How do you stay focused when writing digital copy?

1 Set realistic goals

Before you start writing, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, and how much time you have to do it. Setting realistic and specific goals can help you plan your writing process, and keep you motivated and on track. For example, you can set a goal to write a certain number of words, sentences, or paragraphs per hour, or to finish a section or a draft by a certain deadline. You can also break down your writing project into smaller and manageable tasks, and prioritize them according to their importance and urgency.

2 Do your research

One of the most important aspects of writing digital copy is to know your audience, your purpose, and your topic. Doing your research beforehand can save you time and frustration later, and help you write with more confidence and authority. You can use various sources of information, such as online articles, books, reports, surveys, interviews, or case studies, to gather relevant and reliable data, facts, and insights. You can also use tools like Google Trends, Keyword Planner, or BuzzSumo, to find out what your audience is searching for, and what topics are trending or popular.

3 Write in batches

Writing in batches means that you write several pieces of digital copy at once, rather than one at a time. This can help you improve your focus and productivity, as you can leverage your research, ideas, and creativity across multiple projects, and avoid switching between different tasks and contexts. Writing in batches can also help you maintain a consistent tone, style, and voice for your digital copy, and reduce the risk of repetition or inconsistency. You can write in batches by grouping similar types of digital copy, such as blog posts, emails, or social media posts, or by focusing on a specific theme, niche, or audience.

4 Eliminate distractions

Distractions are the enemy of focus and concentration, and they can come in many forms, such as phone calls, emails, notifications, social media, or noise. To eliminate distractions, you need to create a conducive and comfortable environment for writing, and set some boundaries and rules for yourself and others. For example, you can turn off your phone, close your browser tabs, mute your notifications, or use headphones to block out noise. You can also inform your colleagues, friends, or family that you're working on a writing project, and ask them not to disturb you unless it's urgent.

5 Take breaks

Writing digital copy can be mentally and physically demanding, and it can drain your energy and creativity. Taking breaks can help you refresh your mind and body, and prevent fatigue, stress, or burnout. You can take breaks in different ways, such as stretching, walking, meditating, listening to music, or reading something unrelated to your writing project. You can also use the Pomodoro technique, which involves working for 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break, and repeating this cycle four times, before taking a longer break.

6 Review and edit

The final step of writing digital copy is to review and edit your work, and make sure it meets your goals and standards. Reviewing and editing can help you improve the quality and clarity of your writing, and eliminate any errors, gaps, or inconsistencies. You can review and edit your work by reading it aloud, using a spell checker or a grammar tool, asking for feedback from someone else, or using a checklist or a rubric. You can also use tools like Hemingway, Grammarly, or CoSchedule Headline Analyzer, to enhance your readability, grammar, or headline.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?