When I first started Excite Creative Studios, I found myself having to fill many roles. Before hiring the team I have now, I was the founder, the bookkeeper, the salesperson, the developer, the designer, and the writer. Marketing was actually sometimes easy to forget about when my to-do lists were filled with all the must-do tasks that actually pay the bills.

However, as the company evolved, I found myself becoming better at time management. Once I created a plan for my time, it was actually quite easy for me to grow the business. Today, while I have a great team to help me with our clients, I still like to be involved in all areas of our business. I create our content strategies and supporting creative for Excite’s marketing – in addition to being the lead on the design and development projects for our clients. I also personally edit all written content that we produce for our clients.

So what are my secrets for getting everything done? Here are the top 4 time management tips that I personally find incredibly helpful.

4 Time Management Tips for Effective Marketing

1. Use A Planner

This is the most important tip for me. I have the Weekly/Monthly planner from Blue Sky, and it’s essentially my bible. It goes everywhere with me and has everything written down in it. While many people prefer to use Google Calendar, I’m a bit old school. I like to handwrite my to-do lists as well as my appointments. I also set alarms on my phones for calls or meetings that I need to attend (that way if I’m really focused on coding – I don’t forget my commitments).

2. Create Goals and Rewards

Frequently, I’ll have more on my to-do list for the day than I can realistically accomplish. I prioritize everything and then challenge myself to get any remaining items not completed (Monday through Thursday) done on Friday. If I get everything done early on Friday, I treat myself by working on a personal design project. Working on personal projects keeps the design inspiration and creative juices flowing, and it keeps me fresh for following week’s work.

3. Use Dropbox – And Sync Your Computers

This was a huge help and timesaver to me. Somedays I need a change of pace and scenery, and I’ll find myself grabbing my laptop and working from a local coffee shop. However, I still need to access all the files that are on my desktop computer in the office. Being able to hop on Dropbox and grab anything I need to work on is a huge help.

4. Rest

This is the tough one because I’m personally a workaholic. After I leave work, I generally find myself on my couch with my laptop out. I love what I do, and because of that – it doesn’t feel like work. It’s exciting for me, and I love the challenge. That being said, if I don’t get 7 hours of sleep a night, it makes the following day difficult for me.

Sleep is incredibly important for our bodies to rest, our brains to have a break, and our energy to recharge. If you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re not performing at your best.

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I hope these 4 time management tips help you with your time management. However, if you need a little support with your brand’s marketing, design, or content development – that’s what Excite Creative Studios is here for. Let us execute it for you, so it’s one less thing for you to worry about (Take us up on a free consultation!)