It is one of the holiest, jolliest times of the year, but there is also a lot that goes on during the holiday season! Between the regular 9 to 5 life, holiday traditions, events, work parties and so many other activities in-between, it can be difficult to maintain productivity levels at work! 

As digital marketers, this time is one of the most important because it is the end of the year. For many, companies and management teams are reviewing their end of the year spending, forecasting for the new year and making big business decisions that could affect the marketing budget for the upcoming year. 

With this in mind, it is imperative that all digital marketers whether in-house or agency, follow these methods of improving productivity! 

Drill down meetings 

Marketing and meetings go hand-in-hand. This is because in marketing there is a reviewal process, brain-storming, management and business meetings and client meetings. You cannot publish a post or email campaign without an approval process, no matter what the process is, there is always a meeting involved or several emails which can sometimes turn into a phone call. 

On average, employees attend 62 meetings every month and report that 50 percent of the meetings they attend are wasteful. What do we love saying after one of these meetings? 

We survived another meeting that should have been an email. Yup, if you can dial down the meetings to increase time to work on campaigns, social media posts and projects then do it! This is what you should be spending more time on! 

What are the best methods of improving productivity in each and every meeting?

The first is to start on time, and remind everyone that punctuality is critical to keep the meeting on track. As the chairman of Macy’s states, “If the meeting is at 8, you’re not here at 8:01, you’re here at 8, because the meeting is going to start at 8.” 

The second is to end the meeting when it is scheduled to be over, while some meetings are still productive once they run over, others turn into casual conversations. 

Always end with a plan of action, even if there is no action that is needed, it is important to drill down what everyone is responsible for or needs to keep in mind with dates moving forward. This helps to keep everyone on track and is a simple method of improving productivity. 

Put the phone down! 

You are a digital marketer, which means you are always on your phone, something on Twitter might be trending!  (We are making assumptions here, if that does not pertain to you, well done!) 

The average person is on their phone at least four hours a day. Yes, even during an eight hour work day. 

TikTok is addicting, and the same goes for other social media platforms, but putting your phone down helps to get things done. If you get tempted to check it while it is next to you, put it elsewhere.

Find a routine 

Marketers and employees are creatures of habits and these habits help to set up productivity. A good schedule and system can help to save time, increase accuracy and allow a marketer to be punctual. 

A routine is discipline. You know every week from Monday through Friday certain tasks have to be completed. You have a weekly meeting on Monday but X project needs done so you will have to come in early or stay late. Get on a system and have overflow days for when your routine is ALL messed up. 

Ask for help 

For some, asking for help is a big step in their development, but it is important to always ask for help, especially marketers who work for agencies. There are clients who are non-responsive or extremely needy. There is never an in-between, but for those companies who hire an agency, help them out as well! 

Let your marketers know what your company’s hours are moving forward, sales and promotions, any holiday content or parties and everything else in-between! 

With this being the busiest season of the year for many marketers and companies alike, it is important to continue to work on methods of maintaining productivity levels to ensure that all work is finished effectively and efficiently!