What skills are essential for meeting deadlines in Content Marketing?

As a project manager on a content marketing team, time management is *everything.* Add buffer time to your schedules. If you think it'll take two weeks for a first draft, make it two and a half weeks. First time working with an agency or writer? Add in additional time for your feedback on the first draft; it'll likely need more love if the writer isn't as familiar with your audience. Need to produce content in a pinch? Outsource to a reliable agency that you know and trust. If a teammate asks for something in an unrealistic timeframe, push back. Content takes time. Explain that shortening timelines put the quality at risk and describe why, then offer an alternative solution.

You have to become a master of your time. One thing you'll want to do first is pay attention to how you're spending your time. Measure how much time it takes you to create content, to post it, to engage, to promote it, etc. From there, you can start to create a schedule and deadlines for yourself and your team that will benefit everyone. My advice would be to set time limits for every task you're working on. You'll become more efficient when you do so, and will prioritize the most important aspects of that task for the day.

Equally important is the skill of ADAPTIBILITY. Content marketing is responsive to changes in audience behavior, platform algorithms, and industry norms. Keep an eye on performance metrics and be ready to adjust your approach based on what's working and what isn't.

Don't write and edit at the same time. First, compose your rough draft. Let the words and ideas flow. This is not the time to be perfect. Only once you've written everything you wanted to say on the topic, go back and start editing it, as well as adding in pieces that might need more clarification or depth to them.

Communication is key to having your team meet deadlines. Always keep your project management tools/software updated so any team member can know the status at all times — this is especially important when tasks are dependent on other's tasks. Meet regularly as a team so you can verbally get on the same page. Having both in-person and digital status updates can help to prevent anything from falling through the cracks.

Whether you’re a one-person marketing team or you work in an enterprise organization, content often requires input from multiple stakeholders or contributors. The more people that are involved in the process, the more likely you are to hit roadblocks and miss deadlines. Identify who needs to be involved in the content process early and make sure they understand their role, what’s required, and when. The best way to facilitate collaboration is through a project management tool. This can be something as simple as Notion or as robust as Asana or ClickUp. Whatever you use, make sure all parties have access and that deliverables and timelines are clear. If you see a deadline sneak up, tag the party responsible to ensure it’s on their radar.

You never know when inspiration will hit you. I would recommend carrying a little notepad around with you wherever you go, so you can jot down ideas you'd like to come back to. You can then add them to your content calendar once you're back in front of your screen.

I would say another important way to meet deadlines in content marketing is to outsource or delegate. Break tasks up between team members who specialize in a specific area, or collaborate with an agency, consultant or freelancer who can fast-track certain aspects of the content marketing process for you. You don't have to do it all yourself, unless you want to.

Meeting deadlines in Content Marketing requires a blend of strategic planning, time management, and adaptability. Essential skills include setting realistic goals, prioritizing tasks based on urgency and impact, and effectively using tools for project management. Strong communication skills are crucial for coordinating with team members and stakeholders. Additionally, the ability to quickly adapt to changes and problem-solve under pressure ensures you stay on track despite unforeseen challenges. Finally, maintaining a balance between speed and quality is key to consistently delivering compelling content on time.

Critical for meeting Content Marketing deadlines are: 1. Time management to prioritize tasks. 2. Effective communication for seamless collaboration. 3. Adaptability to navigate unexpected challenges. Example: Utilizing project management tools like Trello to streamline workflows and ensure timely content delivery.

Here are the very practical things I have learned from executing a comprehensive turnaround of multiple content marketing programs that were historically late. 1) Process Improvement - Great content is a collaborative process, often beginning with dependencies on key upstream stakeholders. Establish SLAs with all stakeholders up, down, left, and right. 2) Project Management - If budget and headcount will allow, add project managers to your marketing team. Someone who can manage the operational aspects of content production can free up marketers to collaborate, create, and innovate.

Having the ability to segment big projects, concentrate deeply, control alerts/notifications, outsource if absolutely necessary, and let team members know the "ask" for support are key skills that help content marketers push quality work out the door on time, every time.