Out of all the changes brought about by the global pandemic, remote work is one of the most noticeable ones. What began as an enforced response to the lockdown has persisted even after the crisis has abated. During this experiment with remote work, many employees realized that they were able to work just as productively from home as they used to in their offices.
Now, remote work and hybrid arrangements have become widely acceptable models for companies in almost every industry. Since this new trend in work culture seems to be here to stay, managers need to keep up with the times and adjust to running their teams remotely.
In this article, we will take a look at how marketing teams in particular can be effective, organized and productive while working remotely. We will examine the tools, strategies, and best practices that will help you make the most out of remote and hybrid working arrangements.
What Makes an Effective Manager for Remote Teams?
According to a 2022 McKinsey survey, up to 87% of Americans declared a preference for remote work. With such an overwhelming majority looking to work from home, the burden is on managers to cultivate a work culture that meets the expectations of their workforce and bosses.
Running a remote marketing team is a task that requires a special kind of leader. Unfortunately, not all managers have the right skills to make the shift. Knowing what to do and, just as importantly, what not to do, is essential for anyone looking to succeed in this role.
Dos and Don’ts
Managing Your Team
- DO place trust in your team members. Even though they are not under constant supervision, having faith in their abilities will improve your relationship with your team.
- DON’T micromanage. One of the reasons workers prefer remote work is the flexibility it affords them to accomplish their tasks. Micromanaging takes away this freedom and reflects poorly on your ability to delegate responsibilities.
Time Management
- DO learn better time management. Remote teams can sometimes be spread across different time zones, so part of your role is to ensure that people are mindful of each other’s schedules.
- DON’T overwhelm your team with meetings. While maintaining lines of communication is important, good managers streamline communication and rely mainly on asynchronous communication so the team’s productivity is not adversely affected by constantly having to jump on video calls.
Getting Along and Setting Expectations
- DO be personable and approachable. The manager is the hub around whom all remote workers revolve. For many remote employees, their manager is their primary connection with the rest of the organization. Being mindful of their needs and acknowledging them is thus important.
- DON’T fail to communicate your intentions. Since remote teams don’t share a physical workspace, their managers need to be crystal clear about what is expected. Be clear about your expectations from each team member. Then, give them the freedom to meet them while working from home.
By being aware of these dos and don’ts, you can be a more effective manager who is capable of leveraging the full benefits of remote work.
Effective Practices for Managing a Remote Marketing Team
Now that you have a general idea of the mindset and approach it takes to run a remote marketing team, here are some practices you can use to take your management game to the next level:
Effective Hiring and Onboarding
Choosing the right people for your team is essential for it to run smoothly. Managers need to be on the lookout for candidates who are comfortable working remotely, and capable of functioning autonomously. Since team members will not be working from the office, managers should choose people who can adjust to the team’s working style easily.
A carefully designed hiring and onboarding process ensures that new hires can hit the ground running and will be able to produce results more quickly. Strive to give them all the information and tools they need so they can be successful in their roles while taking advantage of remote work arrangements.
Thorough Documentation
Since the team isn’t physically located in one place, managers need to document each member’s accomplishments and responsibilities. Important tasks and processes require documentation so that crucial information can be readily available to any team member that needs it.
Without proper documentation, monitoring employee progress and performance is an impossible task. Every remote team’s manager should have a clearly outlined system for documenting their team’s progress.
Stay Secure
Any manager working with a remote team needs to manage information security. Managing risks related to sensitive marketing information being compromised is part and parcel of remote work.
One smart step is educating teams about cybersecurity measures. For example, encouraging your team to use a secure VPN on their Mac or Windows computers while accessing the internet can ensure greater privacy. Another idea is to use password management software that can make access to shared resources more secure.
Ensure Uniformity
Much of the work of marketing teams involves communication. Whether communicating internally or externally, a dead giveaway that a remote marketing team is poorly managed is non-uniform communications. Managers need to outline a clear style guide for all communications (digital, print, or broadcast) so that even people working from home can meet the professional standards of the marketing team.
Sharable templates can help a lot in this area.
Best Tools for Remote Marketing Teams
Nobody ever said that managing a remote team was easy but it doesn’t have to be hard either. With the right tools, a manager can handle all the hurdles that could hamper remote work.
Here are the types of tools you have to prioritize as a marketing manager:
Communication Tools
Slack
Slack is a great app to overcome any communication issues a remote marketing team might face. It allows for the creation of conversation channels where ongoing projects can be discussed by everyone working on them.
Zoom
Zoom became ubiquitous during the pandemic and is still going strong two-and-a-half years later! This video conferencing software is robust and allows you to gather all members of your team for a face-to-face meeting in the digital realm.
Security Tools
LastPass
LastPass is a secure, online storage for passwords used by your team.
1Password
Similar to LastPass, 1Password allows you to create different “vaults” with sensitive information and grant selective access to each vault.
The Right Tools and Practices Will Set You Up for Marketing Success
While remote work has never been so popular, the shift can be challenging for some marketing managers, especially those who have become accustomed to traditional nine-to-five office-based jobs.
However, with the dos and don’ts as well as the tools we’ve prescribed in this article, you’ll be aware of what to prioritize so you can enable marketing success!
