Project management tools are a must for any content marketer looking to scale their content machine. But which one should you use?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Resources abound for comparing project management tools – after all, many of these companies have bottom of funnel content, comparison pages, and pricing guides they’d love for you to read. But those pieces don’t consider the tools specifically through the eye, use case, and job of a content marketer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This guide walks through each tool and looks at the procs and cons of using them for important content marketing tasks:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without further ado, on to the tools!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asana<\/a> is a project management tool that lets content marketers collaborate with teams, create and assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress. It helps with visualization, which makes organization and management much easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you build a content calendar in Asana? Of course. Asana\u2019s visual interface lets you see incomplete tasks and their deadlines. Its content calendar template also speeds up the planning and tracking of content marketing initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You should have no problem onboarding freelance writers and designers. Asana provides a template that can help speed up the onboarding process and get new team members on the same page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A project manager needs to keep every team member up to speed, but that can be a lot for one person to handle. Asana\u2019s content calendar helps with this by allowing for planning and tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asana has many customization options, including reports, fields, and views. You can also integrate Asana with software like Dropbox, Google Docs, and Evernote. If that\u2019s not enough, you can use Asana\u2019s API to build integrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Asana features templates for automating and streamlining content marketing processes. The editorial calendar template also lets you plan and track these processes. Automation even lets you manage things like tasks and due dates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Onboarding might be simple with Asana, but your results may vary after that process. The learning curve is a downside for many, but more technically proficient teams might appreciate the slew of features that Asana offers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite Asana’s ability to track so many things, it doesn’t track time. If this is an issue for your team, your only option is to integrate a third-party time tracking app.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday.com<\/a> offers project and portfolio management tools. It allows project managers to centralize projects and optimize their workflow across jobs. Despite its focus on streamlined collaboration, Monday.com has some other tricks up its sleeve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What would a project management tool be without a content calendar? Monday.com gives you a content calendar template that you can use to track and plan your projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday.com handles this process with no problems, and you can easily add someone to the team and monitor their work. You can also use an onboarding template to get freelancers oriented.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Monday.com, you get a clear overview of what\u2019s going on in your content marketing campaigns. The content calendar works in unison with this interface, allowing team members to add, assign, and complete tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday.com offers custom reports, views, and fields. You can also integrate Google Docs and Evernote. With Monday.com’s API, you can even create custom integrations tailored to your content marketing needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can automate your content marketing processes with Monday.com’s templates. The editorial calendar template makes monitoring content marketing initiatives easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monday.com has fewer task dependencies than other project management tools. You’re out of luck if you need more than a date. However, it\u2019s still possible to complete tasks in order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite its many features, Monday.com comes with a catch. Low-tier plans don’t offer many of these features. You may find the platform useful, but you’ll have to pay to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basecamp<\/a> is the self-described \u201call-in-one toolkit for working remotely.\u201d If you have team members in different locations, it\u2019s worth a look. Basecamp lets content marketing teams collaborate, track progress, set deadlines, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without a schedule, you can’t accomplish much. Luckily, Basecamp provides dedicated schedules for every project. Your team can use this feature to see what needs to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using onboarding templates simplifies the process. Add team members, including freelancers, and start working on content marketing immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your content marketing campaigns are easy to track with Basecamp’s visual interface. Also, team members can assign tasks from the content calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A feature called Doors makes customization simple and expansive. It offers over 70 native integrations, but you don\u2019t have to stop there. For example, with Zapier, you have access to over 4,000 other integrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You won\u2019t find pre-made templates in Basecamp, but you can make custom ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basecamp says it\u2019s working on the feature, but you might not have the time to wait for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basecamp’s topic list can get cluttered if your team is busy. It wouldn’t be a problem, but you can’t archive old topics in Basecamp. This could cause your entire operation to slow down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Notion<\/a> is perfect for project management, but it can extend across many facets of content marketing. Notion can connect almost anything and everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can build a content calendar, or you can use a provided template. This tool helps project managers schedule, track, and change content. You can even view the content calendar as a board if you need a different perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By creating templates for team members and freelancers, you can ensure they get acclimated as quickly as possible. With one click, you can see their tasks and notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notion\u2019s visual interface makes everything visible at a glance. After a content manager creates a content calendar, they can share it with team members. Those team members can add tasks and check them off as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only is there sufficient customization for content marketing, but it\u2019s also pretty easy. The process is as simple as dragging and dropping to create anything from a dashboard to an entire system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Notion provides templates, among other tools, that can help you optimize your workflow. About 100 of these are free, but most aren’t, which isn’t ideal for some teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some teams, especially smaller ones, can benefit from Notion. Larger teams might find Notion more effective as a task manager. This isn\u2019t outright bad, but your team might find more success with another tool in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Airtable<\/a> connects every aspect of your content management operation. This cohesiveness ensures team members move in the same direction and achieve goals in record time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Airtable allows you to build a content calendar, and you can use a provided template. Project managers can assign, schedule, review, and publish work from Airtable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Airtable\u2019s onboarding template gives everyone what they need and keeps everything in order. This can help you stay organized as you welcome more people to your content marketing team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite Airtable\u2019s interface, which is similar to a spreadsheet, it\u2019s a capable project management tool. You and your team can track project progress across every department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Airtable primarily focuses on custom interfaces and custom code, both of which have the potential to optimize project management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Airtable offers a well-rounded variety of templates. The included templates are sufficient for many teams, but you can also create templates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even Microsoft Excel experience might not help here, despite Airtable\u2019s spreadsheet-style interface. Users have reported that Airtable\u2019s resources aren\u2019t much help, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can leave comments on rows in Airtable, but that\u2019s about it. This limited discussion means your team might spend a lot of time finding answers and resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPros<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Content Calendar<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Freelancer Onboarding<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Visibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customization<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Templates and Automation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Steep Learning Curve<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
No Time Tracking<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Monday.com<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Content Calendar<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Freelancer Onboarding<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Visibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customization<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Templates and Automation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Task Dependencies<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Limited Features<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Basecamp<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Content Calendar<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Freelancer Onboarding<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Visibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customization<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Templates and Automation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
No Time Tracking<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
No Topic Archiving<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Notion<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Content Calendar<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Freelancer Onboarding<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Visibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customization<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Templates and Automation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Limited Functionality<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Airtable<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Content Calendar<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Freelancer Onboarding<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Visibility<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Customization<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Templates and Automation<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Learning Curve<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Communication<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Trello<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n