I’m a big fan of time management. (In fact, it’s my most endorsed skill on LinkedIn.)
I’m constantly in pursuit of tools and tricks to help me work with speed, efficiency, and organization. Here are my five favorite tips to master your content time management, so you can create incredible results in less time.
Do Your Research
Optimal time management involves creating the highest impact content with the precious minutes on your clock, which begins with research, aka the root of all great content.
Whether you’re performing SEO keyword research or scoping out the market for new opportunities, it’s important to start all content projects with a solid game plan, vision, and reason “why.”
Ideally, all content you create ties back to one or more of the top three missions that your business or brand is here to serve. Common missions are creating revenue, educating an audience about a solution to a problem, connecting people with products or services that can improve their lives, and so on.
Take the time to:
- Know your audience and what they’re looking for online
- Decide what you’d like to achieve with your new content initiative (be specific)
- Survey, poll, and interview your content stakeholders
- Write an outline of how you envision this content creation process
When you research in advance, you have your eyes on the prize throughout the project. You can work toward the results you want with the knowledge you need to fuel your content’s success.
Optimize Your Processes
Creating quality content involves so much more than just writing a great piece. There’s a process that takes you from “here’s a cool idea” to “check out this great work I just published.”
Documenting processes is key in mastering time management, because it allows you to produce consistent work with efficient, tried-and-true methodology. The best way to outline your processes, in my opinion, is to create standard operating procedures, or “SOPs.”
Here’s what to include in your SOP:
- Clear title or name for your process
- Brief statement about the purpose or goal of the SOP
- List of all key players who are involved in the process
- Step by step instructions with helpful links and details included
- Proofing checklist to review your work and cross-reference success standards (optional)
SOPs are especially helpful for regularly scheduled content, like a weekly training or monthly newsletter. A solid, documented process helps you map out content delivery and collaboration in advance, so you have more time to focus on writing an amazing piece.
Prioritize Your Projects
It’s common for content professionals to have many tasks on their plates at once. Here are a few factors to help prioritize your content assignments:
Urgency – which tasks have the earliest deadlines?
Impact – which tasks will yield the greatest results?
Collaboration – which tasks involve you “passing the torch” to a teammate when you’re done?
Difficulty – which tasks take more time and/or have higher complexity?
When you’re assigned new tasks, it’s a good idea to ask two questions:
“When would you like this completed?”
“What results would we like to achieve with this content?”
The answers to these questions can help determine priority level at the moment they enter your to-do list.
Go with the Flow
Everyone has that time of day when they feel most productive and creative. Pay close attention to when you feel the most ease and “flow” with your content creation.
You might be an early bird who wakes up with a flood of good ideas and motivation.
You might get a late afternoon energy boost after your 3pm espresso in the break room.
You might be someone like me who channels that “let’s do this” energy mid-morning with a mug of tea in hand.
When it’s possible, schedule this time to be your head down, get it done part of the work day, so you can tap into your best creative energy and craft content when you’re feeling your best.
Find Balance in Your Day
It’s no secret that content creators really love to write, and it’s essential to find balance between your writing time and your other on-the-job responsibilities.
If your schedule allows, break up the day into sections, so you can carve out time for all the day-to-day responsibilities your role comprises.
Here’s an example:
8am to 10am – Write, write, write
10am to 12pm – Check emails, run reports, perform research
1pm to 3pm – Meetings, check-in with colleagues
3pm to 5pm – Proof and edit everything I wrote earlier today
You’ll likely need to multitask with some of these responsibilities throughout the day, but there’s value in dedicating specific time to each item too.
I find that it’s often helpful to write – then walk away and do something else – then come back to your writing later in the day. This gives the brain a chance to rest and reset, so you can revisit your work with fresh eyes that are ready for proofing.
I hope these five time management tips help you rock the clock and find more freedom in your schedule. Explore more of my content academy for ideas and strategies to create amazing content that attracts your audience like a magnet.
Linda Walkowich 