{"id":20831,"date":"2021-09-16T16:21:16","date_gmt":"2021-09-16T15:21:16","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=20831"},"modified":"2023-01-17T10:44:53","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T10:44:53","slug":"how-to-align-digital-marketing-goals-in-a-remote-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/how-to-align-digital-marketing-goals-in-a-remote-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Align Digital Marketing Goals in a Remote Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every company\u2014big or small\u2014thrives on building a high-performing digital marketing team. And that\u2019s only possible if everybody in the team can work together toward a common goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>None of us is as strong as all of us.<\/span><\/i>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Building such a culture becomes easier to some degree if your team is sharing a physical office space.<\/span><\/p>\n

But in a remote setting, aligning your digital marketing goals and building a thriving culture does have its challenges. Your team members will be miles away from each other and may even be working in different time zones.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s obvious that remote working is a growing trend, the challenge still remains: How do you align your entire digital marketing team in a remote environment?<\/span><\/p>\n

Before we go ahead and tell you how, let’s first answer the following question.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can Digital Marketing Be Done Remotely?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Of course! All you need is a computer that has access to the internet. Once that\u2019s covered, the next step is to set up a combination of standardised processes, guidelines, and collaboration tools to help your team <\/span>work better together<\/span><\/a>. Thanks to the pandemic, many companies have embraced this new style of working together and are slowly <\/span>adjusting to it<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bear in mind that the emphasis here is on the phrase \u201cadjusting to it\u201d because you just can\u2019t switch to something completely radical in a short amount of time and hope that it works perfectly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Digital marketing teams all over the world are still learning the ins and outs of creating a collaborative remote environment. So it\u2019s no surprise that there will be challenges that teams need to overcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve rounded up four common challenges every remote digital marketing team faces.<\/span><\/p>\n

4 Common Challenges Every Remote Digital Marketing Team Faces<\/span><\/h2>\n

Challenge 1: Remote Team Communication<\/span><\/h3>\n

In a remote team, communication happens in two ways\u2014synchronous and asynchronous communication<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Synchronous communication<\/b> is when communication happens in real-time. A team member sends a message across, and the other team member responds immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples<\/b>: Video calls or instant messaging via services like the <\/span>RingCentral App<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Asynchronous communication<\/b> is simply when communication doesn\u2019t happen in real-time. There will be a significant delay between the sent and received messages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples<\/b>: Communication via email or project management tools like Asana, Trello, etc., or collaboration tools like Google Docs, GitHub, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n

Slow response time is a challenge in remote work<\/a>. Having said that, it can be very stressful on your time and attention if you\u2019re drowned in responding to messages, emails, and calls all day long without getting any actual work done.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Teams that are new to remote working may face an imbalance between these two types of communication, which ultimately results in low productivity, campaign delays, long working hours, and <\/span>burnout<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenge 2: Hiring the Right People<\/span><\/h3>\n

Hiring the right people is hard. Hiring the right people who can collaborate remotely is even harder.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re building a remote team, you can\u2019t follow the same hiring process that you normally do for an in-office setting.<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of things change.<\/span><\/p>\n

The way you source candidates changes. The way you evaluate them changes. The way you onboard them once they\u2019re hired also changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Optmyzr<\/p>\n

Source<\/b>: <\/span>Workable<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

While hiring, your emphasis will not just be on how good they are with SEO, or writing, or Google Ads, etc. You should also place emphasis on their adaptability and collaboration skills, as it\u2019s a big difference-maker for remote work.<\/span><\/p>\n

With that said, you\u2019d need to redo your hiring process to not make mistakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenge 3: Building Trust<\/span><\/h3>\n

Due to the current state of the world, managers have been forced into developing a new skill of managing their teams remotely rather than doing it face-to-face. Some have adapted to it, and some haven\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re new to managing a remote team, you may express concerns like:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow can I tell if my team trusts me and each other?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I know they’re being genuine or feel pressured to force it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I keep them (and myself) from growing isolated and detached from the mission?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not uncommon to have these concerns when you have no experience managing a remote team.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, according to a survey conducted by The Society for Human Resource Management, <\/span>62%<\/span><\/a> of employees said they\u2019re afraid to be perceived as lazy or not productive by their colleagues and bosses while working from home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Such a lack of trust in your team can lead to micromanagement, overworking, and overall bad company culture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Challenge 4: Keeping Everyone Moving Toward One Goal<\/span><\/h3>\n

For any digital marketing team, setting a common goal and keeping everyone motivated to achieve it is extremely important.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s already a challenge to achieve that in an in-office environment. But without a standardised process in a remote environment, it becomes even more challenging.<\/span><\/p>\n

Say your team manages a bunch of key accounts in your company. Since it is those key accounts that keep the lights on for you, your overall business goals would align with the goals of these key accounts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, you would want your team to put extra attention on them.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, it\u2019s your responsibility to keep them motivated to get the job done. If not, your team can feel disconnected from their work and may even struggle to see how their day-to-day work is helping the business achieve those goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

This kind of \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m making an impact\u201d thinking leads to demotivation and low morale.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, don\u2019t get overwhelmed. These are some serious hurdles, but you can jump over them.<\/span><\/p>\n

We offer you the solutions below.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solutions to Common Remote Work Challenges<\/span><\/h2>\n

Solution 1: Streamline Team Communication<\/span><\/h3>\n

Zapier\u2019s co-founder, Mike Knoop, says,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201dThe biggest drawback you have to overcome with remote work is communication. Once that is taken care of, the rest gets pretty easy.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Always keep in mind the end goal of your team (it can be <\/span>increasing revenue by X%,<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>improving reach by Y%,<\/span><\/i> or anything else) while structuring your team communication. Whatever your ultimate end goal is, your copywriters, your SEO team, your designers, your account managers, etc., should all move in that same direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

With that end goal in mind, work backward to set up your remote communication guidelines.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Optmyzr<\/p>\n

Source<\/b>: Freepik<\/span><\/p>\n

When Should You Incorporate Synchronous Communication?<\/span><\/h4>\n

In situations that need faster decision-making, or socialising, or catching up on important updates, synchronous communication is perfect.<\/span><\/p>\n

When Should You Incorporate Asynchronous Communication?<\/span><\/h4>\n

Asynchronous communication is suited for team announcements, regular updates related to any campaigns or projects, general feedback\u2014any kind of communication that doesn\u2019t need an immediate response.<\/span><\/p>\n

Asynchronous communication is proclaimed as the key to remote team productivity, and with good reason.<\/span><\/p>\n

Remote Communication Best Practices for Digital Marketing Teams<\/span><\/h4>\n