chat, voice chat and video chats. Children also use internet to apply online for the universities, colleges and jobs. And the problem arises when they forget the P’s and Q’s and also to apply basic English grammar correctly for their formal material.

Communication should have some manner, ingenuity and also social acceptability. There are various types of communication that we all are doing in our day to day life. It can be a communication with your client, an interview, a job application or an appointment with your principle, doctor or someone special, you need to have a proper manner and a professional dialog.

Here I am going to share some of the key factors that you need to follow while drafting email:

1) Subject Line – Always write an effective and meaningful subject line. Your motto of mailing should be clear just by reading the subject. The reason is that most of the people don’t read all the emails because of incoming bulk of emails, they just go through the subject line of the emails in order to decide whether the email needs to open or forward to any folder, file or just trash them.

If the subject line is blank, vague or worst then you will miss the chance to open your email and getting it read by the receiver. Before clicking on “send” button, just take some moments to check and write the subject accurately that clearly describe the content of the email.

2) Distinguish Formal or Informal situations – Identify the formal and informal situations. If you are writing an email to your friend or someone close, then using “smiles” , abbreviations like “LOL”, “IIRC” etc, or shortcut words are ok.

But if you are writing for any formal situation where others demand formal approach then don’t use informal words and write accordingly to leave your good impression. Just understand the situation and act accordingly. Use of Mr. and Ms. looks formal.

3) Focus on the message – Keep focus on the matter of the message you want to deliver. Sometimes on long texts just binding introduction, people lose their interest of reading further, so keep it short, precise and focused. Don’t make long stories, just come to point.

4) Avoid Attachments – Try to avoid unnecessary attachments. Instead, you can copy/paste the important matter from the document to the message body of the email.

5) Clearly Identify You – Identify yourself clearly. Include your name, occupation and other necessary identification in the first few lines of the mail. This will quickly remind your recipient about you.

6) Respond Quickly – To appear more professional, respond quickly to every email by making you available to your online correspondents. Even if you are busy and just reply “Sorry, I am very busy right now, I will reply you soon.” This will give your correspondent a message for not waiting for your reply right now.

Related articles

• Email Etiquette – Best Practices for Subject Lines (esquirepreneur.com)
• Please Use Useful and Descriptive Email Subject Lines (kimwoodbridge.com)

I have a variety of “rules” I try to follow as a writer.  Many of them include things related to writing rituals and good habits that writers should stick with as often as possible. Sometimes, I do not adhere to these rules. I break them.

Do writers set themselves up for failure by creating a set of good habits that are not reasonable to follow? Do we set up rules that are too strict? Is is simply too hard to have any consistent writing habits or practices?

I don’t think so. These rules, or guidelines, or even commandments, are in place to keep us on track. To help us stay on the chosen path as a writer. They essentially keep us in check when we start to drift or become complacent.

Some writers have rituals in place that they follow each and every time they write. They may even be considered a bit pathological or compulsive.

Maya Angelou went to a hotel early in the morning with a bottle of sherry, cards, the Bible, a Thesaurus, and writing pads in hand.  The hotel staff removed all the art from the walls, and by the time she left, Maya had written 10-12 pages of work.

I recently cam across this article titled, Ten Brutally Brutal Writing Commandments, describing what the blogger considers important rules to live by.

I don’t know if these would be MY commandments, but there are some good points in there.  A couple that stand out to me relate to the importance of being a reader and a writer.

Writers MUST Read and Write

Just these two commandments sum it up nicely. Sure, there are more, and the others are also important, but these two are the greatest commandments. In my opinion. If you can only stick with two, I would go with these two: read and write.

Just as Jesus states the two most important commandments to follow are to love God and love thy neighbor, the two most important “writing rules” to follow are read often and write often.

The other commandments (whatever they are) will help you improve your writing skills, and become a better writer. But if you neglect these two, you can’t really be a writer.

Writers Must Write

Obviously, if you don’t write, you are not a writer. Nothing else to say about this. Except this: don’t get lazy or your creative mind will atrophy! Write as often as possible.

Writers Must Read

Many wonderful ideas and creative genius begins in the imagination of writers. Writers feed off of words. Ingesting words are part of thriving as a writer. Words build the creative strength that writing demands.

Take in words. Read. Get inspired by other people’s words.

As a matter of fact, this post was inspired by the “ten commandments” blog post I mentioned above. Just like that, I found an inspirational spark to get this post rolling. It works.

I don’t know what your rules of writing or rituals are and maybe you don’t have any. But I want to tell you that it would not hurt to find some that work for you, are reasonable to follow, and you can habitual stick to. No matter what though, regular reading and writing should be on all of your lists. Trust me. Everything else comes from those two habits, or commandments.

Now go. Be a writer.

Related articles

• You ARE a Writer (christinalibooks.wordpress.com)
• Henry Miller’s 11 commandments for writing (holykaw.alltop.com)
• Stress Less, Write More (sluttydj.wordpress.com)
• Deconstructing the Greatest Commandment (benartboy.wordpress.com)
• The Importance of a Writing Routine (lulu.com)

Editor’s Note: This is  guest post by Lindsey Harper Mac.  Please read more about Lindsey in the bio footer.

Writing is often a trial-and-error learning experience that not even the best among us can perfect the first time around. No matter how high you begin on the ladder of intellect and skill, there is always something more you could be doing to improve your writing, which is especially important when learning online.

Proper writing will help you communicate with your professors, and convey what you truly mean during your course-work.

Although you can certainly find inspiration by shunning the industrial world and heading over to Walden Pond, embracing technology may actually work in your favor. Apps can often be a writer’s best friend when you get stuck in writer’s block or need a little help in creating a grammatically-friendly piece.

To get the ball rolling on a ten page paper for your college course or for a creative work of your own, check out the following top five must-have writing apps. 

1. Swype

You never know when inspiration might strike, and hauling your laptop around everywhere “just in case” can become bothersome after a while. The Swype app features a user-friendly keyboard that closely resembles a basic laptop keyboard, which makes it a perfect solution for letting all of your inspiration out wherever you might be.

Swype is designed to perfect your spelling errors as well, since all you have to do is slide your fingers across the keyboard and the app will make suggestions about what word you were looking for. After a few weeks of use, Swype will begin to catch onto your writing style and guess the correct word more often.

2. Pages

Pages was the very first iPad app offered at the app store, and has since only gotten better with several updated versions. The app features a wide variety of creative templates for letters, flyers, resumes, invitations, reports, and more, so you can have the perfect framing for whatever document you’re working on.

A Multi-Touch design allows natural writing at top speed, while a Smart Zoom feature automatically zooms in on the portion of the text you’re working on at the moment. This unique and easily navigable app will help you knock out a few paragraphs for your term paper while you’re waiting around in between classes.

3. Vocabology

Nothing enhances your writing quite like a large vocabulary, and the vocabology app helps you establish a strong command of more than just the English language. The app features a word of the day from multiple sources, including Merriam-Webster, Dictionary.com, Yahoo Education, TheFreeDictionary, Wordsmith.org and even Urban Dictionary, so you can impress professors and show off how well-read you are to all of your classmates.

You can even become better acquainted with foreign languages, since the app also features a word of the day in Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Portuguese as well.

4. Google Docs

Allowing others to proofread, edit and make comments on your work is a great way to recognize common mistakes and improve your writing for the future. Google Docs makes this possible by offering a user-friendly writing interface that allows you to grant access to other users for editing and note-making purposes.

You can review the edits and notes your friends make in real-time, so you can even proofread a document together and discuss strengths and weaknesses. This app is especially helpful for collaborating on group projects and assignments.

5. Evernote

A good piece of writing is born from a series of carefully written notes and ideas. Evernote provides students with a convenient outlet for jotting down and organizing these ideas as they come to you throughout the day. If you don’t have the time to type out your idea, you can use Evernote to save a picture or voice recording of the idea and add it to the proper area.

Users can tag notes with relevant subjects to find inspiration later with the app’s convenient search function. Evernote is a must-have for students who could use a little more organization and inspiration in their lives.

No matter what your major is, you will be required to contribute a great deal of writing throughout your time at college and most likely in your career as well. With these apps at your fingertips, you can count on getting through the most grueling writing assignments in one piece.

Blank mind

Stagnant. Stale. Dry. Empty. Dormant. Blank.

In other words: uninspired.

You may have noticed I have not shared much of my writing these last few months. I have published several guest posts, intermingled with some resourceful and curation posts. But I have published little of my own writing inspiration.

Maybe you have not noticed.

But I have.

For some reason, I have not been inspired to write lately. So I haven’t. Which leads to the neglect of my blog, The neglect of my readers. And I am sorry.

It seems my muse has left town on an extended vacation, without so much as a postcard. Just to assure me she will be coming back. I know she will, but until then, I am blank.

Does the busyness of life crush the creative spirit?

Life has been dynamic since the beginning of 2012. Maybe too dynamic. New job. New relationship. Lots of travel. The dissolving of friendships. The creation and kindling of new ones. New writing ventures. And more…

Maybe all the changes have shifted my focus, my energy. Thoughts absent in the right brain with full attention on the things present in the left side. Pushing out creativity with it. Can there be room for both?

Balance is lacking right now. And I need to bring that balance back. Doesn’t this seem like such a challenge in life – maintaining balance?

Most of the changes have been positive, but yet they have been distracting. On an emotional level, too. The lack of inspiration does not mean I have not been inspired. It just means I have not been able to translate that inspiration into relevant and meaningful words.

Why the lack of writing?

There could be many reasons I have been neglecting the time required to create any inspiring or even coherent writing piece. Too busy, lack of motivation, loss of routine, distractions, scattered thoughts.

The simple truth is I have been lazy. I got out of a routine to hyper-focus on the things in my personal and professional life. However, I have not taken the time to write.  Not only have I neglected my blog, I have not jotted down anything in a journal or for other publications.

Scattered brain thoughts pulled into dozens of directions without the quiet time to gather them together. To formulate the ideas and get them on paper or a word processor. These words have been like steam inside a pressure cooker, ready for escape.

The lack of expressing my thoughts in writing has also generated bottled up feelings, leading to random (and sometimes misconstrued) explosions. I believe feelings need to be leaked slowly and consistently. There are different ways to do this: meditation, exercise, counseling. Writing is a catharsis for people who write. Without the release of those jumbled words that smash around in your head, you lose the ability to scrutinize your thoughts.

The writing muscles are much like the body’s muscles. If you don’t use them, you develop atrophy. By neglecting my writing, those muscles have also degenerated and become weak.

The longer I put it off, the worse it becomes. Today, I decided to stimulate those muscles, get them back in shape. I don’t know if this will be the genesis of my writing groove, but it is a start. I need to do it.

I hope you have not lost interest in visiting my site. And if you are a brand new reader, I hope you can come back and share this writing journey with me.

Until then, here’s to bringing back inspiration. However, rocky and distracting the road may be.

Related articles

• How to Find Your Writing Voice (inspiredtowrite.com)
• Keys to Having a Productive Writing Session (inspiredtowrite.com)
• Journal Prompt: What motivates you to write? (livingmyhilife.wordpress.com)
• The Reason I Am Failing To Be Obedient Is…. (gracefullwomen.com)

Timer (via Wikipedia)

When I am under a deadline, I don’t always have the time to spend hours creating the perfect article.  Although I would love to always have that luxury, there are occasions the clock is ticking faster than I can write.   The truth is that sometimes a deadline is the best cure for my lack of inspiration. Working under pressure can do wonders for the creative mind.

When you need to get content written in a hurry to meet that deadline, these tips will give you some suggestions without sacrificing quality.

Start with an Outline

When your mind is either drawing a blank or filled with scrambled thoughts, jot down an outline.  This can help break your ideas into manageable chunks.  An outline is also a great road map to guide you into a coherent writing piece, preventing far-reaching tangents.

How to write an effective outline:

• Write down about three to four subheadings
• Create quick thoughts or bullets under each subheading without pausing to edit
• Add links to helpful websites or other resources you want to refer to for your article
• Leave space for the introduction and conclusion to your article

Writing the Article

After you have an outline, fill in the blanks with content. The more focused your outline, the easier it will be to actually write the article. However, even with a good outline, there are a few more tricks to help you move he writing along quickly.

1. Just Write. An outline can trigger some great ideas that will want to come spewing out of your fingers. This is a good place to start. Don’t worry about the thoughts being perfect, you can edit later. First, just get the ideas from your mind onto paper. With practice, you will become more comfortable ignoring the inner editor and just keep writing.

2. Set A Timer. This may or may not work for some people. It is worth a try.  When you have a deadline, a timer forces you to focus and avoid distractions. Anyone can avoid distractions for 30 minutes. The pressure of the clock can do wonders for your creative psyche. A sold, focused thirty minutes of wiring is much more productive than two hours of squandering.

3. Use Voice Recognition Software.  Turn your voice into text with this software. If you’re not a fast typist, take a look at Dragon Naturally Speaking or similar software to help get the ball rolling. If you have thoughts organized in your head, you can turn those thoughts into words without lifting a finger to type.

These tips are just a few of many. Ultimately, it all comes down to practice. Just like anything, the more you do it, the more efficient you become.  Create good habits; the faster you can learn to type without editing, the easier it will be to write a quality article in a timely manner, meaning more jobs and more money.

Related articles

• Five Tips to Fight Writer’s Block (inspiredtowrite.com)
• Blog Writing in Less Time (theworkathomewoman.com)
• A Fool-Proof Formula for Easily Creating Compelling Content (copyblogger.com)

Writer's Block

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Lindsey Harper Mac.  Please read more about Lindsey in the author’s footer.

Writer’s block. The words are enough to make any writer cringe. When you have writer’s block, you don’t know what to write next. Your mind may be blank, or you can’t think of anything new to say. The pressure is even more intense when you have a looming deadline, such as a paper for a class, an article for a client or a news story that needs to break. These suggestions can help you re-focus your efforts and get over writer’s block faster.

1. Get your mind flowing. Hanging on the wall in front of you, you might have a poster with some sort of vague question that can act as your prompt. Or, you might do better by leaving the room and going to a special place. A forest is nice if you are near one, but city-dwellers like me may need to depend on urban scenery. My special spot is on my front steps. It’s not glamorous, but it serves the purpose of making me feel calm while I clear my head.

2. Write something. Anything. Take a few notes on paper or on the computer to get started, and then flesh out your ideas to create a cohesive piece. Or, start writing in the middle or end. Thinking and writing about the topic will help you organize your thoughts. Write anything that you can think of without worrying about the initial quality; revising your work later will be much easier than starting with a blank page.

3. Don’t miss opportunities. Writer’s block is frustrating any time, but it is downright infuriating when you have it because you can’t remember an idea that you had before. You can prevent this from happening by making sure that you are always ready to capture your thoughts. An old-fashioned paper notebook is a tried and true method for taking notes anywhere at any time.

4. Set up your writing space. You are the best judge of your own preferences. Are you at your best when you are sitting up straight in a traditional office chair at a neat desk, or are you in top writing form when you are sitting on a beanbag chair with a laptop computer? Do you concentrate best in silence or when you have music playing in the background? Some people work best at a small table in a coffee shop with the constant buzz of the crowd. Stick to whatever set-up works best for you, and mentally shut yourself into the world of writing for a certain amount of time or until you finish a certain amount of writing.

5. Do more research. If you are writing a research paper for your higher education class, an essay, historical non-fiction or any other piece that requires extensive and specialized knowledge, writer’s block can occur if you don’t know enough about the topic. Extra research can give you more confidence and direction for your writing. Even if you already know plenty about the topic, further delving into the topic can give you more ideas on how to proceed.

Writer’s block is nearly inevitable, but you can make it much less severe. Sometimes you need to focus a little harder, while other times, taking a break is a better solution. Make sure that you always have a good workspace available; figure out when to be disciplined with yourself and when to distract yourself.

Related articles

• Writer’s Block Doomage (writersblockofdoom.wordpress.com)
• One More Method to Breaking Writer’s Block (problogservice.com)
• Working Around Writers’ Block (jeansica-lieber.com)
• Writer’s Block (schoolhouseshock.wordpress.com)

Remember these?

Far removed from the days of typewriters, writers are faced with distractions right in front of their face as they write. The Internet.

As you are reading this right now, I bet many of you have multiple tabs or windows open in your browser.

Besides this one, I have eight other tabs open. Eight. Why?  I don’t know. I don’t want to miss out. I want to jump back and forth when there is an uncomfortable pause. Maybe an excuse to procrastinate. Let me check Facebook one more time.

Hold on…

Okay. Now, I only have this one open. Time to focus. I am quite sure I am not the only one that works this way. Many of us have SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome) in this digital age. We have to check our phones, our social media sites, the news, our tablets, and our email. Many, many times throughout the day. It is like our mind is not allowed to focus on one thing for more than five minutes.

Try it. For five minutes, stop multi-tasking.

Hard, isn’t it?

As a writer, this makes it difficult to get any writing done. It seems I can never get past the “research stage.” Well, when I am productive, I have learned some things that have helped.  Although I don’t stick to these things as I should, I am aware that they work.

1. Write when you first wake up.  

This is one of the most challenging. Because after eight hours in a restful sleep, the whole world went on without us. We HAVE to check our email and Facebook in case we missed something. I mean 8 hours is a LONG time to be away from electronic media. What if Kim Kardashian got married again or your ex-boyfriend emailed you wanting you back? Skip it – get to writing.

2. Disconnect.

This is another challenge. What do you mean, “disconnect?” Like the Internet, my smart phone? Yes. Use a blank screen. Remember Microsoft Word? Yep, you can still use it to type your ideas. For those who have wireless, this may be more difficult, but you actually can turn off the Internet. I know, shocking.

3. Only write when you are in the mood.

I don’t mean that you have to feel overwhelmed with creativity. We all know that inspiration comes when it is well and ready. However, you should be in the mood to sit down and put down your thoughts. All it takes is an idea. Your fingers will take it from there. Accomplishing things works so much better when you are in the mood for it.

4. Don’t neglect the rest of life.

When you stare at a computer screen all day, writing does not become easier. Sometimes, it can be counterproductive. Go for a walk, or a run, call a friend, read a book, watch the news. Go be social. Don’t get lazy and become a recluse. You still have to leave your house, pay your bills, and buy groceries.

5. Don’t stress about it.

I know many successful writers will tell you that you should write everyday. And maybe you should.  But there will be days you just don’t feel like it. Or you are busy with other things. For those who own a blog, this adds to the stress. You may think, Google will punish me if I don’t write in my blog everyday. Probably not. Don’t neglect it for weeks, but if you miss a couple days of writing, don’t stress. And remember, it doesn’t always have to be a masterpiece! Hakuna Matada.  Um, that dates me.

 It really is amazing at the results you will get when you try some (or all) of these tricks. All writers have their secrets of success. These are just mine. Find ones that work for you and follow them. As often as you can.

Related articles

• The productive writer… (andimarquette.com) Oh, yes!  Another productive tip – set goals.
• Not writer’s block, it’s an abduction! (lindacassidylewis.com) Yes, we all have days we rather being doing something else.
• Four Smart Writers to Learn from Today! (writeandgetpaid.wordpress.com). Listen to what successful writers and bloggers have to say about being a professional writer.
• How to Squeeze Writing Inspiration from a Stone (inspiredtowrite.com) Yes, more ways to get inspired when you want more than just a “writing session.”

As a freelance writer, you may feel compelled to write about any topic under the sun in order to get work or have enough material. You are not alone in this thought process.  I have to admit, I have been doing this for a long time, and only recently changed that strategy. But the truth is it just leads to having to spend more and more time researching each topic, wearing you thin. You also become a generalist.

As a generalist writer, you are competing with thousands of other writers. Places like eLance and oDesk are prime breeding grounds for clients looking for generalist writers. On the cheap. You may be a better writer than most of them, but you simply don’t stand out. One way to position yourself as a more competitive writer is to choose a niche.

Why Niche Writing Works

When you choose to write in a niche, you are presenting yourself as a specialist. What is so special about a specialist? Specialists are perceived as experts. Writers who focus on a niche tend to spend all their time, energy and attention researching and writing about their industry. To a potential prospect, this specialization matters.

It is a very simple concept when you compare it to anything you purchase as a consumer. When you want your dishwasher fixed, you call a plumber, not a general contractor.  If you are interested in buying commercial property, you would hire a real estate agent who specializes in commercial properties, not luxury homes.

There are hundreds of examples like these. The bottom line is for most large purchases, you would simply trust the specialists a bit more.  They know their stuff.

I understand this is not always the case. For certain items, you probably buy them at a super discount store. Think about why you do this. Besides saving time, you save money. Right? For shampoo and toilet paper, you are just looking for the best price. But these are not specialty items.

However, even at this level, people are still willing to spend more money on quality, right? Let’s take shampoo as an example. When consumers are looking to splurge, they still buy from a specialist, a salon quality product – Nexus, Paul Mitchell, Rusk, Sebastian, Redken.

In the writing world, many of these ideas also apply. As a generalist, you will attract many of the low-paying “budget” shoppers. For those who have a professional business and truly understand the importance of quality writing, they are willing to pay more for a writer who “knows” their business.

Your clients want to know that you specialize in their needs. Choosing a niche helps you build your business. It helps establish trust and credibility. Additionally, it makes it easier to justify higher fees.

Choosing a Niche

As a writer you basically have two choices. You can specialize in the type of content OR you can specialize in a specific industry. Alternatively, you can specialize in both. Here are a few examples.

• Content Type: Newsletters, eBooks, Sales Copy, Email Marketing, Brochures, Blog Posts
• Industry: Travel, Home Improvement, Real Estate, Financial, Business, Technical Writing
• Combination of Both: Financial Newsletters, Travel Brochures, Real Estates eBooks

How do you choose a niche?

• Your passions and interests
• Your knowledge and expertise
• Your experiences

First, decide what you want to do.  If you are not interested in the topic, it will be much more difficult to maintain your writing motivation. Maybe you prefer writing shorter pieces like articles and blog posts. Maybe you enjoy the process of crafting a catchy sales letter. Do what you enjoy!

Evaluate Supply and Demand

Evaluate both supply and demand. Ask yourself if there is a demand for that niche. Take a look at your competition and the market for your niche. If you are going to specialize in something, it is important that people are looking for content in that niche. It is also critical to examine your competition.

Do your research. One of my favorite tools to find targeted keywords is Market Samurai. I use it every time I create online writing products. It provides you with quick stats on competition, traffic, monetary value, and much more about specific keywords.

Try to go for a niche not over saturated in the market. You can still compete in a high supply niche, you will just have to market yourself more and focus on your Unique Selling Point (USP).

Many writers avoid choosing a niche. You may have these thoughts. Maybe you don’t want to feel pigeonholed or restricted.  Or miss job opportunities, pick the wrong niche, or burn out writing about one topic. All of these are valid concerns. However, just because you choose a niche doesn’t mean you will never be able to write on other topics. Of course you can!

But you should stay within the realm of the niche for your blog posts.  If you have a blog on dog training, writing a post on refurbishing cars will probably not be appropriate, nor will your readers care. But, be yourself and ALWAYS remember your audience, and what they might be interested in!

Choosing a niche simply helps you market your writing business more effectively. It helps you position your services and profit. Choosing a writing niche doesn’t limit your business, it elevates it.

As the end of the year draws near, it is common to start rethinking about your goals – your personal life’s goals, your fitness and diet goals, and your career goals.

In the career sense, I am always thinking about my writing goals, but often times, they seem to fall to the wayside. Each year, I vow to start new, with a new strategy for my writing content.  It begins with a plan and formulates into a planner. I write down my daily plans — i.e. write blog post on Monday, article on Wednesday, and market for clients on Thursday.

When I look back at the goals in my planner, around the January time frame, they are always lofty and filled with great ideas. Somehow, throughout the year, they get altered or forgotten. Why does that happen?

Whether you are trying to finish that novel, write a fantastic query letter, look for more clients, or maintain your blog, ask yourself – do you have a content strategy? Or are you like thousands of other writers and blog owners who just wing it or put is off for yet another day? Sometimes keeping up with writing feels like “work.” I mean actual work. I hate when that happens.  I write because I love it, and when it feels like work, I don’t love it.

One way to help is to not only make a plan, but stick to it! Consider creating a content strategy.

What Is a Content Strategy?

Content strategy is pretty much what it sounds like. It is a plan, or strategy, you create to develop, organize, and market your content for maximum results. This plan can start with an overall yearly plan, broken down into months, weeks, and days. I tend to work best with small goals.  Daily goals that I write down (actually physical put it on paper!) seem to help the best.

But you may work better if you have a content strategy for the entire year.  Find out what works best for you, and stick to it. Let’s see if we can make it through 2012 sticking to the majority of our goals.  Sure, there will be times we just can’t make it stick.  But we have to at least try.

Habits Make it Easier

Once you have a content strategy in place and make it a habit to stick with the plans, the process of writing becomes much easier.  Think of your goals as a boss you have to meet a deadline for.  When you are self-employed, it can be much easier to procrastinate, especially if you have income coming in elsewhere.

Working Smarter, Not Harder

Once you get the hang of it and start earning more money from your writing, it may be time to delegate, or outsource some of your tasks. At that point, time may be much more valuable than money.

Think Strategically

Answer these seven questions when creating your content strategy.

1. What is the purpose for your content?

I think one of the first things you need to do is think about the purpose of this writing? To have extremely effective content you want to have a purpose in mind.

For example, are you looking for more traffic to your website? Are you interested in promoting an affiliate product? Maybe you want to share a great piece of advice with a reader. For offline writing, finishing a chapter in your novel or formulating a query letter to send to a magazine may be your goals. It helps to create purpose for all of your writing content.

2. Where will you publish your content?

This is another consideration. I have several blogs and websites, and I also write articles and guest posts. There is a variety of places you can put your content, including the your blog, article sites, newsletters, magazines, and more. Each of these venues have different styles and editorial requirements.

3. What types of content will you publish?

Some writers don’t want to have an overwhelming number of options on their agenda for this month or even year. Consider the type of writing you want to focus on.  Having a focus can really lighten your load and clear some of the projects off your plate.

Maybe you want to focus on copywriting or put all your energy into your blog. Other considerations include articles, reports, and email responders.  Consider your readers on your blogs. Include that in your plan.

4. When will you write your content?

This is a critical part of being a freelance writer. You need to figure out your sweet spot or the time your creative mind is most productive. This is when the scheduling comes into play.

Think about your week and what you have going on outside of writing projects.  Do you have to take your kids to school?  Are you signed up for a fitness class in the evening?  Work around those times.  Then, ADD IT TO YOUR PLANNER.  Think of  it like an appointment you can not miss. There is really no right or wrong way to do this, but you have to schedule it if you want the content strategy to work well.

5. When will you publish/upload?

Publishing is another consideration for your overall strategy. Some people say certain times are better than others.  Ultimately, it is what works best for you.  Publish when you are ready. The great thing about your own blog is you can post date your posts. If you have a bunch of blog posts that you have written, schedule them for future dates of publication. Always fit time in your schedule for posting articles or blog posts.

6. How will you market your content and your business?

Being a writer today means you have to be a marketer as well. Part of your strategy should include coming up with a marketing plan. You want your readers and prospective customers to see your content!  One simple way to do this is social media.

Some veteran writers refuse to get on Facebook or other social media site.  Times have changed and social media is a significant part of your writing promotions. Guest posts and article marketing are a couple other ways to market your website, articles, book, or blog. The more people who are aware of your writing, the more readers and traffic you will have.

7. How will you maximize your content?

Finally, think about you can repurpose your content and reuse it. One way to do this is tweaking the main focus and publishing in different types of magazines. Another way is to repurpose your blog posts and put them in a report you give away or sell to your readers. Plan ways to make the most of your writing. Your time and energy is important.

Writing can not always be scheduled as easy as a dentist appointment. I understand creativity does not follow the clock on the wall. But having something in place at least gives you goals to shoot for.  Once you are in the regular habit of writing, you will be surprised how much easier it gets to come up with ideas.

It is not always easy to come up with original, substantial content for your blog on a regular basis.  Life gets busy, other things may be pulling you in a different direction.  Keeping regular content on your blog is important not only to satisfy the search engines, but to keep readers coming back for more.  Fresh content helps build your business and attracts regular visitors. How do you find content when you are busy?

1. Look for inspiration from the water cooler.  What is everyone else talking about?  If you are stumped, look to see what other bloggers are discussing. Expound on your own comments or other people’s comments and turn it into a blog post.  You can also look into social sites and see what the big topic of discussion is.

2. Let someone else do the talking. If you find an interesting blog post or article, why not give some link love?  Instead of writing a full blown post saying pretty much the same thing, link to that article, add a few lines with your own opinion, ask for others to comment, and there you go – a new blog post.

3. Everyone loves resources. Find a topic that your readers will love, and write a helpful list of resources from other websites, articles, or blogs.   This is also a great way to get link love back if others find it helpful.  For example, if you have a blog that focuses on finding deals, create a list of top 10 websites or services that offer coupons or deals.

4. Guest Posts!  Posting guest posts is a great way to keep the conversations going.  If I am going to be out of town or busy on another project for a week or two, I will plan a bunch of guest posts.  This will alleviate some of the pressure to try and get online and post when you are busy doing other things.

5. Bring up past highlights. Highlight all your favorite or popular blog posts from the last month or year.  This can be based on number of comments, visits, or centered around a topic. For example, “Top Ten Blog Posts About SEO.”

6. Share a photo. This is one I have not tried, but is a great idea when you are short on time or creative words.  Post a picture and ask readers to create a caption. Photos do speak a thousand words, why not ask readers to share some of their own words?

7.  Talk about the current news. This will depend on the topic of your blog.  If you have a political blog, discuss the latest headline on politics.  If you blog is more in the fashion niche, look for news on fashion. Grab a headline from the news and expound on it. Share your opinion and ask others to share theirs.

8. Quotes to the rescue. If you really are looking for inspiration, share a quote that inspires you, makes you laugh or is relevant to your niche. Often times, just reading a quote can lead to a quick blog post.

Having your own content and ideas is an important part of being a blogger, but when time and inspiration are lacking, mix it up with some of these ideas.