Are Marketers More or Less Productive in the Office? The remote work productivity debate will never end, and frankly, it shouldn't. Leaders and employees alike should never stop being critical of how time is spent and seeking improved productivity levels. Is it tiring to refine and edit how we work constantly? Sure. Change is always tiring to a degree, but thankfully, marketers are resilient to change because it's inherent to what we do. I feel like I've lived nine lives as a marketer: unpaid intern, salaried in-office employee, hybrid worker, remote contractor. Most of my experience has been completed outside of the office setting, and as a remote work enthusiast and author, I prefer it that way for my productivity and quality of life. But am I the norm? Where are other marketers most productive? I asked more than 100 marketers if they feel more productive (and happier) working in the office or at home. Here's what they had to say. Table of Contents Remote, Hybrid, In-Office: The Marketing Landscape Today Productivity Statistics What Experts Have to Say Remote, Hybrid, In-Office: The Marketing Landscape Today Today, millions of marketers are showing up to work across the globe. How are they working? These are the three main organizational models. Fully In-Office Teams The concept of a fully in-office team doesn‘t need much of an introduction. Despite remote work dating back to the...

The Science of Productivity: How to Get More Done in a Day It’s estimated that a shocking 60% (or less) of work time is spent productively, according to Atlassian. Time is our scarcest resource, yet we spend so much of it doing things that are unproductive — usually without meaning to. Emails, meetings, endless notifications... We’re indeed being pulled in more directions than ever before, but it’s not just technology holding us back from making the most of our time. In many cases, we are the ones responsible for our own lack of productivity. As a freelance remote worker, I’ve had to tango with my self-sabotaging productivity quirks more than most. I used to blame my workload and environment; it wasn’t until I was completely in control of those factors that I was left with the realization that I was the problem all along. Like you, I’m more successful and happy when I’m productive. We’re all on the hunt for the magic bullet solution; this has led to the endless production of AI productivity tools and life-hack lists. How can we produce more while doing less? We look over at the person who seems to get it all done while still managing to have a life, and we ask ourselves: What does she know that I don’t? Is there a secret to high productivity? With some work, many of the barriers to productivity are solvable. However, to truly enhance productivity, you need to first understand it. Here’s what science...

7 Best Productivity Systems to Simplify Your Workflow (+My Favorite Workflows) I’m a content writer by night and a Head of Partnerships by day, and in my world, being productive is everything. No scheduling or a lack of project management leads to overdue articles, failed partnership opportunities, high pressure, and stress. We’ve all been there, recovering from zero productivity. Productivity systems help develop a sustainable work-life balance and prepare for working sprints when needed. In this post, I’m sharing the seven best productivity systems that have become part of my routine, turning the daily grind into an efficient workday. You’ll find their pros and cons and different use cases.   What are productivity systems? Productivity systems are methods and tools that assist you in getting things done efficiently. They don’t do the work for you, but they help you organize and prioritize tasks and your well-being, resulting in more productivity at a given time. For instance, productivity systems help you with: Breaking down projects into smaller, manageable steps. Focusing and avoiding distractions. Goal setting. Organization and workflow. Let’s explore the seven productivity systems I use and how they help me. 7 Productivity Systems to Simplify Your Workflow 1. The Pomodoro Technique I’m simply in love with this method for supercharging my productivity when I struggle to pull myself together and get things done. It instantly activates my focus mode, and I become so in the zone that nothing can distract me. How...

10+ Ways to Increase Your Productivity At Work & At Home When you’re trying to meet personal and/or professional goals, one of the first things you evaluate is your productivity. Are you managing your time well? Are you checking off items on your to-do list? Or do you find yourself falling behind? If so, this article’s for you. Discover low-effort ways to boost your productivity – whether you’re working from home or heading to the office. How to Increase Productivity at Work Figure out your productivity patterns. Don’t multitask. Be accountable. Break up large tasks. Block off your calendar. Use productivity apps. Ways to Increase Productivity at Home Limit distractions. Stick to a routine. Prioritize breaks. Set up your environment. Have a designated workspace. How to Increase Productivity at Work 1. Figure out your productivity patterns. Just because the average work day is between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. doesn’t mean those are the hours in which you do your best work. Some of us focus best in the early morning before the sun is even up and some of us are night owls. The first thing you should do when working on your productivity is first to...

Reducing Busy Work: Tips & Tools for Marketers The average marketer spends almost a third of their time completing repetitive tasks. Marketers already have enough responsibilities — and can't afford time mismanagement on busy work. Marketers should spend their time driving company growth and visibility, — and in this post, we'll give you our best tips and tools to help you minimize your time doing busy work and center your real priorities. Busy work prevents marketers from focusing on the more important or urgent tasks like working on the next big campaign, strategizing, or content creation. Luckily, we know ways to cut down busy work so marketers can get back to productive projects. Tips for Reducing Busy Work 1. Determine how you'll prioritize your workload. Chances are you have more than one type of deliverable if you're a marketer. Take the time to analyze and prioritize which parts of your job duties are most important to least as a general framework. Focus on the most critical or time-bound tasks first, making the busy work seem less tedious when you get to it and giving you designated time to address it. Pro Tip: Avoid the myth of multitasking. Otherwise, you risk jumping from project to project without finishing notable work, thus extending the time spent on busy work. 2. Create a routine with daily to-do lists. Making a to-do list is easy, but adhering to one is not. Marketers should carve out time at the beginning of...

15 of the Best Productivity Blogs To Read Staying productive is a goal many of us have, but finding a strategy that works can be challenging. We can also have certain periods where staying focused isn’t an issue, but others where it can feel impossible to stay on task. This is why reading about productivity is helpful, especially when the content helps you develop your own tactics for dealing with it. Read on to discover a list of productivity blogs featuring high-quality information and strategies you can adopt to get over the productivity hump. Top Productivity Blogs 1. HubSpot Blog The HubSpot Blog features various articles on productivity, from tips from experts on their own best practices to lists of tools that can help you be more productive. You can also download a free productivity guide that will help you learn more about productivity and even prioritize your tasks and projects. Recommended Read: 5 Surprising Research-Backed Tips That Will Boost Your Team's Productivity 2. Ali Abdaal Ali Abdaal uses his experience as a doctor and studying for school to write his blog, The Ultimate Guide to Productivity. In his posts, he talks about what it means to be productive and how people can achieve their versions of productivity with the tools they already have. Recommended Read: The 2-minute productivity rule 3. Thrive Global Entrepreneur Arianna Huffington is the founder of Thrive Global, a site that features productivity solutions that reference technology, science, and behavioral psychology. Recommended Read: 5 tips on...

Why Integrated Productivity Tools Matter for the Future of Work, According to HubSpot's CMO As marketers, we know first-hand the importance of using effective software. Powerful tools enable marketing teams to increase the quality and timeliness of their marketing efforts. Consider, for instance, how project management software can help you coordinate cross-functionally and ensure all team members have visibility into the tasks required to get a campaign off the ground. Leveraging the right tools also enables you to determine whether your marketing efforts are working. A CRM that integrates with a project management tool can empower each team member to become a better, more data-driven marketer. Best of all, the right integrations help to ensure your organization isn't duplicating work and wasting time. In challenging economic times, it's never been more critical for business leaders to avoid costly duplication efforts. In 2022, one out of every five businesses reported they pivoted from their established plan due to the potential recession. Supportive, integrated tools can ensure your team is remaining efficient even when you need to shift course. Effective tools matter greatly for your business' bottom line. And as businesses approach the new world of hybrid or remote-first working, it's never been more essential for your teams to use powerful technology to remain connected, in-sync, and effective. Today, we're announcing an exciting new partnership between HubSpot and ClickUp, a cloud-based collaborative work platform. Let's explore why this partnership is valuable, and how I believe it can help our customers scale their...

How One HubSpotter Created a Framework to Reduce Meeting Fatigue This post is a part of Made @ HubSpot, an internal thought leadership series through which we extract lessons from experiments conducted by our very own HubSpotters. A few months ago, I came to a startling realization: My job is meetings. Maybe you can relate. From morning to night, I spend my time jumping from Zoom call to Zoom call. I race to grab a snack in the two minutes I'm afforded in-between calls, and I'm mentally exhausted by the end of the day. It's a struggle to decompress before spending time with friends and family. And, equally challenging, the amount of meetings I have takes away from my ability to get my work done. I'm Chris Saly — an Engineering Lead at HubSpot. As an engineer, my day job was code. Sure, we needed meetings to discuss things and stay updated as a team, but the main mechanism and value of my job was the quality and reliability of the code I produced. Now, the primary value of my job is talking to others. Whether it's as a mentor, being involved in tactical decisions, or helping set a strategic vision, most of these goals are communicated through meetings. However, there are some very real consequences to my role as an EL. Among other things, my meeting-heavy life was taking its toll on my mental health, relationships, and workplace productivity. I knew something had to change. Here, I'll show you...