productivity - Express Writers

Work-Life Balance Strategies: What 24 Marketing Experts Say About Work-Life Balance

June 19, 2024December 18, 2018 by Danielle N.

We often glorify the idea of non-stop hustling. We see these images of influencers on social media who all seem to have it all put together, at the peak of their success while grinding 24/7. And we, too, try to find ways to become productive every single day, hoping to reach that point where we become satisfyingly successful. No wonder that the average productivity rate for every American worker has gone all the way up to 400% since 1950. It’s not even a surprise that the average American works for 44 hours per week — that’s more than eight hours per day. Crazy, isn’t it? You may already know this, but then again, overworking isn’t the key to success. And continuing to do so means damaging your health, relationships, and your self-worth. So, why not ditch the hustle and focus on achieving a better work-life balance? We know. It sounds easy, but hard to do especially when you love your job. That’s why we’ve asked the marketing experts about their own work-life balance strategies. We hope these points will inspire you to find your own balance. Work-Life Balance Strategies: What 24 Marketing Experts Say About Work-Life Balance Thinking work-life balance is impossible to do? Read what the marketing pros do, and you’ll find the best tips that may work for you. 1. Mark Schaefer “I’m probably at a different stage in my life than other readers. I’m in my 50s. At this point, I do what I love. There really is not much difference between work and home because I choose to do things that bring me joy, so there really is no struggle. Of course, you always run into bumps in the road. But you just have to recognize that as a normal part of life and keep moving ahead.” Mark Schaefer is a globally recognized social media expert, speaker, executive branding coach, marketing strategist, podcaster and writer. He’s the Executive Director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, blogger of {grow}, and author of six marketing books including the best-selling “The Content Code” and “The Tao of Twitter.” Listen to his appearance on The Write Podcast. 2. Andy Crestodina “Go to bed. It sounds simple. But it’s very powerful. If you can get to bed and fall asleep 90 minutes sooner, you can wake up that much earlier and use that time for something far more important than whatever you were going to watch on Netflix at 10:30 PM. Imagine what would happen to your content, your brand, your knowledge, your network. Here’s a quick list of things you could do with that time over the next year: Write a book Launch a video series Write 50 guest posts Becoming a columnist for a major publication Or even crush a non-marketing goal… Have six-pack abs Learn to speak Italian What are the main differences between high and low performers? It’s not knowledge. Most people know HOW to do the things on that list. The difference is willpower, persistence and focus. So, get to bed! Then get up at 4:30 AM every day for two months no matter what. Then you will have formed the habit and it will come automatically. Use the time to invest in yourself. 99% of you will not take this advice. The other 1% will be so successful, I almost feel bad for their competitors.” Andy Crestodina is the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media, an award-winning 38-person web design and development firm in Chicago. He’s also a top-rated marketing speaker and the author of “Content Chemistry.” 3. Glen Gilmore “For the last two years, I’ve spent more time out of the country than in the country on consultations, speaking engagements, and brand ambassadorships. Whether I’m at home or on the road, I always do my best to work in a moment for meditation, a healthy breakfast, and a half-hour walk. Even a few pages of a good book a night helps. And though I always work on long flights, I do indulge in a movie or two. And when it’s time with family, it’s time away from looking at a phone for anything that’s non-emergent. And, just as I always have a long list of work-related projects to complete, I keep an equally long list of personal projects and goals to accomplish. I work at advancing them both.” Glen Gilmore is a Forbes Top 20 “Social Media Influencer” who provides Digital Marketing strategy and training to some of the Fortune 500 companies like Amazon, Huawei, and Verizon. He’s also a practicing lawyer and author of “Social Media Law for Business.” 4. Ryan Robinson “For me, work-life balance is a constant game of course correction. I’m rarely in perfect sync between work and personal life for long intervals of time. However, over the years I’ve pushed myself to regularly zoom out and take a look at whether work or fun are getting too much of my attention – and identify which one needs more attention. Some weeks, I force myself to only work 20 to 30 hours and enjoy going on a mid-week hike to clear my head and reset my priorities when things are getting a little stressful. Yet during other weeks if I’m preparing for a course launch or recording a lot of interviews for my podcast, it can easily turn into 50 to 60 hours of staring at a screen. That’s draining and unsustainable for me. So, what I’ve really come to learn, is that work-life balance (at least for me) is more about being hyper-aware of my mental state, and feeling empowered to take corrective action to avoid burning out when I need to. My advice is to always thoughtfully plan your week out ahead of time, so that you first schedule blocks of time for the most important activities – like getting physical activity every day, going on date nights with your significant other, or putting the kids to bed. Work should fit in around the greater purpose of your life, … Read more

5 Smart Productivity Hacks for Copywriters Everywhere

December 31, 2020September 14, 2016 by Ashley

Ashley A. is a full time copywriter at Express Writers. As a copywriter, there’s virtually nothing more important than productivity. While productivity means getting more done in less time, it also means staying organized and producing better work – which is ideal for you and your clients. Unfortunately, copywriting productivity is something that many writers struggle with. In addition to the fact that most copywriters work from home, every copywriter I know is juggling multiple jobs at once – tending to the needs, questions, and concerns of a huge selection of clients at the same time. Needless to say, this can become a tenuous balance after a while, which is exactly why mastering productivity hacks meant for copywriters is so critical. Read on to learn more. 5 Copywriting Productivity Tips to Make You a Better Writer, Starting Now Copywriting is more important today than it’s ever been before, and the most successful copywriters on the web are the ones who know how to manage their time effectively. With that in mind, check out these five smart copywriting productivity hacks I use that will help streamline your days and produce better content. 1. Use a browser plugin to stop yourself from getting lost in the internet Copywriters spend a lot of time online, and if we’re not careful, it’s easy for things like Facebook and cat videos (or cat videos on Facebook) to eat up our hours. Without question, one of the largest challenges I’ve faced since becoming a professional copywriter is learning to put a lid on internet-based distractions. Luckily, there are several smart ways to do it pretty efficiently. My favorite way to keep internet distractions at bay is to use a browser plugin called Momentum. Every time I open a new tab (in Chrome), Momentum displays a personal dashboard that includes a scenic photo, an inspirational quote, a daily priority (which I set every morning), and a list of to-dos. Every time my energy starts to dip, and I begin to fantasize about watching a cat in a shark costume ride a Roomba around someone’s kitchen, Momentum reminds me what I’m supposed to be doing and helps me stay on track. Thank goodness for that. 2. Make your workspace a phone-free zone Before I was a copywriter, I worked as a legal assistant. In that job, I could check my phone all day long without my productivity taking a hit. The minute I moved into full-time copywriting, though, this ground to a halt. Maybe it’s because copywriting is such an involved profession, or because it requires so much focus, but I believe that one of the biggest distractions for copywriters is a buzzing cell phone. If I stop to check a text or pick up a friend’s phone call during the work day, I have an amazingly difficult time picking up where I left off, it takes me four times as long to get anything done, and the work I do churn out is sub-par. With that in mind, banish your phone from your workspace. It doesn’t matter where you exile it to, so long as it’s not face-up on your desk. While I’m writing, I leave my phone plugged in on the kitchen counter. This allows me to keep my productivity intact and churn out my work with fewer distractions. 3. Write yourself a daily to-do list While I use the to-do function on Momentum, my primary mode of organization is a huge planner that contains the contents of my entire brain. If I lost this planner, I’d be reduced to wandering the streets and sobbing like a lost child. It is that important. While the planner keeps me organized and prevents me from forgetting assignments or breezing past due dates, it also helps me hold myself accountable. Don’t believe me? No worries – there’s some good science to back this up. According to research conducted by psychology professor Dr. Gail Matthews at California’s Dominican University, people who write their goals down are a whopping 42% more likely to achieve them. While this is true for big, long-term goals, it’s also true for daily goals. With this in mind, write yourself a daily to-do list. In addition to helping you meet your milestones, it will also motivate you to stay productive and fulfill your goals each day. 4. Take frequent breaks to boost attention Isn’t it odd that one of the most effective productivity hacks is to stop being productive? While it may seem counterintuitive, taking frequent breaks is one of the single most effective ways to stay sharp and driven throughout the day. In addition to the fact that stepping away from the desk dramatically reduces eye fatigue in people who work on computers (I see you, copywriters!), people who take regular, two-minute long breaks are 11.15% more productive than their peers. With that in mind, take frequent breaks throughout the day. When I feel myself starting to get distracted and bogged down, I set an alarm for thirty minutes. For that thirty minutes, I do nothing but write – even if what’s coming out is terrible. When the alarm goes off, I get up, make myself a cup of tea, or step outside for five minutes. And then I keep doing that until the piece is done. The moral of the story is this: sometimes you have to give productivity a break to stay as productive as possible. 5. Batch check everything (no exceptions) This is a tip I learned from the master of productivity – Tim Ferriss. In a world of push notifications, alerts, inboxes, and text messages, it’s incredibly rare that we get to spend any amount of time focusing on a single thing. Over time, this leads to mental burnout and rising stress levels. Luckily, you can combat it by placing some limits on your digital world and beginning to batch-check your virtual communications. “What can I batch check,” you ask? Great question. You can batch check your emails, voice mails, text messages, social media notifications, and alerts. To get started, define two times each day that you’ll … Read more