With millions of users hooked to its features, Notion has become synonymous with productivity. Its stellar UX and versatility makes it the go-to tool for planning and managing everything from personal to professional lives.
However, because Notion is so versatile, there are no fixed rules on how to use it. There are as many unique Notion workspaces as the people who signed up with it. With that comes the challenge of using Notion to its fullest and actually improving productivity by using its features, instead of being overwhelmed by it.
In this article, we will explore different ways in which you can use Notion’s wide range of features for greater efficiency.
Here are 9 tips for using Notion for productivity:
1. Use Notion as a Content Management System (CMS)
You probably already know that you can make Notion pages public and share them with anyone. But most are unaware that they can use Notion as a CMS. Or more accurately - as a headless CMS.
What is a Headless CMS?
A headless CMS allows you to store, organize, share, and retrieve content efficiently but it does not offer capabilities you need to create a functional website that looks professional, is optimized for SEO, and is primed for conversions.
This means you need a cutting-edge tool like Super to create Notion websites. Super provides sleek design features and allows you to optimize your content for search, and create custom domains, and navbars while seamlessly integrating with your favorite tools.
By using Notion as a CMS, you get more productive by converting your content into a website and generating leads for your business. Even if you do not intend to generate leads, a website can help you build a brand. With Super, you can quickly create the website that you are proud of, one that brings out your personality and style.
2. Create a Notion portfolio and attract clients
A portfolio website can set you apart from the competition by establishing your personal brand. It can showcase your work professionally and give potential clients a thorough understanding of your skills and personality.
By creating a Notion portfolio, you can set up a marketing funnel to guide visitors to your contact page. Now that your portfolio takes care of finding new business, you can focus on your current clientele and invest time in building your core skills.
However, for your portfolio to be effective, it must be optimized for search and conversions while also reflecting your personality and style. Your portfolio is essentially your digital clone that is available 24x7. It is your most efficient salesperson.
Even though Notion offers many features for creating a portfolio, you need Super to design an attractive, professional portfolio that actually sells. You can fast-track website creation by starting with one of its Notion website templates - each of which is professionally designed, optimized for search, and customized for mobile users.
You can set a custom domain name without the .notion.so extension. Super allows you to also set up a custom navbar and footer, and add links in them to relevant subsections of your portfolio. Super enables you to create CTA buttons on Notion which can help you direct visitors to relevant pages.
3. Create content faster with Notion AI
Notion AI is a new feature that speeds up content creation and helps overcome writer's block by generating an initial draft that you can build upon.
It combines the power of ChatGPT3 with Notion blocks and helps you execute mundane content-related activities in no time. By using Notion AI, you can create blog outlines, write summaries, create tables, translate text into 10 languages, and do so much more in minutes.
It may not create the perfect copy - one that sounds human, but Notion AI does the groundwork for you. It also alters the tone of the text based on your prompts and seamlessly adds more content on top of the copy it generates, if you ask it to. This means you get a quick initial draft that you can edit and transform into the final version.
4. Set up nested template buttons
Freelancers have a ready-to-use pitch that they customize and send to potential clients. However, the pitch can have multiple sub-sections, not all meant to be shared with each client, and having to edit pitch takes time. For example, a freelance writer would want to send only relevant samples that align with the niche specified in the gig description, even if they specialize in other niches.
With Notion template buttons, freelancers can set up nested templates to streamline the pitch. They can load the draft with the click of a button and pull up sub-sections relevant to the gig by clicking on nested template buttons within the draft.
The image below shows an example of a designer's pitch with nested templates.
Every time the designer clicks on the Custom client pitch template button, Notion pulls up a generic email copy without the portfolio images. On clicking on the Venue Niche Design button, Notion pulls up a gallery of images specific to that niche, within the current copy.
5. Use sync blocks for team coordination
Sync blocks simplify content projects that involve multiple stakeholders. Here’s how it works:
- Create a sync block where you want the final output to appear.
- Add content that needs input from others and share it.
- Other users can update the content in the sync block.
- Notion updates the content on every page that uses the same sync block.
Here is an example of that:
Content writers require the design team's support to edit screenshots. Instead of spending time on a call to discuss details with the designer, the writer can easily add a sync block at the location where the screenshot should appear on the page and share the link with the designer.
The designer can download the image from the sync block, make changes and upload the edited image back into the same sync block. With that, Notion updates the page with the new image in the appropriate location.
Sync blocks can improve productivity by avoiding confusion and saving time for you and your team.
6. Use Notion shortcuts
Notion offers numerous keyboard shortcuts to help you work faster. Right from something as basic as creating a new page to switching between the dark and light modes, you can use shortcuts for various actions.
7. Optimize your content with Notion icons
Notion has custom icons that can help your content stand out. Super provides additional Notion icons for free.
You can use these icons as visual aids, such as using the calendar icon for your editorial calendar.
8. Use Notion templates
Notion provides standard templates for the most common use cases. You can import and customize them, or create one from scratch. Templates can help you save time and reduce effort by allowing you to create a standard format once and keep using it time and again.
For example, content marketers can quickly create a calendar template with relevant columns and settings. Every month, while creating the editorial plan, they can simply import the template into a page and add topics.
It saves a lot of time and energy that would otherwise go into designing a calendar and its columns. And since templates are editable, marketers can quickly add or remove columns from their editorial calendar format.
9. Set up Notion Dashboards
Notion is a popular tool for individuals and businesses to manage various workflows. However, with many stakeholders using the same space, it can be challenging to keep the content organized. From sorting documents into relevant folders to finding them quickly, managing content on Notion requires effort.
However, by creating a Notion dashboard, you can make sure that people find important documents easily. For example, you may want your employee to quickly access the leave policy, current company goals, and other organizational documents easily. With Notion, you can add them to the dashboard and share it within your company.
Notion is a powerful all-purpose tool that can significantly improve your efficiency. Its flexibility, versatility, and customizability make it ideal for personal productivity and business effectiveness. You can streamline your workflow, stay organized, and accomplish more in less time by utilizing Notion's features to their fullest.
