Whether you own your promo products business or you work on your company’s sales or marketing team, you may create content like blog posts, videos or social media posts. You’re probably familiar with the challenges that come with content creation, from finding the time to create the content to keeping up with regular posts.

Maggie Georgieva, a product manager at HubSpot, understands that you may not always feel motivated (or have the time) to create. However, when you learn how to manage your time when it comes to content creation, you can improve your productivity and overall success. We highlight some of her top tips in this issue of Promotional Consultant Today.

Start with a template. There’s no need to start from scratch every time. Using a template lets you follow an outline and organize your thoughts. Many sites offer free blog post templates to help you get started and write faster.

Build a routine. If you want to get better at creating content for your business, develop a routine. Make time for it in your calendar. Maybe you block off 1-2 hours each day for crafting your blog posts and videos. When you stick to your schedule, you’ll probably find you had more time to create than you initially thought.

Maintain a running list of ideas. It can be challenging coming up with compelling topics. That’s why Georgieva recommends keeping a list of ideas handy. Try creating a shared Google doc with your team and encourage everyone to contribute ideas based on a specific topic. This way you’re not scrambling for worthy topics at the last minute, Georgieva says.

Research and then write. Know the main points you want to include in your piece before you sit down to write your blog post or create your video. Organize the data and stats into a quick outline and include any keyword research in the process. Georgieva says this is helpful because when you get ready to create the content, you only need to create — not find relevant data.

Resist editing while writing. You may want to edit as you go, but Georgieva says this breaks your writing flow. Instead, let yourself write without stopping to correct typos or rephrase sentences. Once you write your initial post, you can always make changes, she says.

Update existing content. Another time-saving tip is to refresh content you have already created. This is good for SEO and your audience, and it can also give you fresh content when you’re pressed for time. Georgieva suggests reviewing your current content and looking for pieces that could use a deeper dive or a new angle.

Hire someone to create content for you. Sometimes your workload is just too heavy and your efforts can be better used elsewhere, Georgieva says. If you have the resources and budget to do it, hiring outside help can be a great option.

Busy marketers, sales professionals and business owners sometimes struggle with content creation. By following the tips above, you can overcome some of the most common challenges and stay on track with your content-creation goals.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Maggie Georgieva is a product manager at HubSpot, focused on making revolutionary marketing segmentation, automation and forms.