Work Better, Not Harder

You've just finished an insightful new article for your blog. You're anxious to publish it and find out what your readers think. Depending on the topic and type of article you've written, it might make sense to do a little research before publishing. Researching after writing might seem backward but it has helped me many times. Here is why I often research after writing: To check that I haven't missed something really important on the topic. To see what others' opinions are and whether there are points of debate I haven't addressed. To make sure my information, instructions or lists are complete. To develop a headline by seeing what shows up in Google searches. Every time I research after writing, I've been glad I did. I often find ways to enhance my article and, even if I don't, it gives me confidence that I've done a good job. Click to Tweet this Article

When you're buried in details, it's hard to see the big picture. That's not news to you or anyone else. To get out of the trees and above the forest, consider adding one final quality control check to your content creation process. Whether you are writing for your blog, newsletter or social media platforms, before you hit that PUBLISH button, ask yourself: "What value will my target market get from this?" If you can't articulate the value , your target market is unlikely to be able to, either. Think about it from your reader's perspective. How would they describe your article to someone else when they're (hopefully) raving about it? It might be something like: "Check out this blog post about xxxxx. It's got great tips you can use right away." What if you can't articulate the value? Start editing right away, or put it aside and come back to it with fresh eyes later. I have a folder of article drafts that I've rejected ...