In the world of PPC, you have to be organized in some way, shape, or form. Prior to my career as a PPC Hero, I was known as a procrastinator and probably still fall into that category more often than not. (Don’t ask me when I wrote this blog post.) When I first began working at Hanapin, I learned that to-do lists, status docs, roadmaps, and sticky notes would become my best friend and were an essential part of my day-to-day.
In this post, I’m going to walk through the art of status docs and lists. However, I want to begin by stating that everyone has their own unique style and something that may work for one person, won’t for another and vice versa. So, let’s jump into it!
Good Old Fashion Sticky Notes
The first thing I want to address is sticky notes. While they don’t serve as an official status doc, they can serve as an extension to a status doc and a reminder right in front of your face.
Some things that I have used sticky notes for;
- Reminder to complete a specific project and to note it in the ‘official’ status doc
- KPI goal reminders
- Budget reminders
- All the tasks that need to be completed in a given day
- Notes during a client call
- To take out the trash
In my opinion, sticky notes are great to jot down quick notes that can later be transferred to more official docs. They are also handy when you absolutely cannot forget something and can be placed on the edge of the desk or computer.
To-Do Lists
This is an area that is a little more creative. To-do lists can be made with a simple word program, on a sheet of paper, or in one of the many platforms online. Their main function: to house a list of all of the things that you have to complete including short-term and long-term tasks.
Some of the platforms I have tried out in the past include;
- todoist – This has been one of my favorites for years now. It’s simple, includes many features such as recurring events and so forth.
- Google Keep – I also love Google keep because it’s an extension of all the other Google products I use on a daily basis. It can be viewed within your Gmail account and is easily accessible.
- Wunderlist – Another great contender.
- TickTick – Yet another great one. One of my favorite features of TickTick is the calendar view and ability to collaborate with others inside or outside of work.
- …and the list goes on!
For to-do lists, I always have one that I’m using at any given time. Yes, I have switched many times over the years and have tried various ones out multiple times. My opinion here is that even for the person who is the least organized, a to-do list application can make you feel somewhat organized.
Status Docs
Last but not least, we come to status docs. Status docs are essentially the bridge between an agency and client relationship. They have the ability to close the gap in communication without ever sending an email or jumping on the phone. And the best thing about them? No two status docs are alike and there is no right way or wrong way to make one.
A status doc is just that, a status. It could be the status for many things including;
- Current initiatives and whether they have not been started, are in progress or are completed
- Client-side action items
- Performance of various tests that have run or are currently running
- A roadmap that walks through where the account has been and where it is going
In another blog post entitled “Work Harder Not Smarter – Using Google Sheets for PPC”, our very own, Rachel Law, discusses the many uses of excel and ends with the benefits of using Excel for your status doc.
When it comes to status docs, I fully support making it your own. However, I do encourage you to do the following;
- If you are going to create one and share it with a client, ensure that you are keeping it up-to-date. It may be the case where eyes never darken it but in the event that a new contact comes on board, you will be glad that you kept it up-to-date.
- Don’t muddy it up with too much stuff. Keep it simple and in a format where someone who knows nothing about the account can read through it and understand what is happening.
Conclusion
In closing, it’s important to stay organized but it’s also important to use applications, platforms, and tactics that won’t be a burden but rather a help. I will be the first to admit that I have tried a million resources and sometimes I get discontent and switch it up. That’s OK! It’s not about how exactly we stay organized but that we do!