As a marketer, you’re constantly on call.
Whether it’s responding to emails, building client relationships, researching content, project management or strategizing your next major campaign, doing it all can take a toll on your productivity levels.
Though multitasking is a trait most people take pride in, it does not necessarily make you more productive.
Over the years studies have shown the detriment of “goal shifting” or switching from one focus to another. Though the immediate time it takes to switch your mental focus is minimal, when combined all together it becomes a significant amount of time wasted.
Luckily there are other more beneficial productivity tips to keep you focused when there’s no time to waste.
PRODUCTIVITY STARTS WITH YOU
It’s not just about changing your habits. Becoming a productive marketer begins with your lifestyle and environment.
Personal care is at the top of the list when it comes to being a more efficient worker.
Your day is often determined by how you take care of yourself. Simply getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night, staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet and including physical activity into your day-to-day routine will have enormous effects on your working capacity.
Another easy productivity hack is to customize your workspace for optimal use. Try rearranging your space so that it suits your mood. Don’t be afraid to try new setups or a few of these tips:
Paint or decorate the walls
Use natural light as much as possible by opening the curtains or sitting by a window
Have more than one designated seat. Move around to avoid working from the same place every day
4 TIPS TO MAKE YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE
Now that you’re prepared for the busy day ahead of you, it’s time to enforce new habits that will make you consistently productive.
Productivity shouldn’t be another thing you devote minimal time to. You must consistently practice these techniques so that they become your natural working element.
1. Strategize and Prioritize
Approach your work style in the same way you approach your next marketing campaign. Set a strategy that will help you accomplish your goals for the day.
Try your best to keep to your strategy when tackling the day ahead. Of course, you will be thrown a few curveballs along the way, which is why your new and improved to-do list should categorize tasks based on priority.
You can also estimate and write in the time it will take you to accomplish each task to keep you accountable.
Make sure that your list is achievable within that day so that you don’t feel too overwhelmed. You can start by writing down everything you want to accomplish, and then narrowing it down by what is most important.
2. Take a Break
It seems counterproductive, but taking breaks during long work days can keep you focused and give your body a chance to rejuvenate.
Tony Schwartz, founder of The Energy Project, teaches employees how to manage their energy best at work. His strategy promotes the balance between a highly-focused work mode, or pulse, for 90 minutes by breaking it up with a pause, or short break to “rest and renew.”
The Pomodoro Technique is also a popular way to strike a balance between work and breaks.
Developed in the 1980s by Francesco Cirillo, the method is based on a repetitive structure of 25-minute uninterrupted work periods, followed by five-minute breaks.
The simplicity of the method is meant to break down large tasks into shorter increments, so that you feel mentally capable to tackle a large project. After every four Pomodoro’s, or 25-minute periods, you take a longer break to re-center your focus.
Setting a time limit to complete a task can help you work faster because you are more accountable. You are also rewarded with a break which will keep you from feeling overwhelmed.
Another productivity tip to boost the Pomodoro Technique is to use the Tide app. This app lets you set a timer on your phone accompanied by white noise to fully immerse you in your process.
3. Utilize Productivity Apps
No matter what project you need to tackle, there’s a good chance an app has been created to help you out.
Many productivity apps, like the ones listed below, have become popular in the workplace to streamline communication between teams and manage workflow.
Asana, a glorified to-do list application, allows you to create projects, assign tasks, add deadlines, comment, attach files and make sub-lists to keep your work organized.
Similar to Asana, Trello focuses on project management. You can create idea boards and assign cards to yourself or other team members to work on. Each card can be customized and labeled based on the priority of the task.
Basecamp has been a long-trusted tool for project management due to its increasing features. The newest version allows teams to message internally, create to-do lists, schedule notifications, streamline schedules and get direct feedback from clients.
4. Stay Off Social Media
Social Media is everywhere. Unfortunately, it’s also a productivity killer.
If you need some extra help avoiding your go-to time wasting sites, try adding these useful extensions.
Stayfoused + Freedom
This is the perfect pair for ultimate productivity. You can choose to block distracting websites and apps across all of your devices immediately or set a schedule for when you’re working.
This Chrome extension lets you choose which sites are off limits, like Facebook and YouTube, for a set amount of time to limit distractions.
USING MOTIVATION TO PROMOTE PRODUCTIVITY
Utilizing tools and refining your schedule will promote a more productive lifestyle, but the best tip you can take is to find what motivates you.
It will be easier to focus on tasks that excite you. Take on projects and work with people that share similar goals. Gravitate towards campaigns that you are excited to work on – and dedicate yourself completely.
When you are passionate about your work, it will show in your work ethic. All of the other productivity tips will give you an extra boost to make you more efficient.
