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How to Be a More Productive Content Creator
Productivity is often seen as an important factor for success in business. But what exactly is productivity, and why is it so important? Productivity is a measure of how effectively resources are used to create content. This is frequently translated into trading hours for dollars for those of us who have online platforms. The more efficient we are with our time, the more content we produce, the more money we make. It’s as simple as that.
Productivity is important because it directly affects the ratio of “time = money”. Whether it’s writing blog posts, creating printables, or listing products, the way we make more money is to make the most of our time. By integrating these tips, you will build new habits and become a more productive content creator.
The best ways to do more with less time are:
Build your content framework with planning
One of the best ways to be more productive is to plan. This means taking time every month to plan your tasks for the month. Then, break those tasks down into pieces by planning the steps you need to complete every week to reach your monthly goal. Many people often have a hard time choosing priorities because it all seems important. One thing you can do is use seasonal trends to determine what project has the highest priority.
Another way to plan priorities is to decide which takes the most and least amount of time. The one that takes the least amount of time can often be fit into two other tasks that take longer. Regardless, planning ahead is key. You need to know what road you are going to take to get to your next destination.
Boss yourself around by setting deadlines
To increase your output, set deadlines for yourself. Giving yourself a deadline is beneficial because it gives you a benchmark against which to measure your progress. Deadlines also help you to guard against distraction because you will have to focus on one task at a time. There are several types of deadlines you can employ. You can set general monthly, daily, and weekly deadlines. If you want to increase your productivity to create more content, make sure to do the thing you like the least first. This is known as “eating the frog”. It’s easy to procrastinate on what needs to be done on our task list by moving it to the bottom subconsciously. Getting that frog off of your plate allows you to clear your plate of other tasks.
Give Yourself a Time-Out
Incorporate planned breaks as part of your workflow. Breaks are important for refreshing your brain. True breaks are not filled with other tasks, like making a phone call. A true break is to step outside, sit and look out the window, or anything else you can do that completely takes you away from your task. Schedule your breaks in a logical way. It is best to take a break either between chunks of time or tasks.
If you are going to work for four hours, take a break after two hours. If you are working eight hours a day, take a break as part of your transition to another task. Just make sure to stick to the amount of time you scheduled for your break. If you scheduled ten minutes, don’t break for thirty minutes. Scheduled breaks help your body relax, your mind stay clear, and they help to prevent burnout.
Less is more
Find ways to simplify your process. There are a variety of ways to do this. One way is to make sure you know where to find things. Many people organize with Drop Box, Google Docs, and Google Spreadsheets for their online articles and printables. Another idea is to keep all your originals on an external hard drive. Finally, make sure that the emails you subscribe to offer value. When it comes to email inboxes, the cup is better if it’s half empty than full.
Use technology and templates
Technology is an excellent asset for productivity because it makes content creation more convenient. Admittedly, I really like pen and paper for planning. However, I also use an AI for editing and Keysearch to research everything from this blog post to this video on my YT channel. I’ve also used my client’s Monday and Click Up boards to find and submit my assigned tasks. Finding the best “tool” for you regarding technology and templates will save you the time that you don’t have.
Set, assess, and adjust goals
Set realistic and achievable goals to stay motivated and productive. If your goals are set too high, you will not achieve them. It is easy to become discouraged when you don’t achieve a goal. When you set goals, assess how long it took to complete that goal to see if you need to readjust the amount of time you gave yourself to accomplish it. This is how you “measure” a goal. Measuring goals will not only increase the amount of content you can create, but also equip you to become a more productive content creator.
Everybody says this because it’s true
Self-care really is part of productivity. Yep, it is. When I left my 9-5 to build my online platforms full-time, I was working 60 hours a week. However, I noticed my production decreased. It’s the idea of “quality vs. quantity.” I needed to stop thinking about creating content. I had to rest my mind away from business so I could come up with new creative ideas. By working forty hours a week or less, I make fewer mistakes and am more productive.
Don’t try to integrate all of these content productivity tips at the same time. Integrate one at a time. If you are consistent with the productivity tip, it will become a habit. Once that has become a habit, start practicing the next one. Eventually, there will be a noticeable increase in your productivity. I wish you the best success!
Want to produce more writing content in less time, check out this post!
