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The project management field is growing. By 2027, employers will have 88 million PM roles, according to the Project Management Institute. To capitalize on new opportunities, PMs must keep up-to-date with industry trends and insights.

Whether you’re an industry professional or just starting your career, we’ve gathered 8 of the best project management podcasts to help you on your journey. These podcasts cover a wide variety of topics, from company culture to organizational leadership.
Take a deep dive below.

1. Manage This — The Project Management Podcast

Hosts: Andy Crowe, CEO at Velociteach, and Bill Yates, Executive Vice President at Velociteach
Length: 30-45 minutes
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify

This podcast offers an inside look into every aspect of project management. In each episode, Crowe and Yates share insider intelligence and actionable tips. Recent discussion topics include the challenges of management remotely, reshaping project innovation, and building culture.
What we like: Crowe and Yates invite a variety of subject matter experts onto the show. Conversations range from advice for someone just starting in project management to leadership tips – including how to manage uncertainty.
2. PM Point Of View

Host: Kendall Lott, President at OSP International LLC
Length: 1 hour
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts and Stitcher

This podcast comes from the Project Management Institute of Washington, D.C. Plus, you’ll gather a wide range of perspectives on project management. Host Kendall Lott brings experience from roles in project management and within the C-suite. Guests also come from a variety of backgrounds and industires.
What we like: This podcast offers a wealth of knowledge. Each episode includes actionable tips and advice for PMs of all skill levels.
3. Project Management Happy Hour

Hosts: Kim Essendrup, Founder of Kolme Group, and Kate Anderson, Senior Product Manager at PayPal
Length: 35-45 minutes
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts and the podcast’s website

In each episode, Essendrup and Anderson cover a common problem in project management today. They then dive into practical advice and real-life examples. In addition to industry insights and tips, the hosts offer thoughtful case studies.
What we like: Each episode feels like a casual discussion with your friends. If you’re looking for a podcast that offers honest conversations about real-world issues in project management, then this is the podcast for you.
4. The Digital Project Manager Podcast

Host: Galen Low, Co-Founder and Community Lead
Length: 45-55 minutes
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the podcast’s website

The Digital Project Manager Podcast provides inspiration, how-to guides, tips, tricks, tools, actionable advice, and thoughtful stories. Episodes cover everything under the project management umbrella — including managing budgets and expectations, setting benchmarks, and the factors driving digital transformation.
What we like: Host Galen Low goes beyond just discussing industry trends. He connects with guests and offers actionable advice that will help you through every aspect of project management.

5. The Biker PM

Host: Anthoney Pavelich, Project Manager and Consultant
Length: 25-35 minutes
Where to listen: Spotify

The Biker PM is the perfect project management podcast for small businesses. Host Anthoney Pavelich brings on entrepreneurs and small business owners to discuss the project management challenges they face. Here, they dissect what worked, what didn’t work, and how to navigate new startups.
What we like: Discussions on The Biker PM can benefit any small business owner or entrepreneur who needs guidance on how to avoid project management pitfalls.
6. Projectified

Host: Steve Hendershot, Journalist, Founder, and Chief Creative Officer
Length: 20 minutes
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Created by the Project Management Institute, this podcast is for people who lead strategic initiatives that deliver value to their organizations. Guests include both senior and rising project managers, business leaders in Fortune 500 companies and startups, best-selling authors, top researchers, and a wide range of leading-edge thinkers.
What we like: Projectified is produced by the Project Management Institute, a for-purpose professional membership organization for project management. You can trust the podcast’s content to be accurate and in line with industry standards.
7. People and Projects Podcast

Host: Andy Kaufman, PMP, PMI-ACP
Length: 35-45 minutes
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

This podcast focuses on the intersection of people and projects — where work gets done in the real world. Here you’ll learn management tips that can help your team stay on track and collaborate on big-ticket items.
What we like: If you want a fresh take on project management, this is the podcast for you. Host Andy Kaufman and his guests cover various topics, from skill development to surprising ways you already use project management in your daily life.
8. Project Management Paradise

Host: Aaron Murphy, Project Manager
Length: 20-30 minutes
Where to listen: Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and Audible

This podcast delivers real project management tips and tricks from experts around the world. Host Aaron Murphy talks with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and project managers to offer thoughtful insights.
What we like: After each episode, you’ll walk away with solid guidance and understanding to help you conquer real-world challenges. That includes change management, shifting organizational behavior, and creating a project management style that aligns with your company’s culture.
Choosing the Right Podcast
If you’re looking to gain more actionable insights or expand your skills as a project manager, consider adding these podcasts to your rotation.
Both industry newcomers to long-standing project managers can learn something new from these shows. Plus, you’ll gather tips that can take your project management skills to the next level.

Posting Instagram content when your audience is most active on the app increases chances of engagement, brand awareness, referral traffic, and conversions. However, it’s not always efficient to hover over your phone or laptop to post on Instagram at the perfect moment — so you’ll need a way to schedule Instagram posts ahead of time.
This is where Instagram scheduling software comes into play.
Can you schedule Instagram posts?
Why You Should Schedule Your Instagram Posts
Instagram Scheduling Best Practices
Best Way to Schedule Instagram Posts
Tools for Scheduling Instagram Posts
HubSpot Social Media Management Software
Later
Tailwind
Buffer
Sked Social
Sprout Social
Loomly
How to Schedule Instagram Posts
Schedule Your Instagram Posts

Can you schedule Instagram posts?
Yes! If you’re a content creator or business owner with access to Meta’s Creator Studio, you can connect your Instagram account to Creator Studio to schedule posts.
If you don’t have Creator Studio, Instagram’s API lets users of marketing tools like HubSpot schedule Instagram posts in advance.
It’s also worth mentioning that Instagram is testing a new in-app tool to schedule posts and Reels. In October 2022, a Meta spokesperson said, “We are testing the ability to schedule content with a percentage of our global community.”
That same month, Twitter user @WFBrother posted a screenshot showing how the tool works.

Now you can schedule posts on the Instagram app! ✨You can schedule posts and reels by going to Advanced settings when creating new content. #Instagram @MattNavarra pic.twitter.com/yJykq108wK— ㆅ (@WFBrother)
October 18, 2022

However, the tool is still in the testing stage, so you’ll need to rely on either Meta’s Creator Studio or third-party social media scheduling software to schedule your content.

Why You Should Schedule Your Instagram Posts
There are many reasons you should get in the habit of scheduling your Instagram posts. One reason is that it saves valuable time and gives you the opportunity to plan and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy. Think about it — instead of scrambling to post content at the perfect time, you’re able to schedule a string of compelling posts that include stories, Reels, carousels, polls, and more in advance.
You’ll also have more time to interact with followers and reply to comments, which can build lasting relationships with customers and generate leads.

Instagram Scheduling Best Practices
Here are some best practices to keep in mind when scheduling posts to Instagram.
1. Schedule posts to go live when your audience is the most active.
Track how your posts perform at different times, and use that information to optimize your posting schedule. To get you started, here are some great posting times, according to Search Engine Journal:

Monday: 6 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m.
Tuesday: 8-10 a.m., 2 p.m.
Wednesday: 9-11 a.m.
Thursday: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., 7 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., 2-4 p.m.
Saturday: 8-11 a.m.
Sunday: 6-8 p.m.

2. Craft your captions with care.
If you’re scheduling content ahead of time, there’s no need to rush writing your caption. Take the time to figure out the right hashtag to use, the right accounts to tag (if any), and a compelling call to action.
3. Engage with your audience.
The time you save by scheduling posts can be used to connect with your audience, Block off time to reply to comments, and host polls. If your audience tags you in a story, post that story to your account.

Best Way to Schedule Instagram Posts
The simplest way to schedule Instagram posts will be via Meta’s Creator Studio if you have access to it. To schedule posts via Creator Studio, do the following:

Connect your Instagram account to Creator Studio.
Click “Create Post.”
If you have more than one Instagram account connected to the studio, click the account you want to post to.
Add a caption.
Click “Add Content” to select the video or photos you want to post.
Click “From File Upload” to upload new content, or “From Facebook Page” to post content you already shared to Facebook.
Click the arrow next to “Publish.”
Select “Schedule.”
Choose the date and time you want your content to post on Instagram.
Click “Schedule.”

If you don’t have Creator Studio, you can use plenty of excellent, user-friendly scheduling software. Here are some of your best options.

1. HubSpot Social Media Management Software
Price: $0/month (Free), $45/month (Starter), $800/month (Professional), $3,600/month (Enterprise)

With HubSpot’s Social Media tool, which is part of HubSpot Marketing Hub, you can schedule and publish social posts to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. From within HubSpot, you can edit your post, schedule it, and add @mentions to tag other accounts and users.
Upload the image you want to share on Instagram to HubSpot, then drag and drop it into the post you’re scheduling. You can preview the final post before it goes live to see what your visitors will see.
After you choose the date and time, your Instagram post will be shared and previewed. Tag it with a relevant HubSpot campaign, so all your social posts associated with a marketing campaign you’re already running are organized.
Once you schedule your post, you can select “Schedule another” to plan another social post. There’s an option to auto-copy and paste content from the post you just scheduled so you can plan similar posts for different dates, times, and platforms.
Lastly, if you’re using HubSpot’s social tool to schedule and publish across other platforms, target specific audience groups (for instance, you can target specific countries or languages on Facebook).

Get HubSpot’s Social Media Management Software to help you focus more on connecting with your customers and target audience by using time-saving publishing and scheduling tools that prioritize social interactions.

2. Later
Price: Free, $18/mo (Starter), $40 (Growth), $80 (Advanced)

Later is a social media post scheduler dedicated to Instagram. The platform includes a full social content calendar, drag-and-drop post planning, and the ability to publish automatically to your Instagram Business profile. In addition, the service’s Linkin.bio feature allows you to link individual posts to specific product pages.

3. Tailwind
Price: Free, $12.99/mo (Pro), $19.99 (Advanced), $39.99 (Max)

Tailwind is a social media scheduler and innovative assistant platform specifically for Instagram and Pinterest. Using smart features like bulk image uploading and the built-in Hashtag Finder, the tool allows small businesses to personalize their Instagram posts and get them scheduled quickly.
The tool also allows you to visually plan and preview your Instagram post schedule and grid via a single dashboard your audience will see before posting.

4. Buffer
Price: Free, $6/mo (Pro), $65/mo (Essentials), $12/mo (Team), $120/mo (Agency)

Buffer allows you to schedule social media posts across six social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. Buffer for Instagram makes it easy to manage and schedule your posts via a single dashboard.
There’s an option to include hashtags in your Instagram post in the Comments section versus in the caption (to keep the post and caption as simple as possible). Using Buffer’s social media analytics feature, you can also analyze your Instagram posts to determine what worked among your target audience.
In addition to a mobile app for iOS and Android, Buffer also offers an extension for your internet browser.

5. Sked Social
Price: $25/mo (Fundamentals), $75/mo (Essentials), $135/mo (Professional)

Sked Social offers an Instagram scheduling and auto-posting tool for Instagram posts and stories. Using the tool, you can plan to post your stories automatically, whether photo or video, so you never have to intervene or receive reminders to click “Post” again.
You can also schedule your Instagram posts via iOS or Android to upload content directly from your mobile device’s camera roll.

6. Sprout Social
Price: $249/mo (Standard), $399/mo (Professional), $499/mo (Advanced)

Sprout Social is a social media management platform that’s clear with six major social networks, including Instagram. It has a social media content calendar allowing you to schedule your social posts and measure engagements once live.
Easily upload the image you want to post on Instagram, add the caption and other Instagram post details (e.g., location), and then schedule it to go out at the date and time of your choosing.
The tool’s social listening abilities also help you identify unique trends across your Instagram content and then apply these trends to the rest of your Instagram marketing strategy.

7. Loomly

Price: $26/mo (Base), $59/mo (Standard), $129/mo (Advanced), $269/mo (Premium), Request Quote (Enterprise)
Loomly is a brand success platform with content management and social media publishing and scheduling features. Schedule your social media posts in advance — there are automated scheduling and publishing options for various social platforms incl,uding Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google. Loomly also offers automated Instagram Ad (and Facebook Ad) publishing.
With the platform, you easily manage your organic and paid social media content — you can also get notifications (via email, Slack, and more) whenever one of your team members works on a piece of social content to make for easy team-wide collaboration. The tool provides social media post recommendations based on trends, events, holidays, and social platform best practices.
Next, let’s dive into how to schedule Instagram posts for an Instagram Business page — for the sake of this post, we’ll use HubSpot as our scheduling and publishing tool.

1. Ensure you have admin access to your Facebook Business Page.
Instagram and Facebook might be separate accounts to you personally, but businesses that want to automate their Instagram posting schedule will need to tether both accounts together. So, you’ll need the username and password of your business’s Facebook account to do this — in other words, head over to the Instagram Business landing page to set up your account if you don’t already have one.
2. Switch to your Business profile on the Instagram mobile app and connect this account to Facebook.
If you have a personal Instagram account, you probably know you can manage more than one profile from the app — and the other profile is your business account (keep in mind you’ll need an Instagram Business account to schedule Instagram posts in HubSpot).
To switch to your Instagram Business page from your page, navigate to your profile on your mobile device and tap the three dots in the upper-right corner of your screen. Then, in the next screen, select “Switch to Business Profile,” as shown below:

Under “Settings,” select “Linked Accounts.” Here’s where you can choose Facebook and link your two accounts together. You might be asked to “Log in With Facebook,” at which point you’ll enter your business account’s username and password. Otherwise, select “Continue as [yourself].”
3. Open HubSpot and integrate your Instagram profile with the “Social” tool.
Now that your Instagram profile is anchored to Facebook, you can integrate it with your post scheduler. As mentioned, we will use HubSpot’s Social tool for our purposes.
Open HubSpot, select “Settings” > “Marketing” > “Social” > “Connect Account” > “Facebook and Instagram.”

 
Click the first option, “Facebook & Instagram,” and follow the prompts to complete this step (which are listed here in greater detail).
4. Create your first social post for your Instagram account.
Once your Instagram account is integrated into HubSpot, you’ll see an option to “Create social post” in your HubSpot dashboard. Click it, and you’ll see icons for which social network you want to start with. Select the Instagram icon to compose your first post for your Instagram account.
5. Compose a message with your desired visual assets, captions, and hashtags.
Customize your Instagram post and upload an image using the landscape icons on the bottom-lefthand corner of the white text field that appears. Then, caption your image with the text, hashtags, and user mentions you’d like to post your photo with, as they should appear on Instagram.
6. Set the date and time of your Instagram post.
Above the photo you’re posting, you’ll see a field where you can add the date and time the date and time that your post will be scheduled to go live. Use this field to automatically set the date and time you want your post to go live on your Instagram profile.
7. Preview your post to make sure it looks right.
Any grammatical errors? Are all your intended hashtags included? Is the image successfully uploaded? Check to make sure, and you’ll be ready to schedule.
8. Click “Schedule message.”
Got any more Instagram posts planned? Draft them now and schedule all of them simultaneously — with HubSpot, you can schedule your social posts in bulk.
Once every post you want to schedule has been loaded into HubSpot, you can hit the “Schedule” button on the page.

Schedule Your Instagram Posts
Start scheduling your Instagram posts to make your workflow more efficient and to ensure the content you need to get in front of your audience does so in a timely fashion.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

 

One of my biggest challenges with working from home is staying focused and completing every task on time. After all, home is where my TV, phone, kitchen, and cats are — it’s not exactly set up with productivity in mind. However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get things done. Fortunately, there are many practical, productive tips to help anyone reach their goals, whether they work from home or in an office.

Here are 15 productivity hacks to keep you focused so you can achieve your goals.

Eat breakfast every day.
Exercise in the morning.
Take time to free-write.
Plan the day ahead of time.
Take regular breaks.
Set a single goal for the day.
Don’t be afraid to say ‘No.’
Wake up early.
Schedule some self-care.
Create deadlines.
Work in short bursts.
Have a dedicated workspace.
Avoid multitasking.
Work near natural light.

Forget about perfectionism.

Best Productivity Hacks for a Successful Day
Here are some great productivity hacks that will set your day up for success.

1. Eat breakfast every day.
Breakfast gives your body the energy it needs to stay alert and focused. Skipping breakfast can result in feeling sluggish in the morning, and you will likely have difficulty concentrating. According to the Harvard Business Review, food (or lack thereof) affects our cognitive performance and decision-making.
“Just about everything we eat is converted by our body into glucose, which provides the energy our brains need to stay alert,” psychologist Ron Friedman said. “When we’re running low on glucose, we have a tough time staying focused, and our attention drifts. This explains why it’s hard to concentrate on an empty stomach.”
Pro-Tip: Try meal-prepping your breakfast the night before. Overnight oats and yogurt parfaits are easy to make ahead and grab when you’re on the go.

2. Exercise in the morning.
Thirty minutes of regular exercise can boost one’s overall energy, so it makes sense you’ll be more productive during the day after a morning workout. According to Healthline, exercise helps oxygen and nutrients travel to your heart and lungs, which improves your cardiovascular system, stamina, and endurance.
Pro-Tip: Don’t overwork yourself. Too much exercise can result in injury, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, according to Everyday Health. Stick to 30 minutes of exercise a day, five days a week, to be safe.

3. Take time to free-write.
You don’t have to be a skilled writer to reap the benefits of free writing. Free writing in the morning or before bed can help organize your thoughts, boost creativity, and relieve stress. Writing can also improve your communication skills, making you a more effective leader.
Pro-Tip: Dedicate about 30 minutes to an hour of free writing every morning or every evening. And remember, no one needs to see what you write. So, don’t stress about the quality.

4. Plan the day ahead of time.
Write down a detailed plan of your day either the night before or in the morning. Include all your tasks for the day, the order in which you’ll complete them, and the time you’ll need on each assignment. Having a schedule will keep you on track and lessen the chance of drifting away from your duties or wasting time — because you’ll know what you need to do and when you’ll need to do it.
Pro-Tip: Get in the habit of keeping and updating a daily planner or calendar. Or make a daily to-do list in the notes app of your phone.

5. Take regular breaks.
It’s easy to get so invested in work that you skip lunch or focus to the point of exhaustion. Make sure to schedule moments to step away from your tasks and unwind. Permitting yourself to relax will help clear your mind and return to work with a more precise focus.
Pro-Tip: During those breaks, you can eat lunch, walk, stretch, read a book, meditate, or chat with friends. Make sure your activities leave you feeling refreshed and ready to work when the break is over.

6. Set a single goal for the day.
Think of one goal you want or need to accomplish for the day, and break that goal down into multiple tasks. Allot a certain amount of time to each task. Doing so will help you stay focused and ensure your tasks align with your vision.
Pro-Tip: Always ensure your goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. In other words — establish SMART goals.

7. Don’t be afraid to say ‘No.’
Setting boundaries is a major key to productivity. Understandably, you may want to be helpful whenever you can, but you won’t be able to get things done if you’re constantly taking on requests from others. So learn to say ‘no’ to last-minute requests, impromptu phone calls, and inconvenient plans so you can stay on track.
Pro-Tip: If you have a shareable digital calendar, like Google Calendar, mark off specific days and times you’re unavailable for meetings or requests and share it with your colleagues.

8. Wake up early.
You can achieve a lot by simply waking up early in the morning. An early start will give you time to eat a good breakfast, work out, shower, and gear up for the day ahead. You may even complete your tasks earlier, allowing more free time in the evening.
Pro-Tip: If you’re not used to waking up early, try easing yourself into the habit. Try going to bed and waking up 20 minutes earlier each day until you’ve reached your goal time. For example, if you usually wake up at 8:30 a.m. but want to start waking up at 6:30 a.m.— set your alarm for 8:10 a.m. on the first day, then 7:50 a.m. the next morning. Keep setting your alarm earlier and earlier each day until you reach 6:30 a.m.

9. Schedule some self-care.
One of the biggest enemies of productivity is burnout, and the best way to avoid burnout is to make time for self-care. Examples of self-care include:

Reading your favorite book
Creating a relaxing nighttime routine before bed
Journaling
Exercising
Going for a walk
Meditating

Pro-Tip: Try to fit self-care activities into your daily routine so that you’ll always have something to look forward to.

10. Create deadlines.
You never want to spend too much time on a task, so it’s essential to give yourself a specific amount of time to complete something and a day and time it needs to be done. Doing so will provide a healthy sense of urgency and help you properly manage your time.
Pro-Tip: Audit your time to see how long specific tasks take to complete so that you can create realistic and manageable deadlines.

Productivity Hacks at Work
These hacks will help you stay focused at work.

11. Work in short bursts.
It’s hard to stay focused on the same thing for a long time, so make things easier on yourself by working in short bursts. For example, the Pomodoro method is a popular technique for boosting productivity. The Pomodoro method consists of working in 25-minute increments with 5-minute breaks in between each session.
Pro-Tip: If the Pomodoro method doesn’t seem to work for you, try adjusting the time increments and breaks to something you’re comfortable with.

12. Have a dedicated workspace.
This hack is especially useful if you’re working from home or remotely. Create a space that has all the tools you need to be productive and is only used for work. So, avoid having your dedicated workspace in your bedroom or an area used for recreation. You’ll need a space that you can leave once you’re done with work for the day.
Pro-Tip: Some homes are filled with too many distractions for workspace, so don’t be afraid to find areas outside the house to work, such as your local library, shared office space, or coffee shop.

13. Avoid multitasking.
There’s a misconception that multitasking is a great way to finish multiple tasks quickly because you’re working on various things at once. But in reality, only 2.5% of people can multitask effectively. That’s because the human brain can most focus on one task at a time, according to most recent studies.
When we try to multitask, our brains are just bouncing back and forth between different tasks, which can slow performance and result in more mistakes.
Pro-Tip: Group similar tasks together and complete them one-by-one, instead of simultaneously. By grouping similar duties, your mind can quickly shift its focus to the next job on your list.

14. Work near natural light.
Most recent studies show that natural light is key to boosting productivity. One study found that workers in office environments with optimized natural lights reported an 84% drop in symptoms like eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision. These symptoms are common with prolonged usage of a computer or devices at work — which can hinder productivity.
In other words, natural sunlight contributes to a more comfortable environment. And when you feel better, you’ll likely work better, too.
Pro-Tip: Try setting up your workspace near a window or sunny area.

15. Forget about perfectionism.
Focus on getting the job done right rather than perfectly because nothing is ever truly perfect. I’ll never forget when I was a journalist and spent too much time writing an article for work. I spent so much time trying to make it “perfect” that I missed my deadline. You should always take pride in your work, but you should also know when to move on to the next thing.
Pro-Tip: Create a short list of things a task must have to be considered complete. Once you check off everything on the list, move on to the next task — even if the first one isn’t perfect but still checks every box.
When all else fails, the most significant hack to productivity is patience. There will be days when things don’t go as planned, and you don’t achieve everything on your to-do list. On those days, be patient with yourself and remember that tomorrow is another opportunity to do better.

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When it comes to your emails, what you say is important — but so is how you say it. Great email copy helps keep your subscribers interested and can make all of the difference between emails that convert and emails that fall flat. Of course, it’s really hard to craft unique email copy that dazzles…
The post How to Take Your Email Copy From Good to Great appeared first on Benchmark Email.

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