Multi-cultural female making notes in notepad. Young professional remote working with laptop in ... [+]
Whether you're a full-time or part-time creator, you'll find a lot to do once you get into the rhythm of creating content. Social media platforms, your email inbox, etc., are technically never shut off. You can spend your time brainstorming ideas for your TikTok or YouTube account. You can research trending sounds and music or try out new transitions for short-form videos. You can write blog posts, articles, or podcast outlines. You can also spend time engaging with your audience.
Here are four ways to boost your productivity as a content creator:
Rearview shot of a woman opening the curtains on a bright sunny day
1. Figure Out When You're Most Productive
Some people naturally have a lot energy in the mornings, while others might experience a burst of energy in the evenings. By reflecting on when you feel most awake and when you feel most lethargic, you'll determine when you're most productive.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to figure out when you're most productive:
- Are you an early bird? Or a night owl?
- When do you feel most alert or most focused?
- When do you start to feel tired during the day/night?
Another way to figure out when you are most productive is to figure out your chronotype. Many people fall into four general chronotypes, as defined by Dr. Michael Brues, clinical psychologist and sleep medicine expert. A chronotype describes a person's natural propensity to feel sleepy or alert at specific times during the day and night.
About 15% of people who resonate with being an early bird fall into the lion chronotype. These people are most productive in the morning and prefer to start their days early. People in the lion chronotype may start their days around 5 am and find their most productive times before noon.
55% of the population falls into the most common chronotype, the bear. People in this chronotype find peak productivity between 10 am and 2 pm.
15% of people are in the wolf chronotype. People who don't consider themselves morning people may find they are most productive between 10 am. and 2 pm and get rushes of energy at night.
Lastly, 10% of the population falls into the dolphin chronotype. Those identifying with the dolphin chronotype are susceptible to splintered sleep patterns because they may be sensitive to light and noise.
By paying attention to when you have the most energy, you can better plan when to create content, answer emails, engage with your community, and more.
Beautiful Female Video Editor Works with Footage on Her Personal Computer, She Works in Creative ... [+]
2.Learn How To Prioritize Low-Value And High-Value Tasks
As you learn when you're most productive during the day, you can strategically plan where your low-value and high-value tasks fit.
High-value tasks typically require a lot more energy and effort. Time-intensive tasks can bring you closer to accomplishing your goals as a creator. High-value tasks for creators can impact your content, community, revenue, business development, and growth.
High-value tasks can vary by creator and influencer, but high-value tasks can look like this:
- Filming a weekend getaway for YouTube
- Editing a video of your new recipes for YouTube or TikTok
- Going Live on Amazon
AMZN or TikTok - Writing out an e-book of your fitness or nutrition program
- Filming several outfits for your YouTube or Instagram
- Writing an article for your website a blog post
- Interviewing a guest for your podcast show
Low-value tasks can look like activities that don't involve much energy but still need some effort. Low-value tasks for content creators can look like:
- Responding to emails
- Cleaning out your email inbox
- Saving trending sounds on TikTok or Instagram
- Scheduling out meetings with your team
- Responding to comments on Instagram
- Scrolling on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, or Instagram
- Pinning ideas on Pinterest
PINS for inspiration
Once you've figured out when you're most productive, I recommend allocating that time to high-value tasks. If you've determined that you have the most energy after lunch and in the early afternoon, you may spend that time filming or editing content. You may also spend that time writing your next podcast outline or interviewing guests.
Additionally, plan out your low-value tasks during your lower energy levels. If you've found that you're most tired in the morning, you may allocate functions that don't require too much brain power or a ton of energy during that time. Low-energy tasks in the morning may include scrolling and saving ideas for future Instagram or TikTok videos or responding to emails.
Vlogger live streaming podcast review on social media, Young Asian woman use microphones wear ... [+]
3.Batch Content For Your Social Media Platforms
Content creation can be time-intensive as ideating, planning, creating, and publishing content (written copy, visuals, videos, photos, and audio) go into the process. One of the most significant ways to boost your productivity as a creator is to batch content for your social media channels.
Content batching is when you create a lot of content in one period. You may develop photos, film videos, write or brainstorm podcast outlines, etc., in one afternoon or day. Batching content ahead of time allows you to plan as a creator. Some creators may batch one week to one month's worth of content, depending on their content plans and calendars.
Here are a few examples of how to start batching content for your social media platforms:
- Brainstorm four YouTube video ideas for next month
- Film three to five outfits for TikTok or Instagram
- Write out two or three podcast outlines to record at a later date
- Edit three videos to post on TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube Shorts next week
- Write out a week's worth of Instagram captions
- Line up 3-5 Pinterest pins for the following week
Close-up Of A Businesswoman Making Agenda On Personal Organizer At Workplace
4.Clarify Your Goals And Create A Plan
Whether you do content creation full-time or as a side hustle, laying out a daily, weekly, or monthly plan of what you want to accomplish is essential.
Understanding what you're working towards can help determine where to put your energy. Some creators may find that creating a daily to-do list works best for their workflow. Others may discover that creating a weekly plan allows them enough flexibility for both creativity and completing those high-value tasks. You set yourself up for success when you identify what tasks you need to get done during the day or work week.
For example, if you're a new creator trying to create and post consistently on TikTok this year, your weekly plan may include:
- One day of content creation – Filming a recipe, documenting your weekend, editing outfit videos, or whatever relates to your niche.
- Post on TikTok 3 days a week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Research and save trending sounds or transitions throughout the week.
If you're a mature creator in the daisy stage of Creator Life Stages, your goal in 2024 might be to expand your content pillars or niche on Instagram. For example, if you're a fashion creator expanding to beauty, your monthly plan could look like:
- Two weekends of content creation – filming beauty looks, opening PR packages, styling new fashion trends, and editing all the content.
- Post on Instagram four times a week – two fashion posts or reels and two beauty posts or reels.
- Engage with your community once a week by replying to comments and direct messages.
