Fanning the Flames in 2024
By Shannon Briggs
Last year was QUITE the year for us at Campfire Collective, and now we are full speed ahead into a new year of beginnings and celebrations to come. While many of our projects in 2023 were public in nature, much of what we’re tackling this year is behind the scenes. It’s not as sexy as a podcast, blog partnership, or award – but our big 2024 projects are just as (if not more) important. If you’re a systems junkie like me, you’ll love this post. If you’re not, you won’t hurt my feelings to skip on to next week! Strap in, and let me give you a sneak peek into what we’re doing at Campfire Collective in 2024.
Trello
We use Trello as our project management system for Campfire Collective, and it has served us well over the last decade. Yet, the way we have been using it no longer works for us, and we have dreamed up new, inventive ways to utilize the software to better suit our team of twelve. Instead of our team members each having our own individual project boards, we’re creating boards for each client and project. We’re also experimenting with ways automation can help us streamline processes and generate reports. Hooray for technology!
Content Calendars
Since our client base has grown significantly over the last few years, the way in which we approach content calendars no longer serves us. For social media, our clients now have their own dedicated tab on the content calendar spreadsheet, instead of grouping all clients by week on tabs. We’ve also grown blog calendar templates to plan out for the entire year, including due dates for first drafts, edits, client approval, schedule dates, and publish dates. A detailed blog calendar also makes it easier to coordinate social media and newsletter content with our blog schedule. The Type A planner in me really appreciates this!
AI
You’ve heard team members talk about this in our Year in Review: Marketing Trends of 2023 blog, but we have plans to dabble a bit in AI this year, too. We’ve found AI is helpful for brainstorming social content, coming up with clever new ways to describe work, and to help plan out brand voices. AI is never the final touch on a project, but it’s a helpful jumping off point.
Clockify
With so many team members, clients, and projects, balancing our time can get complicated. Instead of individually tracking time, we’re experimenting with Clockify as a tool to keep us on track with projects and ensure our clients are getting the best bang for their buck.
We are excited about the changes we’re implementing in the beginning of 2024, and more are on the horizon as we plan to grow and scale as an organization in the future. We’ll report back on our experience with these tools in the future, but for now, you’ll find us staring at our laptops and typing away – most likely at Crosstown Concourse or a nearby coffee shop – as we learn the ins and outs of our new systems.
What tools are you exploring in the new year? Let me know on Twitter or Instagram!
