Why You Should Create Content in Batches
Right now I’m floating on a lake!! I can enjoy sitting in the sunshine and swimming in the water, knowing my clients and my business are covered! How? By batching content.
What exactly is batching?
Batch working is separating your workflow to focus on one topic at a time. Batching involves completing similar tasks in a scheduled block, avoiding the need for switching back and forth between skills and concentrations. Instead of bouncing from task to task and trying to refocus, you’re ticking your to-do list for a single category. For example, drafting five or six blog posts in a day! Now, creating takes less time because I’m not repeating the same processes one-by-one. I did all my work in “batches,” optimizing my workflow!
Why does it work?
1. It minimizes start-up time. Have you ever noticed feeling slow switching from doing one type of task to another? When your day’s schedule is clear, it’s easy to get started, focus in, and get the job DONE and move on to the next project.
2. It improves focus. Instead of having 15 different tabs open, and trying to do things as you think of them, you’ve got a schedule to follow. As you work longer, you start to flow. These blocks of deep, uninterrupted concentration help you reach your goals without getting distracted.
3. It helps you stay organized. There’s no anxious thought in the middle of the night like “when will I finish next week’s blog post?” or “do I have a post for Instagram tomorrow?” because you know it’s done or it’s been scheduled to get done. How refreshing to feel like YOU are running your business, and it’s not running you!
How I batch
Before you can batch, you have to decide what exactly you want to batch. What are your priorities for your work? Take this planning time to ensure your new schedule and created content aligns with your business goals. You should know what you’re creating (and why!). How does this task help your business?
Now it’s time to get organizing! Pull up a calendar, look at any major deadlines (launching products, blog posts) and plan out what your batching will look like. I schedule individual workdays for tasks: to-do list and goal tracking on Monday, blog post writing Tuesday and editing Thursday, client emails and projects on Wednesday, and social media scheduling on Saturday. By picking a category of work for each day, I can focus on getting the most done.
Some people prefer to dedicate a month to one project and work wildly ahead, and others will block a few hours each day for tasks. Whatever your strategy looks like, grab a calendar and write it out, so you can stick to it. I schedule blocks on my Google calendar for projects, an occasional free day to work on other projects, and vacation days.
Isn’t it easier to stick to what I’m doing?
I’ll be honest with you here: batch-working may not feel like a perfect fit immediately. You might’ve spent years creating one piece of content at a time. Changing your style could feel a bit strange, but with this strategy, you’ll be able to grow your digital presence and save time for your business!
