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Asana Content Calendar: Streamlining Your Content Planning

Asana Content Calendar: Streamlining Your Content Planning

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Are you tired of juggling multiple spreadsheets, documents, and calendars to plan and organize your content? Are you looking for an easy way to plan the core content in your business? Is creating all the content for your online marketing making you feel overwhelmed? Or maybe you feel as if you're chasing your tail when it comes to content planning. I get it. Look no further than Asana to create consistency with your core content creation. Using an Asana Content Calendar to plan and streamline your content creation process. Asana is an effective project management software that simplifies the creation of content.

The Content Calendar takes it further by providing a centralized hub for all your content planning needs. Your Asana Content Calendar has everything from brainstorming ideas to scheduling posts. Say goodbye to the headache of trying to keep track of deadlines and content topics across various platforms. With Asana, you can easily assign tasks, set due dates, and track progress all in one place. Plus, the calendar view makes it easy to visualize your content schedule and make adjustments on the fly. Whether you're a solo content creator or have a small team, Asana's Content Calendar is the ultimate tool for maximizing your productivity and streamlining your content planning process.

​Why use a content calendar?

You may be wondering why even bother with creating a content calendar in the first place. A content calendar is a tool that helps you plan and organize your content in a structured way. It's a great way to keep track of deadlines, brainstorm ideas, and ensure that your content is consistently published on time. A content calendar also helps you avoid the stress of last-minute content creation, which can lead to lower-quality content and missed deadlines.

A content calendar lets you know exactly what to create and when so no more banging your head on your desk.

Using a content calendar lets you plan your content in advance, allowing you to be more strategic with your content marketing efforts. You can also ensure that your content is aligned with your business goals and target audience. Additionally, a content calendar can help you identify gaps in your content and ensure that you have a variety of content types and topics.

What an Asana Content Calendar can do for you

Now, I know what you are thinking is Asana right for me? Asana works well for my client who would like a simple solution, likes to check off items on a to-do list, and are a bit more visual. If you’re at all skeptical about using Asana, schedule a quick 30-minute mini-session with me, and we’ll figure out if it is the right solution for you. With so many choices out there for project management it’s essential to find the right now that you will actually use. I’ll get you set up and going with your first template.

Using an Asana Content Calendar offers many benefits for online business owners and course creators. Here are a few of my top benefits:

Centralized Hub for Content Planning

Asana's Content Calendar provides a centralized hub for all your content planning needs. You can create tasks for each piece of content and assign due dates to ensure everything is completed on time. The content calendar lets you know exactly what to create and when, and Asana will also remind you.  Descriptions, attachments, and comments can be added to each task to provide further context and information.

Collaboration and Accountability

If you’re planning to bring on your first virtual assistant in the near future, Asana will let you collaborate with team members and assign tasks to specific people. This ensures that everyone knows what they need to do and when. You can also track progress and see who has completed their tasks, which helps with accountability.

Customizable Views

Asana offers customizable views, so you can view your content in a way that works best for you. You can view your content by day, week, or month and filter by specific team members, projects, or tags. This makes it easy to see what's coming up and adjust as needed.

When you sit down at your desk you know exactly what you need to be working on. No more wasted time trying to figure it out.v

Integration with Other Tools

Asana integrates with many other tools, including Google Drive, Dropbox, and Toggl. This makes it easy to add attachments and track time for your team.

How to set up Asana Content Calendar

Setting up a Content Calendar in Asana is easy. Here are the steps:

  1. Create an Asana account if you don't already have one.
  2. Create a project for your content calendar.
  3. Add tasks for each piece of content you plan to create.
  4. Assign due dates to each task.
  5. Customize your view to see your content in the best way for you.
  6. Create a template to duplicate time and time again.
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Create Your Content Calendar Template

If you do something repeatedly in your business, it should have a workflow created.

With a content calendar in Asana, you’ll be able to create a template of all the steps you go through when creating the main content for your business.

With a template for your next piece of content, you'll never have to remember what steps to take because it's all laid out right here in the template.

It’s as simple as duplicating the template, and you’ll be ready to go!

Here is a look at the Asana Content Calendar template!

Michele from Miss Task Asana Content Calendar Example

Be sure to watch the following videos for the walk-through!

 

Getting Started With Your Content Planning in Asana

Once you've set up your content calendar in Asana, it's time to start inputting your content. Here are some tips for adding content to your Asana Content Calendar:

An Idea Bank to Store All Your Content Ideas

Do you have sticky notes and notebooks scattered across your office with random ideas scribbled about? If someone asked what is your process for creating great content, would you throw your head back in laughter?

No more, my friends; Asana is the perfect solution for squirreling away all those ideas.

With Asana, you’re able to keep all your ideas in one place. You’ll know exactly where to find them once it’s time to plan your content calendar.

Gone are the days of wondering where you wrote down your last great idea.

Now, you’ll add all your amazing ideas to your idea bank in Asana.

What's great about Asana is that they have an app that allows you to write down ideas wherever you are.

Before you start creating tasks for each piece of content, take some time to brainstorm ideas. Start by creating a task called Idea Bank and add all your ideas as subtasks. This helps you organize your ideas and ensures that you don't forget anything.

Create Tasks for Each Piece of Content

Once you have your ideas, create a task for each piece of content you plan to create. Be sure to include the title, due date, and any other relevant information.

Add Descriptions, Attachments, and Comments

For each task, add a description that includes all the details about the content. You can also add attachments, such as images or videos, and comments to provide additional context and information.

Assign Tasks to Team Members

If you're working with a team, assign tasks to specific team members. This ensures that everyone knows what they need to do and when.

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Collaborating with team members using Asana Content Calendar

One of the benefits of Asana's Content Calendar is the ability to collaborate with team members.

Here are some tips for collaborating with team members using Asana:

Assign Tasks

Assign tasks to yourself or a specific team member to ensure that everyone knows what they need to do and when. You can also set due dates and track progress to ensure that everything is completed on time.

Add Comments

Add comments to tasks to provide additional context and information. This helps team members understand what they need to do and why.

Use @mentions

Use @mentions to tag team members in comments and tasks. This ensures that team members are notified when something is assigned to them or when they need to provide input.

Hold Regular Team Meetings

Hold regular weekly team meetings to discuss progress and make adjustments as needed. You can use Asana's calendar view to see what's coming up and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Ask these three simple questions:

  • What are you working on this week?
  • What did you work on last week?
  • Any roadblock?

Customizing Asana Content Calendar for your business needs

Asana's Content Calendar is customizable, which means you can adjust it to meet your business needs. Here are some tips for customizing Asana's Content Calendar:

Paid Feature is Custom Fields

Asana allows you to create custom fields, which means you can add additional information to each task. For example, you could create a custom field for the target audience or content type.

Create Templates

Templates can be created a couple of ways the paid version of Asana has a very simple way to create a template. However, if you’re not ready to invest in the monthly subscription, simply create a task that can be duplicate for each content piece.

If you create similar types of content on a regular basis, you must create a template. This saves time and ensures that everything is consistent.

Use Color-Coding

I love color! It is a quick visual. Asana allows you to color-code your tasks, which makes it easy to see what's coming up and what needs to be prioritized.

Asana Content Calendar Tips and Tricks

Here are some additional tips and tricks for using Asana's Content Calendar:

Use the Mobile App

Asana has a mobile app, which means you can access your content calendar on the go. This is useful if you need to make adjustments while you're out of the office.

Set Reminders

Asana allows you to set reminders for tasks, which ensures that you don't forget anything.

Use Tags

Asana allows you to use tags, which makes it easy to filter your content by specific topics or themes.

Integrating Asana Content Calendar with other tools

Asana integrates with many other tools, which makes it even more powerful. Here are some tools that integrate with Asana:

Google Drive

Asana integrates with Google Drive, which means you can attach Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to your tasks.

Dropbox

Asana integrates with Dropbox, which means you can attach files from your Dropbox account to your tasks.

Slack

Asana integrates with Slack, which means you can receive notifications and updates directly in your Slack channels.

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Asana Content Calendar alternatives

While Asana's Content Calendar is a great tool, it may not be the best fit for everyone. Here are some alternatives to consider:

Trello

Trello is a project management tool that uses boards and cards to organize tasks. It's a great option for visual learners who prefer a more tactile approach.

CoSchedule

CoSchedule is a content marketing calendar that offers many features, including social media scheduling and analytics.

Notion

Notion is a flexible database tool that can be used for content planning and organization. It's great for content creators, whether you are a one-woman show or have a small and mighty team collaborating on the content system.  

Wrap This Up

Asana's Content Calendar is an excellent tool for streamlining your content planning process. It offers many benefits, including centralized content planning, collaboration, and customizable views. By using a content calendar in Asana, you can ensure that your content is consistently published on time and aligned with your business goals. If you're looking for a powerful content planning tool, give Asana a try!

3 Tips for a Stellar Management Content System

3 Tips for a Stellar Management Content System

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In the fast-paced world of online entrepreneurship, content creation is key. But what happens when your content becomes scattered and unorganized? Chaos ensues. Let me ask, friend if you understand the common problems entrepreneurs face when their content is unorganized. Oh no, do you run the risk of poorly named and saved content that may never see the light of day? Fear not, though, as I’ll provide three simple tips for managing your content using a basic system with Google Sheets and Google Drive. And yes, I’ll explain why starting a content management system early on is crucial, even before you hire your first virtual assistant. Let's get organized!

The Struggles of Unorganized Content:

When your content is unorganized, you face a multitude of challenges. Unorganized content can be a nightmare to manage. Imagine spending hours searching for that brilliant blog post you wrote months ago, only to give up in frustration.

It leads to wasted time searching for files, missed opportunities to repurpose valuable content, and a general feeling of chaos.

 

When everything is scattered across different folders, devices, or platforms, it becomes challenging to locate what you need when you need it. Recognizing the impact of disorganization is the first step toward creating a system that brings order and efficiency to your content management process.

Unorganized content hinders your ability to repurpose and maximize its potential value.

You could be missing out on opportunities to reach a wider audience and increase your online presence.

Don't let disorganized content hold you back any longer.

 

Three Simple Tips for a Management Content System Using a Basic Approach:

Creating a content management process doesn't have to be complicated. Here are three simple tips utilizing a basic system with Google Sheets and Google Drive:

Tip 1: Establish a File Structure: Start by creating a well-organized file structure in Google Drive. Create folders for each content type, such as blog posts, videos, or social media graphics. Within each folder, further, categorize by topic or date. This structure will provide a clear hierarchy and make content retrieval a breeze.

Think about broad categories that align with your business, such as “Blog,” “Social Media,” or “Content Planning.” Within each category, establish subfolders for specific topics or campaigns.

This structure will provide a clear roadmap for effortlessly organizing and locating your content. Episode 4 is digital content organization, and Episode 2 is content file organization. I’d love for you to give those two a listen.

Tip 2: Utilize a Google Sheet for Tracking: Create a Google Sheet acting as your content inventory. Include columns for content titles, descriptions, keywords, publication status, and links to the corresponding files. This sheet will serve as your central dashboard, allowing you to locate and track your content assets quickly.

Tip 3: Implement a Consistent Naming Convention: I may be speaking to the choir, but have you ever encountered a file with a vague or confusing name, making it nearly impossible to understand its purpose? In other words, ever come across a file with a vague name like “Untitled” or “Final Version 2”? I’m not throwing any stones; we’ve all been there. 

But here's the problem: poorly named and saved content is a common issue that often results in content getting lost in the abyss of your digital storage. It becomes a needle in a haystack, buried under layers of forgotten files. Your valuable content may never see the light of day without a clear and consistent naming convention. It's time to put an end to the frustration and establish a simple naming and saving convention that works for you.

Develop a standardized naming convention for your content files. Incorporate relevant details like date, topic, and version number. This practice ensures clarity, makes searching easier, and prevents content from getting lost in the depths of your digital archives.

For instance, “Blog_Post_Title_MMDDYY” or “Social_Media_Graphics_CampaignName_Version1.” 

Consistency is key here, enabling you and others to quickly identify and comprehend the content's purpose without any guesswork. If this feels overwhelming, create a cheat sheet.

What’s great about a cheatsheet, when you bring on your first VA, they will understand the naming conventions for your files. Episode 3 covers file naming; listen to that if this is a pain point for your business. 

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The Importance of Starting Early:

You might be wondering why you should establish a management content system before hiring a virtual assistant. The answer is simple: it sets you up for success.

By organizing your content early on, you'll develop efficient habits and processes. When the time comes to delegate tasks to a virtual assistant, you'll be ready to seamlessly hand over your well-structured system. Starting early prevents overwhelm and ensures a smooth transition as your business grows.

Once you have a simple content management system in place, onboarding a virtual assistant becomes a breeze. With organized folders, clear filenames, and a centralized content repository, you can easily share access to specific folders or files with your assistant. This ensures they have everything they need to support you efficiently without getting lost in the content maze.

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Good-Bye to the Struggle

Entrepreneurs, it's time to take control of your content!  Managing your content doesn't have to be a daunting task, even if you haven't been the most organized business owner in the past. A management content system is your ticket to organization, efficiency, and maximizing the value of your creations. 

By recognizing the challenges of unorganized content, addressing the risks of poorly named and saved files, and implementing three simple tips for content management, you can create an efficient system that brings order to your business. Start small, develop consistency, and enjoy the benefits of a streamlined content management process. With a simple content system in place, you'll be better equipped to collaborate, repurpose content, and maximize your business's potential. 

Say goodbye to the struggles of unorganized content and the risks of burying your work. Embrace the simplicity of a Google Sheets and Google Drive system, establishing file structures, tracking your assets, and implementing a consistent naming convention. Start now, even before hiring your first virtual assistant, and pave the way for a successful and streamlined content journey. Your online business will thank you.

Overly Ambitious Goals: How They Impact Your Work-Life Balance

Overly Ambitious Goals: How They Impact Your Work-Life Balance

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Have you ever found yourself swept away by the intoxicating thrill of setting goals that may be overly ambitious, only to question later if it is aligned with your overarching “why” or if it was set more as a vanity goal? While the goal may be achievable, is it a goal that is truly fulfilling? I must confess I've fallen into this trap recently, especially when juggling my commitment to publishing podcasts while still being there for my clients and family. I had to step back to look at my goal to reach 100 podcast episodes before the end of the year. Come on, Friend, let’s explore the alluring tap of overly ambitious goals and finding balance. 

A Personal Journey into Overambition

Yes, I must admit I was too ambitious with my content creation goal. Do you set goals that may be overly ambitious out of pure excitement?  Well, this was me with the number of podcasts I could publish consistently and finding balance to be present for my clients and family.

This was my thought; it will be so cool to have 100 podcasts before the end of the year. It’s doable. Totally doable cause I set the alluring ambitious goal only looking at the numbers and not considering the possible effects.

I kinda wish I could tell you this was the first time I’d done this, but it would be a lie, and most of the time, I’ll push through because I set the goal. Ask my husband, I’m stubborn. What happens to me when I do this instead of enjoying the progress toward the goal? Suddenly, it is a box that I need to check off, no longer a goal I feel aligned with. I’ll go through the motions not with excitement but with dread. I have a hard time throwing in the towel. I’ll tell myself you can do this, and I’ll run myself ragged.

A Quick Recap From Last Week

I touched on this briefly last week in episode 17. On the point of knowing how much organic content you can create without feeling overwhelmed. Friend, this question is so very important. It will vary for each of us. We all have different things on our plates.

I discovered really quickly that putting out three podcasts a week, while doable, was causing me to say “no” to things that I wanted to say “yes” to. Seriously, my ambition gets the best of me sometimes.

I’ve had enough failed attempts at creating consistent pillar content that I know my sweet spot is one piece of organic content a week. This is the right amount to allow me to find a balance between running a business and my family. I ignored this when setting my goal of 100 episodes before the end of 2023.

I thought no big deal, I’ll batch record and have my VA handle everything else. Well, until something happened to the recordings, eight episodes of batch work were gone. Well, not gone exactly; I sounded like a super fast-talking chipmunk. Let’s say I was in complete horror when I found this out, just as we are getting into one of our busiest times this year, graduation time. My three kids are graduating from either college or high school this month.

Are you sitting on the edge of your seat, wondering about my reaction? 

Of course, you are wondering, LOL. 

At first, I cried a little frustrated with myself. Oh, and believe me, at one point, I would have pushed through and batch-recorded all eight of them again.  With the thought, no big deal, I can find time.

But you see, that “time” that I’d be required to find would cause me to say “no” to a lot of important things we have going on right now. Only to say “yes” to my overly ambitious goal.  

You may not be impressed with me, but I truly was. Instead of batch recording them again, I asked myself what is the lesson here? What is the message that God is sending me? I stepped back to look for my message; everything happens for a reason, am I right?  

Is this goal aligned with my why? 

Asking this question tends to give me insight when I set or want to set overly ambitious goals. Sometimes I’m selfish and want to do things for vanity or what I’ll receive in return.

We are not intended to serve ourselves in this life. We have been given specific gifts from God to help serve one another. 

For this reason, I had to step back, reflect on my overly ambitious goals, and find a balance that allowed me to say “yes” to the things that truly mattered.

Was it hard? Yes, I feel the desire creep in,100% I do. 

However, I set the goal without sitting down and determining if it would be realistic and achievable with everything I’ve already committed to this year. 

Do I feel out of integrity, going back and changing only after a short period of time? Yes, a little. But, this goal in only a few weeks infringed on my overarching why: to create an impact while being present for my family. 

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The Lure of Overly Ambitious Goals

Oh, yes, they bring feelings of exhilaration when setting goals with high aspirations. C’mon, you know that feeling when you totally crush a goal that has been working hard to achieve? 

You can already feel the joy that will come when the dream of accomplishing that extraordinary goal is a reality. All the atta girls you’ll get from your clients, friends, or family members only reinforce the desire to set overly ambitious goals. There is one small problem when these types of goals are made from a space; it would be so cool without thinking through how they will impact finding balance for the things that truly matter. 

The Reality Check: Juggling Clients, Family, and Ambitious Goals

The initial enthusiasm will start to wear off, and the mounting pressure of meeting aggressive deadlines will force you to say no to the things you want to say yes to. In the end, this realization will be the reality check to help make the hard decision of letting go of this goal. 

The Turning Point: Acknowledging the Need for Change

Let me tell you; it takes a whole bucketful of courage to look at yourself in the mirror and say, “Hey, I think I bit off more than I can chew.” You see, there's a certain charm in admitting that you've been overly ambitious – it’s kind of like eating a whole pan of warm, gooey, fresh rice crispy bars by yourself; initially, it seems like a great idea until you're halfway through, and the guilt of keeping them all for yourself kicks in. That's when you know it's time to quit while you're ahead and share it with your family. 

Pause, and reevaluate your priorities. It's about taking a long, hard look at your why and asking, “Is this goal truly in alignment with my why or is it more of a vanity metric?” 

And sometimes, it's about admitting that it wasn’t completely thought through it was a goal made from excitement, just like my 100 episodes. 

Finding Balance and Redefining Success

You know, there's a certain finesse involved in setting realistic goals. Not every goal is a good goal to strive for, yes, they should challenge you, but not to the point where you’re overwhelmed and questioning what the heck you were thinking setting this goal. 

It is okay to step back and readjust the goal to be a little less ambitious so that you have the space to say yes to the things that matter and the people that matter. 

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The ongoing pursuit of balance, growth, and happiness

I’m guessing we both want to pursue all the goals that grow us personally and our businesses. If you find yourself in the future contemplating if your goal is a little on the ambitious side or if it is simply stretching you. 

  • Be sure to sleep on goal; heck, you may even need a week.
  • Circle back on the goal and ask yourself the following questions for a better gauge. 
  • Is this goal in alignment with my why? 
  • If I say yes to this goal, will I have enough bandwidth to be present for my family, clients, and potential growth opportunities that may come up? 
  • What is driving my desire to set this overly ambitious goal? 
  • Am I realistically able to achieve this goal in this time frame, with all my prior commitments? 
  • Will setting this goal allow me to maintain balance in my life?

It’s important to clearly understand what you want to achieve and what steps you need to take to get there. However, it's equally important to recognize that you can't do everything. As much as we want to, our goal must be prioritized and either let go of, the end date readjust or moved out to a future start date. 

If you struggle with a goal, remember it is okay to reevaluate and redirect. As a busy online business owner, you have enough going on without the added stress of an overly ambitious goal.Heck, if you’re looking to Find Balance in your life and business, I invite you to download my free resource, Find Balance.

Thank you so much for reading, friend; I hope this was helpful. I appreciate you, and I hope you have a wonderful week.

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