Our Team’s Secret To Boosting Productivity Without DOING More

Staying organized and focused is key to success when working in marketing and in most industries to be honest. On any given day - we’re dealing with 20+ client accounts, that means posting, emails, graphic creation, captions…etc. And we’re unique in the fact that we do NOT pre-schedule our clients' content. We like to post….and engage as we do so! 

Our team has discovered a productivity hack that has completely changed how we work day to day and has the added benefit of improving our overall well-being and we work LESS. We’re talking about work life balance!! 

In reality, it’s all about implementing structured check-in times with our clients throughout the day, along with effective time blocking techniques - planning your time so it works for you! We’ll dig into that a little later on.

Number One For Productivity as a Marketing Agency & Content Creator:  Mindset shift when it comes to ‘laptop lifestyle’ and freedom

Shifting our mindset away from the notion that the laptop lifestyle equates to absolute freedom brings a profound realization: it's not about being tethered to our devices but rather utilizing them as tools for efficiency. A few months ago our team was feeling quite overwhelmed. We were getting messages at 11pm, messages at 6am, and sometimes even 2am because of time zone changes. Some will say “boundaries Megan” - but ultimately – when a client has a thought or idea they just message us - which we LOVE. BUT — we don’t have to CHECK those messages all the time. Instead, we embraced intentional time blocking. 

When we're working, we're fully engaged, maximizing productivity without distractions. And when we're off-duty, we're truly off, free to recharge and pursue personal endeavors without the encumbrance of work-related tasks. This intentional approach not only enhances our efficiency but also nurtures a healthier work-life balance, fostering creativity and well-being. Embracing this mindset shift empowers us to reclaim control over our time, allowing us to craft a lifestyle that prioritizes fulfillment and purpose over mere busyness.

Our Second Secret for Productivity as a Marketing Agency & Content Creator: Pulses to our clients

We plan every day to check in with our clients at 10 am, 12 pm, and 2 pm. But here’s the caveat – we START work at 9am,  by starting our day at 9 am but only responding to clients at 10 am, we give ourselves a full hour to plan our day, connect with our team, and prepare for the day ahead. There’s usually a few leftover things from the day before – or we use the time to organize content and make sure we’re AHEAD for the next day. 

This strategy allows us to complete client work without the chaos of immediately diving into emails or messages. This has reduced our stress levels significantly and we know that how the day starts can dictate how the whole rest of our day goes.

Having the pulse connection points with our clients also encourages our team to disconnect from external distractions (like your phone ringing off the hook or the likes on your latest reel flowing in), to promote self-care and work-life balance. By setting clear boundaries around when we engage with our clients, we create space for focused workflow and time for us to collaborate within our team. Making us a stronger, more focused team as a whole!

Number Three For Productivity as a Marketing Agency & Content Creator: 9-5 ain’t so bad

No work emails outside of 9-5. Now 9-5 sounds like a bank, but remember the ‘laptop lifestyle’ freedom comes from having WORKING hours and PLAY hours. 

Before utilizing this approach, our team would CONSTANTLY check our phones as soon as we woke up, like literally still in bed! Which would lead to unnecessary panic & quite honestly falling asleep THINKING about each other. Now clients – and team - I absolutely love you but I really did not enjoy thinking about you as a lay down at night (haha) 

Now, with three months of consistent implementation behind us, we feel more in control of our days - which does create FREEDOM. Not only for our team but for our clients, and our clients appreciate knowing exactly when to expect our responses. 

Number Four For Productivity as a Marketing Agency & Content Creator: Time Blocking

But our productivity hack doesn't stop there (I always picture those commercials that were like “But wait there’s more!!” 😆). We're also big advocates of time blocking. Which is planning your time throughout your day for specific tasks. 

Take Megan, our CEO, for example - Each morning, she spends 10 minutes outlining her tasks for the day, setting specific time slots for different activities. (Including the time that she will eat, spend time with her family/pets and have some self care and movement time! I hear the ski hill calling).

This practice helps her maintain focus and ensures that she doesn't get sidetracked by emails or requests that come in. But that also means that she is able to take time for activities outside of work hours too. 

During the time blocking it is VERY important to focus on one client at a time. By dedicating blocks of time to specific clients or projects, we can focus ourselves fully on their needs and goals. For example, when working on reels for a client, we focus solely on creating reel content for them without jumping between different projects. This allows us to maintain our creative momentum (flow state!!) and deliver high-quality, cohesive results efficiently for that client. That’s a win-win for all of us!

If you think about it - 1 hour we could be working for a lawyer on content creation and the next hour working with a client who is a psychologist for trauma - we can’t jump – we have to stay FOCUSED on the one client so we can fully involve ourselves in their message and not get distracted. 

We've found that jumping from one client to another can be challenging, and whatever industry you’re in – we really think this is important. Even if the client is not in front of you - act as if they are - do not get distracted by your kids, phones, emails etc. 

By grouping similar tasks together, we optimize our workflow and save ourselves the headache of feeling scattered all over. Whether it's filming reels (here’s our top tips to make that easier!), designing emails, or creating carousel posts, our team can stay super focused on each client's unique needs before moving on to the next task we have laid out for that day.

As we continue to refine and adapt our productivity techniques (because we like progressing and learning!), we're excited to continue to share our experiences and insights with you.

If you're looking to boost your own marketing efforts and streamline your workflow, we invite you to reach out to our team. Simply text "MARKETING" to (403)-813-7520, and we'll connect with you to explore how we can support your business goals and up your productivity too!