4 Easy Ways To Improve Marketing Team Efficiency

April 28, 2023 - 10 min read

Wrike Team

As a marketer, you know that efficiency is key to achieving success. Your team’s productivity and ability to collaborate effectively can make all the difference in whether or not you meet your marketing goals. Fortunately, there are several ways you can improve your team’s efficiency to help maximize output and ultimately drive greater results — let’s take a closer look at our top four ways.

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1. Streamline Communication Channels

Effective communication is essential for any team, but it can be a major challenge for marketers who work remotely or in different time zones. By streamlining communication channels, you can make sure everyone is on the same page and reduce the chances of miscommunications that can lead to mistakes and lost time. Here are some ways to do it:

Implement a Centralized Communication Platform

Using a communication platform like Slack or Microsoft Teams can bring all of your team members into one place for easy and efficient communication. Communicate with one another in real-time, ask questions, share files, and collaborate on projects all in one place.

You can create different channels for different projects or topics, so team members can easily find the information they need quickly without having to search through endless email threads or chat logs.

You can also integrate other tools and apps into your communication platform, such as project management software or video conferencing tools, to further streamline your team's workflow.

Encourage Open and Transparent Discussions

Encouraging open and transparent discussions can help build trust and a sense of shared purpose among your team. Employees should feel free to share their opinions, concerns, and feedback without fear of retaliation or judgment. This can lead to more creative thinking and, ultimately, better results.

Schedule regular team meetings or brainstorming sessions where everyone can contribute their ideas and thoughts. Also, set up a feedback system where team members can provide constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement.

Remember, communication is a two-way street, so it's important to actively listen to your team members and value their input.

Set Clear Expectations and Deadlines

Make sure everyone on the team knows what they are responsible for and when their deliverables are due. It is important for each team member to understand what is expected of them and how their deliverables contribute to the overall team’s goals. When everyone is on the same page and knows what they need to do, your team is better able to complete projects on time and meet deadlines.

Make sure to communicate any changes or updates to the project timeline or expectations as soon as possible to avoid any confusion or delays.

2. Utilize Project Management Tools

A project management tool can be a game changer when it comes to managing your team's tasks and monitoring progress. It can help you stay organized, keep track of deadlines, and ensure that everyone is on the same page. However, not all project management tools are created equal, and it's important to choose the right one for your team's specific needs.

Choose the Right Tool for Your Team

Some popular options include Trello, Asana, and Wrike, but there are many others to choose from as well. When selecting a tool, consider the features that are most important to your team. Do you need a platform that allows you to assign tasks, monitor progress, and communicate with team members in one place? Or do you need a tool that offers more advanced features, such as time tracking or resource allocation? Remember to choose something that fits your team's specific needs.

Establish a Consistent Workflow

Establish a consistent workflow so that everyone knows what they need to do, when they need to do it, and who else might be impacted by their work. A consistent workflow can also confirm that tasks are completed in the correct order and that everyone is working toward the same goal.

Imagine that you're working on a web development project. Your workflow might include tasks such as designing wireframes, developing the front-end code, and testing the website for bugs. By organizing these tasks into a clear workflow, you can ensure that everyone on your team knows what they need to do and when they need to do it.

Monitor Progress and Adjust as Needed

By tracking tasks and deadlines, you can identify potential roadblocks and areas where your team can work more efficiently. Use the data provided by your project management tool to analyze work patterns.

If you notice that certain team members are consistently falling behind on their tasks, reassign some tasks or provide additional support. Alternatively, if you see that certain tasks are taking longer than expected, adjust your workflow or allocate more resources to those tasks.

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3. Foster a Collaborative Environment

The success of marketing programs often relies on collaboration and teamwork.

Encourage Cross-Functional Collaboration

Involve team members outside of the marketing department in your projects. Encourage your employees to consider perspectives outside of their own expertise to promote creative thinking and problem solving. This also allows teams to learn from each other's experience.

If you’re working on a campaign for a new product launch, include members from product development, sales, and customer service. Each team member can offer unique insights and ideas to bolster the campaign’s effectiveness.

Provide Opportunities for Skill Sharing

Enable team members to share their knowledge, techniques, and skills with one another via training sessions, attending conferences, or sharing articles and other relevant resources. By doing so, the entire team can benefit from shared knowledge and skills.

You could even set up a mentorship program. Pair up team members with different skill sets and encourage them to work together on projects. This helps to develop skills and promotes collaboration and teamwork.

Celebrate Team Successes

Recognize and celebrate your team’s successes. This means things like bonuses, company-wide announcements, and team lunches. Celebrating wins, both big and small, keeps the morale high, enforces team bonds, and promotes repeat success.

Consider creating a “Wall of Fame” in the office as well. This can be a physical or digital display that showcases the team’s achievements. By having photos, awards, and other memorabilia that highlight the team’s accomplishments available for viewing, your employees will have a daily reminder of what they have achieved and what they have yet to achieve!

4. Prioritize Data-Driven Decision Making

By prioritizing data-driven decision making, you can help your team make informed choices based on evidence rather than intuition. This is particularly important in today's fast-paced business environment, where decisions need to be made quickly and accurately.

Implement Analytics Tools

Implementing analytics tools is key to making data-driven decisions. These allow you to track website traffic, engagement, and conversions. By analyzing this data, you can identify trends and areas where improvement is needed.

Some popular analytics tools include Google Analytics, Moz, and SEMRush. Google Analytics lets you track how many people are visiting your website, how long they are staying on your site, and which pages they are visiting. This information can help you identify which pages are popular and which pages need improvement. As for Moz and SEMRush, they flag which keywords are driving traffic to your site and which pages are ranking well in search engine results.

Set Measurable Goals and KPIs

Setting measurable goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) is essential for evaluating progress and success. When setting goals, use the SMART framework — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

If your objective is to increase website traffic, a SMART goal might be to increase traffic by 20% within the next six months. This is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, thereby making it easier to track progress and success.

Regularly Review and Analyze Data

Regularly reviewing and analyzing data is crucial for making data-driven decisions. You will be able to see the underperforming areas and opportunities for improvement. This allows you to make changes to your campaigns as necessary, redirecting resources to areas of high performance.

If you notice that a particular marketing campaign is not performing well, you can analyze the data to identify the problem. Perhaps the messaging is not resonating with your target audience, or the campaign is not being promoted in the relevant channels. By identifying the problem, you can make changes to the campaign to improve performance.

Conclusion

By streamlining communication, utilizing project management tools, fostering a collaborative environment, and prioritizing data-driven decision making, your marketing team can become more efficient. These four easy steps should adequately equip your team with the tools and techniques they need to drive results, meet deadlines, and achieve all marketing objectives effectively.

Amplify your marketing team's efficiency with these seven practical strategies and Wrike's feature-rich project management software. Begin your free trial and transform your marketing campaigns for the better.

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Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

Wrike Team

Occasionally we write blog posts where multiple people contribute. Since our idea of having a gladiator arena where contributors would fight to the death to win total authorship wasn’t approved by HR, this was the compromise.

#Digital Marketing #Employee Productivity #Marketing Leaders #Marketing Teams

Marketing 10 min read

A Complete Guide to Marketing Metrics

Effective marketing means refining your marketing metrics. We explain the key marketing metrics to strengthen campaigns and reap a greater marketing ROI.

Project Management 10 min read

How to Track your Digital Channels with Digital Marketing KPIs

In the good old days of digital marketing circa 1971 (when the first ever email was sent), the best indicator of campaign success was whether or not someone looked at what you put out into the world. Now that technology is more advanced and the market is flooded with content, marketers need to use a more sophisticated approach. Enter digital marketing KPIs. Today, agency and marketing directors use digital marketing project KPIs to improve profit, streamline resources, and prove return on investment to their clients. Keep reading to discover the definitions, examples, and tools top marketers use to remain competitive in today’s digital landscape. What are digital marketing KPIs? KPI stands for key performance indicator which is also known as performance metrics. A digital marketing key performance indicator is what marketers use to measure the success of a particular strategy or marketing channel. The KPI or KPIs you choose will depend on what your goal is for the project. Marketers will often choose one or two primary KPIs to support their main goal and a handful of relevant secondary KPIs to support any additional objectives. For example, let’s say you run a social media campaign on Twitter and your goal is to increase your engagement percentage within your existing audience. Your primary KPIs will be the number of comments and retweets each original tweet receives. There are three main categories of digital marketing KPIs to know: 1. Awareness Awareness is all about getting your brand in front of as many new people as possible. If your brand is already established, the next challenge is to help potential customers learn about new products or services they might be interested in. Common marketing tactics in this phase include cold emailing and calling. 2. Conversion The goal of this phase is to make a sale. Marketers often do this by building long-term relationships and trust. Content like blog posts and podcasts with problem-solving advice for the audience works well for this stage. 3. Analysis After you make a sale you can use analysis KPIs to determine how much you spent in resources to acquire each new customer. This information will inform your next campaign. Why set KPIs in digital marketing? KPIs in digital marketing prove return on investment to clients and stakeholders. They also help you measure progress, streamline processes, and quantify what would otherwise be intangible marketing benefits. Using KPIs in digital marketing will help you better understand why something does or does not work for your particular brand or strategy. Without KPIs, marketing agencies run the risk of throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks. If your agency does not assert its value and authority through actual proof, it’s hard to get or keep clients long-term. KPIs translate into concrete numbers that prove what you’re doing is getting real results. Who sets KPIs in marketing? At an agency, a marketing or agency director will set the KPIs. Otherwise, the responsibility falls on the campaign manager. Whoever chooses the KPIs also has to come up with a plan for tracking them. They may adopt related marketing tools and habits to make sure results are consistently recorded and monitored throughout the lifetime of each campaign. Agency project management tools such as Wrike can help streamline these processes. Users can easily assign monitoring and reporting tasks to designated teammates so that nothing slips through the cracks. Marketing KPI examples Marketing KPIs differ from project to project, platform to platform, and goal to goal. Use these most common marketing KPI examples below as a jumping-off point: Email marketing KPIs 1. Number of emails successfully delivered, opened, and/or replied to What it is: The total of all emails interacted with compared to the total sent. Why you need it: This information tells marketers if their messages are getting through to inboxes. It also demonstrates whether or not the subject line is persuasive enough and if the campaign promotes further engagement. How to measure it: Use an email marketing campaign software to bypass spam filters and track open rates. 2. Embedded link and CTA button click-through rates What it is: The percentage of people who have both opened your emails and clicked the link or button inside. Why you need it: The click-through rate shows how effective your offers or calls to action are. How to measure it: Add a link tracking app to test components like CTA messages, colors, and placement. 3. Social shares and forwards What it is: The number of times a post has been shared or sent to other people from social media. Why you need it: Sharing is a high-value form of engagement that gets your posts in front of more people which is great for increasing impressions and expanding your audience. How to measure it: Most social media apps include this information within your Analytics. Social media KPIs 1. Number of followers versus number of unfollowers What it is: The total number of people who have followed your account that day or week compared to the number of people who have unfollowed your account in the same. Why you need it: Ideally you'll have more followers than unfollowers but this KPI shows whether or not your content is targeting the correct audience and is interesting enough to keep their attention. How to measure it: Your number of followers is publicly available at the top of your social media profile. However, you may need to use a third-party app to track unfollowers. 2. Likes, comments, and shares What it is: These are the top forms of engagement for any social media post regardless of what platform it's on. Why you need it: Better engagement equals higher conversion rates, steadier audience growth, and stronger relationships over time.= How to measure it: This information is made publicly available on most social media platforms. 3. New impressions What it is: The number of times your content was organically shown to someone on the platform whether or not they interacted with it. Why you need it: This social media KPI demonstrates reach, which you should aim to increase over time through paid ads, better engagement, and more followers. How to measure it: Creator analytics or a behind-the-scenes app will show your new impressions by day, week, or month. Content marketing KPIs 1. Unique visits What it is: The total number of people (or IP addresses) clicking on your website within a given time frame. Why you need it: Unique visits document the volume of traffic over time, which is useful for selling products and services. However, some unique visits might be from bots which is why it's critical to also track engagement and conversions at the same time. How to measure it: Website analytics platforms like Google help users track this data after it’s set up, which means historical data will not be available. 2. Average time on page What it is: The average amount of time all visitors (both unique and returning) spend on each individual web page. Why you need it: Your goal should be to make the average time on page high because it will likely lead to better sales conversion rate. Plus it shows that your content is relevant to your audience. How to measure it: Website analytics tools will help you measure it. 3. Link and CTA button click-through rates What it is: The percentage at which all site visitors click on links and buttons. Why you need it: Most website links and buttons are tied to sales or important data capture such as email newsletters. Having a high rate of success means that your offers and audience are in alignment. How to measure it: Website analytics tools or third party link tracking apps are best. SEO KPIs 1. Keyword search engine ranking What it is: How high your website ranks for a specific keyword or phrase within popular search engines. Why you need it: Your goal should be to rank number 1 on Google and Bing. Or on the first page, at the very least, so that more people will find and click on your website. How to measure it: Type in your keyword phrase into a search engine to see if it shows up or use a tool like SEMRush for more advanced analytics. 2. Organic traffic What it is: Site traffic from anything other than paid ads. Why you need it: High rates of organic traffic means that more people are finding your products and services by simply searching related questions or words, which indicates that your SEO strategy is working. How to measure it: Use a website analytics tool.3. Link click-through rates What it is: The rate at which people are clicking on paid search advertisements or web pages that appear organically in search results. Why you need it: For paid ads, the link click-through rate shows how effective your copy is. How to measure it: Website analytics and third-party apps help you track individual links. Also, whichever search engine advertisement platform you use will likely track this data automatically. PPC KPIs 1. Click rate What it is: Percentage of people who see your ad in search engines and click on it. Why you need it: The higher the percentage, the more persuasive your copy is. How to measure it: Your advertising platform will have user analytics for you. 2. Sales conversion rate What it is: The total number of sales divided by the number of interactions with a given paid ad. Why you need it: This number shows whether or not the offer promised in the ad is still relevant for the audience the ad is being shown to and if it aligns with their expectations enough to persuade them to buy. How to track it: Your advertising platform will have these statistics for you.3. Cost per acquisition What it is: The dollar amount you pay for every new customer you obtained through a paid advertisement. Why you need it: This shows exactly where your budget is going and whether or not your campaign is worth reinvesting in.How to track it: Use an analytics tool or divide the total cost of the PPC campaign by the total revenue made from it. What are the challenges of marketing KPIs? The main challenge of marketing KPIs is choosing the right ones, monitoring them effectively, and turning data into actionable insights. To choose the right marketing KPIs every time, create SMART goals then match KPIs to link your channel type (like email or social media) to your desired outcome. To monitor them effectively, make sure that all your KPIs are measurable and that there are tools in place to capture all related data. Finally, turn data into actionable insights by using a professional services management platform to create automated reports plus easy-to-read insights. What to do when KPIs aren't met Now that you have your digital marketing KPIs set, it’s important to know what happens if your KPIs are failing. If they’re not connected to strategy, overshooting (or undershooting) your goals, or are too outdated now, the best way to get back on track is to adopt a marketing project management solution like Wrike. Why Wrike can help you with digital marketing KPIs Wrike helps directors and managers use digital marketing KPIs to make informed decisions. Wrike Report automates marketing, data capture, assessment, and reporting using visual graphs so that KPIs are easier to understand. At-a-glance updates like these save time and make collaboration that much smoother. Marketing teams can also create templates for repeated campaigns or to relive the success of another client’s strategy for a new project. Use Wrike’s two-week free trial to visualize your objectives and key results (OKRs) so that your KPIs are bulletproof throughout any project.

Marketing 7 min read

How Enterprise Advertising Professionals Use Project Management Software To Succeed

In the advertising industry, project management has become an essential skill for advertising professionals. Advertising campaigns require a team of highly efficient and skilled professionals who leverage available tools to streamline processes, manage budgets, allocate resources, and achieve success within tight deadlines. Try Wrike for free The Growing Importance of Project Management in Advertising With the increasing complexity of advertising campaigns, it is essential to have a structured approach to managing projects. Project management ensures that all elements of the advertising campaign are effectively managed, creating positive outcomes for clients and their audiences. The Evolution of the Advertising Industry The advertising industry has come a long way since its inception. From print ads in newspapers to digital advertisements on social media platforms, advertising has transformed into a multi-faceted industry that requires a diverse set of skills and expertise. The rise of technology has also played a significant role in shaping the advertising industry. With the advent of smartphones and the internet, advertising campaigns have become more targeted and personalized, allowing advertisers to reach specific audiences with precision. Advertising campaigns are becoming increasingly sophisticated, involving teams of professionals working on various components such as social media, video production, copywriting, and product design. The demand for high-quality content has also increased, with consumers expecting brands to produce engaging and relevant content that resonates with them. The Need for Efficient Project Management Solutions Project management software allows teams to collaborate in real time, track progress, and manage resources efficiently. It also provides a centralized location for all project-related information, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. With the help of project management software, advertising professionals can manage their time effectively, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality campaigns that meet their clients' expectations. Key Features of Project Management Software for Advertising Professionals In this section, we will explore some of the key features of project management software for advertising professionals. Task Management and Collaboration Task management functionality allows teams to assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor the progress of individual team members in real time. This tool helps to ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals and that tasks are completed on time. Collaboration features are also essential for advertising teams. They allow team members to share ideas, communicate effectively, and work together to achieve campaign goals. They may also include chat functionality, document sharing, and video conferencing, among others. Time Tracking and Resource Allocation Time tracking lets teams track the time spent on different tasks, monitor resource allocation, and use data to optimize the use of available resources. It also helps advertising teams to establish patterns and work in a more predictable and efficient way. Project management software allows professionals to allocate resources effectively and ensure that everyone has the tools and support they need to do their job. This feature can include resource calendars, workload management, and resource allocation reports. Budgeting and Financial Management Project management tools allow professionals to easily monitor budgets, track expenses, and keep all campaigns within budget. Some top features include budget tracking, expense tracking, and financial reporting. Reporting and Analytics Reporting and analytics functionality provides analytics and reporting functionality, which enables advertising professionals to evaluate the performance of their campaigns, identify areas of improvement, and optimize their processes. These features can include campaign performance reports, ROI analysis, and data visualization tools and assist professionals in delivering high-quality results that meet the expectations of their clients and stakeholders. Try Wrike for free How Project Management Software Enhances Communication and Collaboration Let’s go over a few of the main ways project management software can help teams communicate better. A Centralized Information Hub Project management software offers a centralized location for team communication, making it easy for team members to communicate and collaborate on specific tasks, projects, and files. This centralized hub ensures that all team members have access to the same information, eliminating the need for multiple communication channels, which can be confusing and time-consuming. Real-time Updates and Notifications In addition to an information hub, project management software provides real-time updates and notifications that help advertising professionals stay informed about their projects and tasks. This feature ensures that teams work collaboratively and all members are kept up to date with the latest developments via email, SMS, or push notifications, depending on the user's preference. Real-time updates and notifications are particularly beneficial for advertising professionals who work remotely. Remote workers can stay connected with their team members and receive updates on their projects, even if they are not physically present in the office. Seamless Integration with Other Tools Most project management tools integrate with other software, such as social media or email marketing tools. This integration allows advertising professionals to combine all of their tools in one place and manage their workflows with ease. With seamless integration, advertising professionals can streamline their workflows and eliminate the need for manual data entry, which can be time-consuming and error-prone. They can also automate their workflows which would reduce the amount of time spent on repetitive tasks. Boosting Creativity and Innovation through Streamlined Processes It is crucial for advertising professionals to find ways to streamline their processes and enhance their creativity and innovation. Here are a few ways to do it: Reduce Administrative Burden Advertising professionals often find themselves bogged down by administrative tasks such as tracking project progress, managing budgets, and communicating with team members. In fact, project management software is specifically designed to reduce this administrative burden. By automating routine tasks and providing real-time updates, project management software helps to unlock the full potential of advertising teams, enhancing their performance and productivity on the more creative tasks. With more time and energy freed up, advertising professionals can dedicate themselves to developing new ideas, exploring innovative approaches, and creating compelling campaigns that capture their audience's attention. Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement In the fast-paced world of advertising, it is essential to stay on top of industry trends and best practices. Project management software provides regular feedback, allowing advertising professionals to identify areas of improvement and optimize their workflows. Additionally, this feature fosters a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring that teams stay on top of their game even in a highly competitive industry. Encourage Cross-functional Collaboration Advertising campaigns involve a wide range of professionals, from copywriters and designers to marketers and project managers. Project management software promotes cross-functional collaboration, encouraging professionals from different departments to work together and bring diverse ideas and perspectives to the table. Ultimately, this cross-functional collaboration is critical to unlocking new ideas, developing winning advertising campaigns, and staying ahead of the competition. Conclusion Project management software has become essential for advertising professionals to manage their projects efficiently and effectively. Key features such as task management, budgeting, time tracking, and collaboration help advertising professionals to streamline their processes and deliver high-quality campaigns that meet their clients' requirements. Advertising professionals must embrace project management software to succeed in an industry that is constantly evolving and where competition is fierce. Propel your advertising success with Wrike's advanced project management tools tailored for enterprise professionals. Begin your free trial now and experience a world-class platform that drives results. Note: This article was created with the assistance of an AI engine. It has been reviewed and revised by our team of experts to ensure accuracy and quality.

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4 Easy Ways To Improve Marketing Team Efficiency

1. Streamline Communication Channels

Implement a Centralized Communication Platform