8 Tips (and a Few Tools) for Getting S**T Done

8 Tips (and a Few Tools) for Getting S**T Done

And you wonder, “Where do they find the time?” In the content marketing industry, many of those paragons of productivity happen to be speakers at Content Marketing World 2019. While digital productivity tools help with collaboration, some paragons of productivity supplement their digital tools with plain-old paper to keep track of their personal tasks: “(We use) Basecamp and Slack in the company. And I focus on the things that are most important or most pressing for that week.” Pam Didner, marketing consultant, speaker, and author, Global Content Marketing 3. That’s where digital tools can really help. Block out time for every single thing you do This next tip forces you to think about not only what you need to get done and when you can do it, but it requires the context around your work: “I’ve recently adopted a zero-based calendar. “It gives me a much more realistic picture of free time in my day. Yes, it really can be that easy: “The one productivity tip that I use most is just Google Autofill. I type content marketing strategy into Google and Google Autofill tells me I should write content about templates, examples, definitions. Automate everything It may not be as easy as asking Google but taking the time to set up automation rules can save you from repetitive, manual work. And that’s how it’s done, according to some very productive people.

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Every industry has them – the indefatigable ones. The people who seem to be everywhere doing everything every single day.

You see they’re speaking at conferences (sometimes more than one in the same week). You read their articles, newsletters, and even books. You hear them interviewed on podcasts and videos. You follow their conversations on social media.

And you wonder, “Where do they find the time?”

In the content marketing industry, many of those paragons of productivity happen to be speakers at Content Marketing World 2019. We asked several for their secrets. And they gladly shared.

If you’re facing down a seemingly endless set of tasks, take a moment (and a breath) and peek over their productive shoulders in the paragraphs below or in this video:

1. Mix digital tools and don’t forget about paper

Our work lives are digital, and there’s no going back. While digital productivity tools help with collaboration, some paragons of productivity supplement their digital tools with plain-old paper to keep track of their personal tasks:

“(We use) Basecamp and Slack in the company. But, personally, I love paper planners. I use a combo of a paper planner, digital calendars, and the project management tools we have in the company to keep focus. You’ve got quarterly goals and annual goals to hit. And it can be so easy to let those slide for the day-to-day emergencies.”

Leslie Carruthers, speaker and founder/president, The Search Guru

2. Be your own best resource

As time-tested as the paper list is, it’s simply a tool. The goal is personal accountability:

“I actually rely on myself! We manage our own time. We have our tools like Outlook. But a lot of the time it’s our self-awareness in terms of how productive we need to be.

“I prioritize the things I need to do for the whole day. And I just follow that list. Usually, I create that list the night before or in the early morning. And I focus on the things that are most important or most pressing for that week.”

Pam Didner, marketing consultant, speaker, and author, Global Content Marketing

3. Focus on team collaboration and accountability

Managing teams and tasks for multiple projects and multiple clients (internal or external) requires personal accountability, sure. But it also requires accountability to the team and the project plan. That’s where digital tools can really help.

“I’ve started to use Airtable. Airtable is a mix between using an Excel spreadsheet and Google Docs. It’s simple. It’s free.

“What it’s done is created continuity and accountability with a team that’s spread out across the United States. It’s one of those tools where we’re talking, and it’s not, ‘Oh, I have that locally, let me pull that up.’ We can all go to it, and as someone’s editing, you can see the changes happening. It’s just a nice tool for accountability. I think it’s important…

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