While not true in all cases, Friday is typically seen as winding down time. Studies show we’re less productive as the working week progresses. So tip 10 is more of a “don’t do”, than a “do do”. If you want to see more success from Digital Marketing, stop scheduling it for Friday afternoons!
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Where’s the science for this tip?
Well, actually, we’re basing it on our experience more than anything else. From 10 years working with clients at Aillum, and another 12 prior to that working in other digital roles, we’ve lost count of how many companies we’ve heard say things like:
- “We just don’t have time, we’ll allocate a Friday afternoon when it’s quieter.”
- “I’ll work so my desk is clear on Friday, then work on Digital”
While we appreciate there will be plenty of people who are super productive on Fridays, we’re also sure many of you will understand what we’re getting at here.
A few obvious challenges with a Friday afternoon include:
- If you’re always that busy, then assuming you will indeed have cleared your desk by Friday is probably being over optimistic.
- If you do get that desk cleared, there’s every chance you’re going to be tired / less motivated. Other things then start to become distractions: coffee to keep you awake, messages on the phone etc. Procrastination becomes a real issue!
“After lunchtime, our productivity drops — and it completely plummets after 4 p.m.” (Source: Forbes.com)
There’s a reasonable risk, in our experience, that actually what you’ll say is “You know what, I’ll just get this on Monday” … but on Monday you’re really busy again, so digital is moved to Friday again, and so the cycle starts and continues.
A little science …
For those who really want the science, it’s worth Googling, but a couple of examples articles (from the many we’ve read) include:
- https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/management-tips/productivity-power-play
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/priceonomics/2017/12/08/when-do-people-actually-get-work-done/
Schedule Digital Marketing for alternative days and times
You may not agree, and that’s fine. We’ve happily admitted that this tip is more based on experience than on hard science.
That said, we’re sure a number of you will fully understand and appreciate what we’re getting at here, and hopefully agree!
If you want to see more success from Digital Marketing, allocate it more than ‘unproductive’ time. More than ‘winding down’ time.
Trial, for a few weeks, allocating 1hr – 2hrs nearer the start of the week, perhaps split over Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon, and see how you get on!
Browse all 31 tips
To catch up on all 31 Digital Marketing Tips from this series, head over to the main blog post.
