I am enamored with the idea of the 12 minute blog post for several reasons. One is that limiting the time I spend blogging frees me to do other things. If I think writing a blog post is going to take an hour, I might just skip posting.

Problem is, I want to post regularly. I’m committed to posting regularly.

So, by creating this new boundary, I keep two commitments at once: I keep my commitment to blogging and I keep my commitment to my family, to be more engaged and present with them — because in order to spend an hour writing a blog post, I would have to give up an hour with them.

Instead, I am setting my timer and writing for 12 minutes. And for those twelve minutes, they might not even notice that I’m gone.

Here are some ideas about how you can write a 12 minute blog post, also.

1. Do your thinking before you sit down to write. Often, that’s what takes time, right? You sit at the computer, wondering what to write. You start typing, backspace to delete it all, and start again. If you prepare mentally before you begin writing, you’ll be able to sit down, start typing, and finish in twelve minutes.
2. Brush up on your typing skills. Seriously. I can type fast. I don’t know how fast, but in order to write a blog post in twelve minutes, you might want to learn to type more quickly.
3. Give up the need to write a masterpiece every time. It can’t always be poetry. My words won’t always have beauty. Neither will yours. But if you have something to say, just say it, as well as you can, in the time that you have. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to get done.
4. Write shorter posts! My friend Dan Rockwell writes on his blog EVERY DAY. He promises to share insight in 300 words or less. This post just passed 300 words and I have four minutes left. So write shorter posts because even if you spend more time crafting them, it will still be more efficient than writing 1000 words. It will also be more readable, since people prefer to read shorter posts.
5. Add photos and links, but only if you have time. Yes, it’s true that people like images with blog posts. And cool links are great also. But if you are short on time, you can post without them and the world won’t end. Trust me, it won’t. I’ve posted without images and links many times. You can always add them later, if you need to. Or not.

So, those are my best tips for writing blog posts quicker.

I brought these to  you in 12 minutes, with no commercial interuptions. And now my twelve minutes is up. If it’s okay with you, though, I will spend a few minutes adding links.

Tell me something! What do you think of the idea of the 12 minute blog post? What ideas do you have about speeding up the process of blogging?

A challenge! Set a timer and write your own twelve minute blog post. Then come back and share it here. Tell me what you will do with the time you saved by spending only 12 minutes on your post.

Becky Robinson

I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.