Here's how you can optimize your time and energy as a content manager.

Having a task management tool to prioritize, track, monitor and plan is so important. This allows you to know what you need to work on, the progress of it and when it is needed by. This can also help with coordinating with other writers or workers who are part of the project. I use mine every day to make sure I am getting my work done and on time. It also helps monitor other assignments so you can make sure headlines and other information are not repeated and everything is unique.

Existen diversos modos de gestionar el tiempo de manera efectiva. Por eso, como en tantas otras áreas de la vida, es esencial encontrar el que se adapte mejor tanto a tu forma de trabajar como al perfil de tu equipo de colaboradores. Sin embargo, hay dos que se combinan particularmente bien. El primero, y que está en tendencia hoy en día, es el uso de herramientas de IA, que te permiten librarte de las tareas repetitivas y enfocarte en las que demandan tu creatividad y conocimiento. El segundo tiene que ver con la delegación de tareas: es esencial saber en quién delegar qué cosa para que el ritmo de trabajo fluya y la carga de trabajo se distribuya de manera equitativa entre los miembros del equipo.

I often feel that one of the most underrated or underutilized skills of a content manager is the subtle art of delegation. Effective delegation lets the manager have time and energy to focus on employee development and other strategic tasks. Not only does it lighten the manager's load, but it also gives team members a sense of empowerment and trust. As a manager, there's only so much you can achieve through your individual contributions; ultimately, you need time to nurture the careers of the various individual contributors on your team. It is said, "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime".

As a community builder I've had the privilege of managing multiple communities. Effective time management is crucial in my role, and prioritizing tasks has been a game-changer. Utilizing the Eisenhower Matrix, I categorize tasks into four quadrants: urgent and important, important but not urgent, urgent but not important, and neither urgent nor important. This method helps me focus on what truly matters, ensuring my efforts are impactful and efficient. By prioritizing effectively, I can dedicate more time to engaging with community members and deriving meaningful connections, ultimately driving growth and satisfaction within my communities.

Determine how much you can feasibly accomplish in a day. Identify timesucks. Focus on activities that provide the greatest returns.

Utilize AI tools to automate repetitive tasks. Tools like Hootsuite or Buffer can schedule and post content. Grammarly and Hemingway can help with content editing. AI analytics tools can monitor performance and provide insights.

Utilize automation tools and software to streamline repetitive tasks and workflows. Automate content scheduling, social media posting, email campaigns, and other routine processes to save time and increase efficiency.

I don’t agree that automation reduces the likelihood of human error or saves a huge amount of time. Humans still need to compile the content to publish on social media, on a website or elsewhere and need to check it to ensure its accuracy. Automation is helpful in that it can improve the efficiency of workflow. Using scheduling tools for social posts for example allows time to focus on other tasks in blocks. You can’t leave it all to automation, however. Content teams must have knowledge of scheduled posts and be able to change or cancel them if needed e.g should announcement times change or breaking news means the post is now irrelevant or insensitive.

La automatización de procesos es esencial para los gestores de contenidos. Implementé herramientas como Hootsuite para programar publicaciones en redes sociales y Mailchimp para automatizar campa?as de correo electrónico. Por ejemplo, al automatizar la programación de publicaciones, pude liberar horas cada semana, lo que me permitió centrarme en la creación de contenido estratégico y análisis. Esto no solo mejoró la eficiencia, sino que también aseguró una entrega de contenido consistente y sin errores.

Leveraging technology can be a game changer. AI tools like ChatGPT can help with ideation. Content generation tools like Canva that utilize templates can also boost efficiency by speeding response time and provide social media variants.

Updating and maintaining content for a news feed (especially a global one) can be nearly impossible for a small staff. I was able to handle this by developing a “beat" system of freelance writers to cover regions, businesses and topics. Under this turnkey system, the writers work with contacts around the world to identify topics, draft articles, get approvals and post approved articles to the intranet for my final review and editing. I've developed a lot of communications strategies and initiatives over the years, but that relatively simple, basic system is one of which I'm most proud. Earlier, when I lacked budget, I was the primary writer, but was helped by a small network of company employees, with varying skill levels, to draft content.

Delegation in content management involves assigning tasks based on team members' skills, empowering them to make decisions autonomously. It fosters skill development, efficient resource allocation, and quality control. Clear communication, monitoring progress, and providing support ensure tasks align with objectives. Ultimately, effective delegation optimizes productivity and enhances the overall content creation process.

Delegar tareas efectivamente puede transformar tu gestión de tiempo. En un proyecto reciente, delegué la redacción de artículos a un equipo de escritores y me concentré en la estrategia y revisión final. Esto no solo alivió mi carga de trabajo, sino que también permitió que los miembros del equipo desarrollaran sus habilidades y se sintieran empoderados. Al confiar en sus capacidades y proporcionar una comunicación clara de expectativas y plazos, logramos un trabajo de alta calidad y en tiempo récord.

My point will overlap with that of the role of communicating effectively, as proper delegation related to optimized communication and optimized delegation is a result of proper delegation. In truth, the best way to streamline operations is to have proper people incharge at the right check points and only have a particular intervention at the required stage so there is a linear and forward flow from idea conception to execution. It is not the requirement of having multiple deliberation attempts at the grassroots levels but an optimization assignment of responsibility based on expertise and clear definition of boundaries and roles so when a decision needs to me made, it gets made.

Delegate tasks that can be handled by others to free up your time for more strategic activities. Assign tasks to team members based on their skills and expertise, and provide clear instructions and support to ensure successful completion.

I think communication is the key in any marketing team, even more if we're working remotely. Communication doesn't mean spending long hours in countless meetings, rather having an open space to share ideas, progress, and goals. It means being more proactive and asking for help without hesitation instead of sitting on something for days. There's no such thing as overcommunication, especially in content and marketing teams. We especially need to be the most proactive and excited people to instill the same vibe in what we want to market.

Agilizar la comunicación es clave para la eficiencia del equipo. Utilizo plataformas como Slack y Microsoft Teams para centralizar las discusiones y compartir archivos. Por ejemplo, en un proyecto de lanzamiento de producto, implementamos un canal de Slack específico donde todos los miembros podían compartir actualizaciones y recibir feedback en tiempo real. Esta centralización redujo el tiempo perdido en correos electrónicos y mejoró la coordinación, asegurando que todos estuvieran alineados y en la misma página.

Cut down on noise. Institute processes that cut down non essential internal comms to a minimum, and have direct reports focus on sharing non-time critical ideas in regular forums or places/manners in which they’re least distracting. Be open to ideas and insights, sidebars and tangents, but create avenues for which and when they can be shared in one full burst instead of periodically and distractingly throughout the workday/workweek.

Reduce unnecessary meetings and use collaborative tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom. Implement a clear communication strategy and set expectations for response times and information sharing

Use communication tools and platforms to streamline collaboration and communication among team members. Implement project management software, messaging apps, and collaborative platforms to facilitate communication, share updates, and track progress on projects.

Content is king, and SEO is its crown. Know your audience: Conduct keyword research to understand their search queries. -Keyword magic: Integrate relevant keywords naturally throughout your content. -Technical finesse: Optimize website structure and metadata for search engines. -Stay updated: Adapt your strategy as search algorithms evolve. SEO is a journey, not a destination. Consistent effort leads to: -Increased organic traffic: More qualified leads visit your site. -Improved brand awareness: Your content gains wider visibility. -Enhanced content performance: SEO fuels content marketing success. Invest in SEO, invest in content that thrives.

Optimizar el contenido para SEO es crucial para atraer tráfico orgánico. Realizo investigaciones de palabras clave para entender lo que busca nuestra audiencia y utilizo esas palabras clave estratégicamente en el contenido. Al crear una serie de artículos sobre tecnología, integré palabras clave relevantes en títulos, encabezados y metadatos. Esto mejoró significativamente nuestro posicionamiento en motores de búsqueda y aumentó el tráfico al sitio web, lo que se tradujo en una mayor visibilidad y engagement con nuestra audiencia.

Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your target audience. Invest time in content planning, research, and development to ensure your content is relevant, valuable, and optimized for search engines and social media platforms.

Sí, optimizar SEO es importante pero lo es más la autenticidad trabajada con creatividad: si generas palabras claves similares empleadas habitualmente por el sector donde te mueves, promoviendo material parecido al creado en otros sitios de tu ámbito profesional, no dejará huella en quien lo lea porque lo percibirá como "más de lo mismo". El foco no es el SEO como esencial ya que para captar atención es necesario diferenciarse, y ese combo entre SEO y originalidad sí es el que consigue lograr buen posicionamiento. Arriesga, crea sin limitaciones y busca disrupción: el SEO lo puedes trabajar con herramientas que existen para ello y la competencia las usa, por eso hay que agudizar ingenio y ofrecer ese plus creativo que enganche y diferencie.

Medir el éxito del contenido es esencial para la mejora continua. Utilizo herramientas como Google Analytics para rastrear indicadores clave de rendimiento (KPIs) como visitas a la página, tasas de participación y conversiones. Por ejemplo, después de lanzar una campa?a de contenido, analicé los datos para entender qué tipo de contenido resonaba más con nuestra audiencia. Esta información me permitió ajustar nuestra estrategia y enfocar nuestros esfuerzos en crear contenido que generara más interacción y conversiones.

Track key performance indicators (KPIs) using tools like Google Analytics or HubSpot. Regularly review performance data to adjust strategies. Create dashboards to visualize progress and make data-driven decisions

Repurposing content is KEY. Make your content work harder for you on multiple platforms. Got a podcast? Cool, use multiple key clips from it to post reels on Instagram/TikTok - use tools like video AI to help you be more efficient with it. But don’t stop there, transcribe the podcast (again using AI tools to help make this more efficient), tweak it for a blog post, turn that blog post into an email campaign, turn that email campaign into a post on X (Twitter). From that one podcast there are endless amounts of content opportunities on different channels. Just make sure you are tweaking if to suit that audience on that platform. Using AI to your advantage here will also be a great time saver.

To optimise time and energy as a content manager, prioritise tasks using a content calendar to streamline planning, creation, and publication processes. Leverage automation tools for scheduling posts, monitoring engagement, and managing repetitive tasks. Delegate responsibilities where possible and use project management software to enhance team collaboration. Regularly analyze performance metrics to focus efforts on high-impact activities. Additionally, stay organised by maintaining a clean and systematic digital workspace, and practice effective time management techniques like the Pomodoro method to sustain productivity and prevent burnout.

Don’t use spreadsheets. Especially if you’re in a team. You need something with better collaboration like SmartSuite where every single record has a communication center for teams. It also tracks who changes what. You need that when it comes to any content.

Something we often overlook while creating content is the client's actual requirements versus their expectations. As a strategist, one should first compare all the available resources at hand and check if the content needs to be as elaborate as the client wants it to be. Often clients want something that is beyond their requirement, budget and need. It is hence first important to check what method of strategising will address the client's requirement effectively, without adding extra jargon. Cut the fluff, and add more value to the content. While this might seem like a very simplistic approach, it often is a very handy one.

I’ve found the following to be beneficial as well: 1-Batch processing or grouping similar tasks, posts, articles together can boost efficiency and reduce the mental load that comes from switching between topics. 2- Delegating or outsourcing certain tasks to freelancers or your team members experienced in a particular niche distributes and justifies work. This can include proofreading and initial edits apart from content creation as well. 3- If you are pressed for time then developing a template or style guide can help create consistency for repetitive content types.