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Today, I want to talk about batching. I first recorded a podcast on this topic in 2017 and then updated it five years ago during lockdown. I thought it was time to revisit this topic because many people get caught up in marketing due to time overwhelm.
How many hours do they have in a day? How will they get everything done? How can they stand out in the market? Surprisingly, it’s easier than people think. It’s about returning to basics, exploring some batching processes you can use, and considering AI tools and other approaches.
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Why Batching Matters More Than Ever
We’re in a market that is both highly saturated and incredibly uncertain. It’s not just about having good marketing; it’s about having consistent marketing. Remember the key principles of influence—consistency is one of the key areas that Robert Cialdini suggests everyone focus on.
The companies that stand out are those that show up reliably week after week. Yet, this is exactly where many business owners and marketers struggle. How many times have you started a marketing initiative with enthusiasm, perhaps deciding to post regularly on LinkedIn or start a newsletter, only to find it fizzles out after a few weeks when client demands take over?
You’re not alone. This stop-start approach is one of the biggest barriers to marketing success, so batching is a potential solution for you. Batching isn’t just about efficiency, though that’s certainly a benefit. It’s about aligning your strategy with your business objectives.
Think about your business goals for this year. Maybe you want to expand into a new sector or dive deeper into a sub-vertical of the sector you’re working in. Perhaps you want to increase the amount of retained or exclusive work. Or maybe you want to build your personal brand and generate more inbound leads.
The Scientific Consistency Principle And Its Power
Let’s think about Cialdini’s principles of influence. He discusses the science of persuasion in his book, which you can purchase on Amazon for around £14 or $20. One key area is consistency.
When your recruitment company shows up consistently in either your clients’ or your candidates’ worlds, several powerful things happen:
First, you build trust through reliability. I want a service provider to be reliable whenever I work with them.
Second, you demonstrate your commitment to your sector.
Third, you create a perception of stability and success. People start thinking, “If I work with this person who’s all over LinkedIn, they could help me.”
Fourth, you stay at the top of your mind when opportunities arise. Several Superfast Circle members are very consistent in their marketing. One told me how a client contacted her, saying, “I’ve got a couple of roles I’d like you to fill. I can’t miss you-you’re everywhere!” This led to a high-value placement.
Practical Batching Strategies For Recruitment, Search and Staffing Businesses
Let’s talk about some practical batching strategies for recruitment business owners and marketers. First is content creation. If you haven’t watched our Lead Generation Triad video, one part of the triad is content creation, which makes a real difference.
Set aside a specific time per month to create content. As Superfast Circle members, our clients get content from us. But you can use AI tools to help – just remember you’ll need to edit what they produce.
Consider batching:
- Blog posts and articles (aim for at least a couple per month)
- Social media posts
- Email newsletters
- Nurture sequences
- Short videos
The key is to align all your content with your business goals. As you create them one at a time, it gets easier. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. You’re not distracted but focused.
We recently spoke with a client who wants to make more videos. We suggested that he get different shirts, jackets, and T-shirts, then block time in his diary to practice and record six videos at once. That creates a repository of material to use.
Batch outreach, too. Do outreach on three specific days each week. Set aside specific days for client follow-ups and outreach. Batch similar outreach messages.
With LinkedIn, we can send 400 invitations each month, so use them consistently. For administration, batch tasks like invoices, receipts, database updates, and candidate applications into dedicated blocks. The brain likes repetition, and you’ll get faster when you do several similar things together.
The Preparation-Execution-Offboarding Framework
I like to use a preparation, execution, and offboarding framework for effective batching. I batch podcasts, write content, and create content for our Superfast Circle clients.
Preparation is where many batching attempts fail. Define your outcome, gather resources and information, set up an environment that allows for focus (for me, this means shutting my door and working at specific times with minimal distractions), and create templates and systems for repetitive tasks.
Eliminate distractions during execution. Set a timer or work at specific times when your energy is high. Complete one task before moving to the next.
For offboarding, I tick off boxes of what I’ve done. We use a tool called Clickup where I can mark what I’ve achieved and move on. It’s such a relief to know when things are done.
Let’s talk about the compound effect of consistency. The first month setting up systems might not yield all the results you want, but they will come. By month three, you’ll see your engagement increase and feel better because people will start seeing you consistently.
Within 6-8 months, you’ve completely changed the impact of your content. Steve, one of our clients, found that it took a few months for things to start working, but he did the work and trusted that it would. He went from never posting to consistently posting and engaging with people, which has made a huge difference.
Technology And Tools That Help Batching
Let’s discuss technology and tools that help with batching. I’ve mentioned Clickup as a project management system. Depending on your organisation’s size, there are many options, such as Monday, Asana, and Trello—some are free, while others are paid. It takes time to set things up, but it makes a huge difference once established.
Templates are invaluable. Superfast Circle members receive content and email campaigns that can be used with minimal tweaking. Even if you don’t work with us, setting up your own templates and systems will save tremendous time.
For AI, I use several tools for deeper research. My favourites are Perplexity (I use the paid version), Claude (paid), and Chatgpt. I also use Sonix for transcriptions, which I then edit and use. When I record podcasts, they are transcribed in Sonix, and then I use dedicated prompts in my AI tools to align all my content. After a quick edit, it works perfectly.
I also rely heavily on my Outlook calendar – everything is stored there, and I plan my schedule. I always give myself more time than needed in case something comes up. For storage, we use Dropbox, with separate folders for each purpose. Because we batch so far ahead, we’re never late and always have backup material.
Remember, batching isn’t just about productivity. It’s about creating consistency that builds trust, visibility, and, ultimately, business growth in the recruitment sector. Whether you’re a solo recruiter or running a small team, implementing batching could be the difference between posting occasionally without success and becoming the recruiter that people consistently see in your market.
Thanks
Denise
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