Virtual Team Management: 5 Tips to Manage a Remote Marketing Team

Remote work has become the norm nowadays, and it’s important to note that this trend brings unique benefits to the table. Without a doubt, transitioning to a remote work model can be a daunting and expensive task, but when you set it up properly, it can yield significant returns. Now that your marketing team is working remotely, you as the leader need to set up the processes and plans to keep productivity high, preserve the culture, inspire collaboration and communication, and much more.

Because after all, managing a remote marketing team requires a hands-on approach, even in the digital world. And let’s not forget that the best way to ensure a positive ROI is through meticulous team management and leadership.

With all of that in mind, today we are taking a closer look at the top tips you can use to better manage your remote marketing team.

It all starts with onboarding and training.

In the midst of a pandemic, there’s no telling what the next day might bring. Loyal and motivated team members will stay, others will quit in search of new career opportunities. What’s certain is that at some point you will need to overcome the problem of hiring and onboarding new marketing team members. When it comes to hiring a remote employee, the onboarding and training processes will be crucial if your goal is to maintain and elevate productivity.

You can automate your onboarding process to start, but you also need to take a more personal approach. Welcome newcomers to the team with a heartfelt video message and a digital welcome package. This package should contain all the tips, tricks, and tools they need to settle in quickly.

Next, make yourself and other team members available to the new employee, and encourage them to get in touch whenever they get stuck. Consider using the buddy system as well, where you’ll pair the newcomer to a veteran in the team so that they can learn the ropes faster.

Enabling a remote workforce with the right tools

Tech-enabled marketing teams work better, faster, and are generally more productive than those relying on manual processes, that’s a given. However, when you’re managing a remote workforce, investing in the right tech and software solutions is the only way to lead a productive marketing team. There is no other way for the people in your team to communicate and collaborate than via digital tools, so now’s the time to invest in better tech solutions.

For starters, make sure to bring in a robust project management tool, boasting numerous features and integrations. Your marketers should be able to seamlessly integrate your CRM and other systems into this collaboration tool and work together in real time, on a centralised platform.

Next, drive collaboration forward by investing in a unified communication system like VoIP. Voice over internet protocol centralises all communication on a single platform and gives your remote marketers the features they need to communicate via various different channels. The more available channels they have, the easier it is for information to flow seamlessly between employees and teams.

Manage an organized backed operation.

As a leader, you’re tasked with managing a productive marketing team that delivers results. However, results are not demanded, they are nurtured into existence through organized, personalized, and forward-thinking leadership. When you’re managing a remote team, however, you have to invest in the right set of tools to keep things running smoothly.

Firstly, it’s important to create flexible and agile work schedules for your teams through continuous employee engagement and taking their needs into account, so that everyone can collaborate more efficiently. This will keep your employees motivated and productive, and it allows you to organize your entire marketing department for maximum efficiency and productivity.

Your people depend on you to create schedules and workflows that prioritise tasks and objectives, set clear expectations, and capitalize on continuous communication. Feedback in particular is important for leaders because it allows you to gauge the efficacy of your rosters and act on solid employee data.

Devise and implement a communication hierarchy

Communication is the foundational pillar of productivity in any team, let alone a marketing team where people need to communicate throughout the day to get the job done. Of course, a communication tool itself is only one part of the solution, because you also need a clear communication hierarchy.

This hierarchy dictates the flow of information both vertically and horizontally through your team and your entire organisation. Make sure to create a detailed communication hierarchy so that everyone knows exactly whom to communicate with, whom to report to, and where every piece of information should go.

Focusing on culture and motivation.

Lastly, as a leader you want to focus heavily on keeping the culture alive in your remote team. The culture you’ve worked so hard to build over the years can take a big hit the moment people start working remotely.

This leads to subpar productivity and it can take a heavy toll on your employees. Be sure to stay in touch regularly, organise one-on-one meetings to talk about the employee’s needs, and keep the conversation going between team members in your online chat rooms.

Wrapping up

Managing a virtual team can be a difficult task, but with the right tech and leadership skills, you should have no problem preserving a motivated marketing team. Use these tips to avoid the common pitfalls and take your marketing team forward in 2021.

AUTHOR BIO:

Sophia Smith is a lifestyle and social media blogger, and graphic and UX designer. She is an aesthete and photography lover by heart who absolutely loves everything that includes visual communication. Lately, Sophia  writes about digital marketing topics, from content to social. She has contributed to a number of publications including Women Love Tech, Leader Maker, Legal Reader, BizCover, Businessing Mag, Ruby Connection, Monterey Premier, Pix Teller and many others. You can find out more about her writing by following her on Twitter.