Can Handwriting Improve Content Marketing?
Recently, I encountered a not-so-new strategy to improve my writing, boost creativity and maximize concentration when working on content marketing projects. The Postcard Agency prides itself on delivering top-notch, one-of-a-kind content marketing services to its clients, so this “trick” was a timely “discovery.”
You see, writing dozens of blog posts, hundreds of social media posts, email newsletters, video scripts and more can put a significant amount of pressure on the mind. To recharge our content marketing writing muscles, our team members often turn to a range of tried-and-true tactics. Here are some conventional approaches we often take, in no particular order:
- Going for long walks
- Taking breaks outside
- Basking in the sunlight
- Trying something new
- Referencing a handy thesaurus
- Reading…and more reading
While I’m a strong advocate for all of these approaches, one age-old tactic reigns supreme: writing by hand.
Interestingly, I’ve only recently rediscovered its magnitude (thanks to receiving a notebook I couldn’t wait to use).
Why should you try handwriting to improve your content marketing?
As content marketers, we spend hours thinking on our feet, producing creative writing tied to complex business strategies, and typing until we can’t feel our fingers. As a result, the creative juices stop flowing every now and then. Writer’s block is real. However, it can be stymied with a little old-school handwriting.
According to one study, writing by hand can help you generate ideas and express them more effectively—two skills we as content marketers can’t live without. Another study found that handwriting can increase overall brain activity more effectively than when writing with a keyboard.
A content marketing pro can write a number of pieces in his or her notebook by hand. You can find us in a cafe or poolside scribbling practically anything in our notebooks, including:
- Tweets
- Blog posts
- Website landing page copy
- Whitepaper outlines
- Email headlines and copy
- Video scripts
Pen in hand, I spend more time writing than staring blankly at my computer. Ignoring constant text and email notifications might have something to do with the sudden enhancement in productivity…
Before you tackle your next content marketing project, consider working with a pen and paper. Who knows, maybe you will tap writing and content marketing muscles you never knew existed!
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Jonathan Ochart is CEO of The Postcard Agency, a creative content and social media marketing agency based in Miami, Florida. He blends his love of writing, data analytics and marketing strategy to write powerful content your audience (and search engines) will love.
