One of the misjudged keys to effective marketing is the need for speed. It’s hard to create important promotional tools if it takes forever to complete tasks. For instance, many authors, non-profit directors, and business executives struggle at marketing because they wrestle to write quickly and lack the ability to produce content on a frequent basis.
I’ve had numerous clients complain about the time it takes them to write important marketing pieces, such as articles, blog posts, freebies, press releases, and newsletters. The task of writing turns into a loathsome chore, which leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy because they start to hate writing altogether. Thus, essential marketing activities never get completed, or the process breeds a level of discomfort that stymies creativity and progress.
Let’s face it. Marketing is a job, and a major part of marketing revolves around writing well. It’s work that may not always be enjoyable. But, you and I must do it even when we don’t feel like it. If your writing tends to feel sluggish and frustrating, use this tip that has helped me personally:
Stop self-editing!
It’s that simple. Say what you want to say and stop self-editing what you write. Let me make it even more clear:
- Stop over-analyzing your sentence structure.
- Stop worrying that you might offend someone.
- Stop laboring over a thesaurus because you’re scared to use the same word twice.
- Stop agonizing over the perfect title.
- I’ll say it again for emphasis…stop it.
Here’s an opportunity to put this advice into practice:
I challenge you in the next 24 hours to write a 500-word article in less than 30 minutes. Pick a topic that interests you, get a timer, and start writing. Write without editing until you finish the entire article. Then, go back and review your work. Focus on typing your thoughts with speed, rather than exactness.
Writing quickly doesn’t mean I’m advocating unprofessional grammar. You can always clean up your article before it goes public. The problem is when your writing never goes public because you take too long to say something.
One of my mentors, Alan Weiss, taught me well when he said, “The goal is success, not perfection.” Success means achieving your ultimate goals. Perfection means winding up in need of therapy.
Take my challenge this week. And, if you still find it hard to stop self-editing, please watch this helpful video:
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