Why I Love Airtable for My Blogging Business – A Review

What would it feel like if you could sit down at your desk and know exactly where every blog post idea, deadline, and to-do list lives? Having a tool that could help you keep track of everything in one place? Being a blogger who’s also juggling family and other responsibilities, staying organized can sometimes feel impossible.

For years, I tried every notebook, content management tool, and spreadsheet under the sun, hoping something would finally help me keep my business organized. If you’re tired of searching for that missing piece to your blogging business, you’re not alone. 

In this Airtable review, I want to share how Airtable became my go-to content management tool in 2019, brought order to my blogging chaos, and made my life a whole lot easier. If you’re looking for a great way to organize all your business tasks and help you create a smoother, more productive workflow, you’re in the right spot.

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What is Airtable?

Picture a tool that brings together the best parts of a spreadsheet and a database, but is simple enough for anyone to use. A tool that keeps all your blog ideas, deadlines, and checklists in one spot without the mess of sticky notes and notebooks scattered on your desk. 

In short, that’s Airtable. Think of it as your digital notebook for organizing everything in your blogging business. People also refer to Airtable as Google Sheets on steroids, and I think that is a perfect way to describe Airtable.

A Quick Airtable Set-Up for Your Blog

If you’re new to Airtable, getting started might seem a little overwhelming at first. The good news is, once you understand the basics, you’ll see just how simple and flexible this tool can be. 

Ready to see how it all comes together? Let’s break it down. Here’s how Airtable works:

1. Start with a workspace: This is like a folder with all of your (data)bases. (see the image above) You can have more workspaces in one Airtable account. For example, if you have multiple blogs or businesses. I have my 2 blogs in one account in their own workspace.
2. Create your base: Think of a base as your main data collection for a project (see the image below). For example, you can create a base for your blog, one for your email marketing, one for Pinterest, and many more.
3. Set up the tables: Inside your project base, you have tabs, called tables in Airtable. These tables have different purposes, like blog post ideas, your editorial calendar, or even a list of SEO keywords you want to target.
4. Customize your fields: Each table has columns, named fields in Airtable, for things you need to track, such as post titles, deadlines, categories, and status. You can even add checkboxes for tasks like “proofread” or “schedule.”
5. Add info in your records: For each blog post, you can add info from that blog post to the record (row).
6. Switch up your views: Airtable lets you see your information in different ways. Want to see your posts on a calendar? Or maybe in a checklist? You can do that with just a click. And you can filter, sort, or hide information within a table and create a new view.

Now, I know these descriptions can be confusing, so let’s compare the different ones for basically the same function within Google Drive vs Airtable.

Airtable is flexible enough to grow with you. Whether you’re just starting your blog or managing a full content calendar, it helps you keep everything in order.

Why Bloggers Love Airtable for Content Management

Let me ask you this: how and where do you keep track of all the moving parts of your blog posts? It isn’t always easy, especially when you lack a system. 

Airtable helps bloggers bring order to the chaos. Here are four reasons why this content management tool could be just the one you are looking for:

Imagine having your blog post ideas, editorial calendar, SEO keyword list, and all other moving parts of a blog post, all neatly organized in one spot, in one base. No more flipping between notebooks or digging through old files. It can even have your blog images, links (inbound and outbound), shared freebies, and so much more all together in one spot. 

You can set up tables for blog posts, checklists, or even a list of brands you want to pitch. Want to track deadlines, categories, or post status? Or maybe collect pageviews, freebie clicks, and affiliate links within your Blog Posts Base? You decide what fields/columns you need. Airtable adjusts to your blogging business, not the other way around.

With different views like calendar, grid, or Kanban, you can switch between seeing your monthly content plan and your daily to-do list with one click. This makes it simple to spot gaps or plan ahead. And you can even filter within a view to create a new view and save it. 

I usually start out with a masterview and go from there. By using the filter, sort, and group functions, you can highlight different fields and create new views, which can be very useful.

Automations and reminders take care of the little things, like sending you a nudge when a draft is due. You can set up automations in your Airtable base that trigger an email, Slack message, or other notification when a date field (like your blog post deadline) is approaching. 

Airtable helps me keep my content organized, plan ahead, and focus on sharing valuable blog posts with my readers. It’s made managing all the moving parts of my blogging business much simpler and less stressful. 

Airtable vs. Other Blogging Tools (Trello, Notion, Google Sheets)

With so many options out there, it’s easy to feel stuck or confused about which tool is best for organizing your blog. Let’s break down how Airtable stacks up against Trello, Notion, and Google Sheets, so you can pick the right fit for your workflow.

• Airtable is a fantastic tool that lets you organize blog posts, email marketing, bundles, Pinterest, and your finances, and so much more in one place.
  
  Within a base, you can switch between grid, calendar, and Kanban views, making it easy to see your content calendar or your to-do list at a glance. Automations and reminders help you stay on track without extra effort.
  
  What I also like about Airtable are the forms, which you can use to create, for example, a database collecting testimonials on your products, freebies, or bundles. But more on that in a later blog post.
  
  
• Trello is great for visual thinkers who love moving cards across columns. It’s simple for tracking blog post progress, but it doesn’t offer as much flexibility for custom fields or connecting different types of information.
  
  I have used Trello in the past, but at some point, I just outgrew this tool. That’s when I found Airtable and never looked back. And besides, Airtable also has a Kanban view if you want to keep using that.
  
  
• Notion is very flexible and lets you build pages, databases, and checklists. It’s a favorite for bloggers who want everything in one spot, but it can be a bit overwhelming to set up at first.
  
  I have never looked into Notion, to be honest, but I have heard from fellow bloggers that it has a steep learning curve.
  
  
• Google Sheets is familiar and easy to use for simple lists and tracking. If you like spreadsheets, this is a solid choice, but it lacks the visual views and automations that Airtable offers.
  
  The transition from Google Sheets to Airtable isn’t that hard since it does have similar layouts, hence the saying Airtable being Google Sheets on steroids!
  

Pros and Cons of Airtable for Bloggers

Every tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and Airtable is no different. As a busy blogger, it helps to know what to expect before you dive in.

Pros of Airtable:

• Customizable and visual: The bases within Airtable are so versatile. Whatever you wanna set up and track, keep an eye on, and collect, you can do in Airtable. Plus the different views, like grid, calendar, Kanban, or a gallery (which you can save as a separate view) make it easy to see different aspects of your project, quickly.
• Collaboration made simple: If you work with a virtual assistant or guest writers, everyone can update the same base in real time when you share your base.
• Automations and reminders: Airtable can send you deadline reminders and help automate repetitive tasks, which is a lifesaver when your days are busy.
• Templates: Starting with a blank base can be daunting. That’s why it can be nice to have a template to get things kicked off. Within the Marketplace of Airtable you can find a lot of templates to choose from.
• Apps: The Marketplace also has more than 180 apps to connect to your bases, making it likely there is something you can use to make using Airtable even easier. 

Cons of Airtable:

• Learning curve: It might take a little time to get used to all the features, especially if you’re brand new to digital organizing. I needed to get used to the different descriptions of the features in Airtable because I was used to Google Sheets, but the learning curve wasn’t that steep, in my opinion.
• Advanced features cost extra: Some of the best automations and integrations are only available on paid plans. But that doesn’t have to stop you. I am still on the free plan as well.

Airtable’s flexibility can be a big help, but it’s smart to consider what you really need before jumping in. So far, I haven’t found anything in Airtable that I didn’t like or that felt too difficult to figure out. Everything has been clear and easy to use, even when I tried new features for the first time.

I started with the free plan in 2019, and it is still more than enough for managing my blog posts, editorial calendar, and checklists. As my business will grow, I may upgrade to get more automation and storage, but at the moment, I’m a free user.

If you’ve ever felt stuck with a tool that just doesn’t do enough, Airtable’s flexibility might be the one for you. It means you can start simple and grow as your blogging business expands.

Tips & Tricks: Getting the Most Out of Airtable as a Blogger

Ready to make Airtable work even harder for you? Here are a few simple strategies that can help you stay organized and save time, even on your busiest days.

• Use templates to jumpstart your setup. Airtable has ready-made templates for content calendars, blog post trackers, and more. Just pick one that fits your workflow and tweak it for your needs. This is a great way to skip the overwhelm and get organized fast.
• Automate your reminders. You can set up automations to get an email when a deadline is coming up. This way, you never miss a publishing date, even when life gets busy.
• Batch your blogging tasks. I love the possibility to create separate views for brainstorming, drafting, editing, and scheduling. This lets you focus on one type of task at a time and helps you see your progress at a glance.
• Link related tables. Within a base, you can connect your tables to easily pull in information so you don’t have to copy and paste it, saving time. I have done this in my email marketing base, where I have a table for all my blog posts and a table for my newsletters. I can see in my newsletter table which blog post I have mentioned and therefore share my blog posts more easily without repeating myself. 

My Final Thoughts

If you want one tool that truly keeps your blogging business organized, Airtable is the perfect choice. It lets you keep track of everything, from blog posts and newsletters to Pinterest planning and product launches. You can even use it to collect reviews, manage your email marketing, and set up online courses, all in one place. I haven’t found anything in Airtable that I didn’t like or that felt too hard to use.

Are you ready to organize every part of your blog, save time, and feel more in control? Give Airtable’s free plan a try and see how it can help you manage every piece of your blogging business with confidence.

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