From the conception of the perfect idea to the top of the trending page, creating a great video requires a lot of time and effort. However, as the saying goes, you should work smarter, not harder. By streamlining your workflow, you can get more done in a shorter amount of time.

Here are a few time-saving hacks every creator needs.

Plan your video title, description, and shot list in pre-production.

All your planning should go into the pre-production stage. Before you even think about pressing record, you need to determine your video’s title, tags, and description. Determine how long you want the video to be and when you want it posted. You might even jot down a few general points you want to hit in a script of sorts.

To cut down on the amount of time you’ll spend in front of the camera, create a shot list as well. Write down the shots you want to capture based on your script.

Keep your studio set up and ready for filming.

You might not always go into filming with a definite plan in mind. You might wait for the right inspiration or mood to strike before you sit down in front of the camera. Alternatively, you may have each video so planned out that you’re ready to film at the very minute you have scheduled.

Either way, you can save time by keeping your studio set up and ready to film at a moment’s notice. Keep your lights, tripod, and sound equipment arranged the way you need them for a video, but keep them unplugged. Make sure you have extra camera batteries and empty SD cards on hand. Then, whenever you’re ready to film, you won’t have to waste time setting up.

Get all of your repetitive tasks done at the same time.

To save time, conquer all of your repetitive tasks at once. Get ahead by diving your days by task instead of working on a single video every week. For example, you might film several videos on Monday, edit them on Tuesday and Wednesday, then make your thumbnails on Thursday.

If you want to make this kind of organization easier, then you should consider creating a content schedule. You can plan your videos out several weeks or months in advance. Use Excel or Google Sheets to create your own calendar.

Create templates for scripts, thumbnails, etc.

Finally, to save time all across the board, create templates for repetitive elements of your video-making process. For example, you might write a template for your scripts by listing the main points each script should hit, such as the introduction and call-to-action. As a template for your video descriptions, you could write down the parts that stay the same, such as your social media handles and channel description, then leave a blank space for a short synopsis of each video.

You can find hand-ready youtube templates on Canva and Crello.

Aside from written elements, you could also design templates for your video thumbnails and end screens. You might also create templates for social media posts to promote your videos or pitch emails to send to potential sponsors.

As the saying goes, time is money, and in the fast-paced world of online video, it pays to save both. Utilize these time-saving hacks to streamline your workflow.