Smarter Week

How to automate it

How to automate “plan and update the content calendar”

Here are 2 ways to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today.

30 min
typically, once a week
40%
of the time can be automated
Easy
to set up

Fix 1 of 2

Software featureBest fix

Run the content calendar in your project tool, not a spreadsheet

A calendar view in Asana, Monday, Notion, Airtable or CoSchedule links each post to its task, owner and status, so the calendar updates itself as work moves.

Typically saves about 35% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1Create a project or database with one item per piece of content.
  2. 2Add fields for channel, owner, status and publish date, and switch on the calendar view.
  3. 3Use templates for repeat content so tasks create themselves.
  4. 4Share the calendar view with stakeholders instead of sending updates.

Tools: Asana · Monday · Notion · Airtable · CoSchedule

Fix 2 of 2

Process fix

Write a week of social posts in one sitting

Writing posts one at a time each day means switching in and out of the task. One weekly block, scheduled ahead, takes far less total time.

Typically saves about 30% of the time15 min to set up
  1. 1Block 90 minutes on the same day each week.
  2. 2Pull ideas from the content calendar, recent wins and blog posts.
  3. 3Draft all posts for the week (with AI help if you like) and get one batch approval.
  4. 4Schedule them all at once; check in daily only to reply to comments.

Tools: Buffer, Hootsuite, Sprout Social or Later

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

Marketing Manager / GeneralistContent / Social Media

HourLeak · the 8-minute work audit

How many hours does this cost you?

The free 8-minute check works out where your week goes and gives you your top fixes. The team scan does the same for everyone and adds it up, so you know which leaks to fix first.

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Answers are anonymous. Leaders only see team totals.

Other common tasks for Marketing Managers / Generalists