Why, When and How to Build A Remote Marketing Team
October 27, 2023
Prashant Shukla
Summary: The blog posts talks about the growth of remote work and its influence on marketing, especially regarding remote marketing teams. The article offers a comprehensive guide on creating a successful remote marketing team and also the option of hiring a digital marketing agency as an alternative.
In recent years, the way we work has undergone a dramatic transformation. The rise of remote work has reshaped traditional office dynamics and opened up new possibilities for businesses worldwide. One area where this shift has had a profound impact is in marketing.
The concept of a remote marketing team is gaining traction, offering companies a flexible and efficient way to harness talent and drive their marketing efforts.
In this article, we will explore the reasons why building a remote marketing team might make sense for you and provide a comprehensive guide on how to do it effectively.
We will also take a look at the digital marketing agency as an alternative to building out your own in-house (remote or physically resident) digital marketing team.
The Rise of Remote Work
The traditional nine-to-five office setup has been evolving for quite some time, but the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift towards remote work dramatically.
Companies across the globe were forced to adapt to remote work as a necessity for business continuity. This abrupt change, however, shed light on the many advantages of remote work arrangements.
Remote work not only provides employees with greater flexibility and work-life balance but also offers businesses the opportunity to tap into a global talent pool. As a result, the remote work trend is expected to continue, even as the pandemic has subsided. Within this broader context, remote marketing teams have emerged as a viable and efficient option.
Why Build a Remote Marketing Team
When deciding on the kind of team you need to do your digital marketing work, it becomes important to think through the pros and cons of what a digital marketing team can deliver for you and how this differs by the type of team it is.
A remote marketing team has several advantages, namely:
1. Access to Global Talent: One of the most compelling reasons to build a remote marketing team is the ability to access talent from around the world. When you’re not restricted to hiring individuals in your geographic location, you can choose from a diverse range of professionals with unique skills and experiences. This diversity can be a significant asset to your marketing efforts, as it brings fresh perspectives and ideas to the table.
2. Cost Savings: Operating a remote marketing team can lead to substantial cost savings. You can avoid expenses related to office space, utilities, and equipment. Additionally, you may find that salaries for remote employees in certain regions are more competitive, allowing you to get top talent at a lower cost.
3. Flexibility and Scalability: Remote marketing teams offer flexibility and scalability that traditional in-house teams can’t match. You can easily scale your team up or down based on project requirements without the constraints of physical office space.
4. Diverse Perspectives and Ideas: A remote marketing team composed of members from various locations and backgrounds can bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to your marketing strategies. Diverse teams are more likely to think creatively and solve complex problems.
5. Better Retention and Job Satisfaction: Remote work options can attract and retain top talent, as many professionals prioritize flexibility and remote work arrangements. Higher job satisfaction can lead to lower turnover rates and reduced recruitment costs.
6. Environmental Benefits: Remote work reduces the need for commuting, resulting in fewer carbon emissions and a reduced environmental footprint. Sustainable practices can be emphasized as part of your remote team’s values.
7. Time Zone Coverage: If your remote team spans different time zones, you can provide around-the-clock coverage for marketing campaigns and customer support, enhancing your global presence.
On the other hand, some of the common disadvantages of a remote marketing team include:
1. Communication Challenges: Remote teams may face communication barriers due to different time zones, languages, and communication tools.
2. Lack of Face-to-Face Interaction: Remote work limits in-person interactions, which can hinder team bonding, creativity, and spontaneous collaboration. Building a strong team culture can be more challenging when team members are scattered across different locations.
3. Reduced Accountability: Some team members may struggle with accountability when working remotely. It can be harder to track their progress and ensure they are meeting deadlines without regular in-person supervision.
4. Difficulty in Onboarding: Onboarding new team members remotely can be more challenging, as they may miss out on the in-person training, mentoring, and immersion in the company culture that in-office employees typically experience.
5. Security Concerns: Remote work can raise security issues, especially in marketing where sensitive data and intellectual property may be involved. Ensuring that remote team members follow security protocols can be more complicated.
6. Monitoring and Productivity: Managers may find it more challenging to monitor the productivity of remote team members, leading to concerns about efficiency and performance.
How to Build a Remote Marketing Team
Now that we understand the pros and cons of building a remote marketing team, let’s dive into the practical steps that a business needs to take to make it happen successfully.
Define Your Needs: Start by clearly defining your marketing needs. What specific skills and expertise are required? Do you need content creators, SEO specialists, social media managers, or email marketing experts? Having a well-defined job description is crucial for successful remote team building.
Next identify what processes and tools you need from the following list:
1. Recruitment and Hiring:
A. Use Online Job Platforms: Utilize job boards, freelancing platforms, and professional networks to find potential candidates.
B. Interview and Assess: Conduct thorough interviews to evaluate candidates’ skills, experience, and cultural fit. Since you won’t be meeting them in person, video interviews are essential for gauging their personality and communication abilities.
C. Consider Trial Projects: Offer small, paid projects or probationary periods to assess a candidate’s actual performance in a real-world scenario.
Also read: Technical SEO Interview Questions
2. Onboarding and Training:
A. Create Onboarding Materials: Develop comprehensive onboarding materials and processes to ensure that new team members are familiar with your company’s culture, values, and expectations.
B. Provide Training: Offer training and access to relevant tools or software that your team will use. Ensure that your team is comfortable with the technology stack.
3. Communication and Collaboration Tools:
A. Choose the Right Tools: Invest in communication and collaboration tools that facilitate remote work, such as video conferencing, project management, and chat platforms. Video Conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet enable face-to-face virtual meetings, fostering better team communication and collaboration.
Slack and Microsoft Teams are popular choices for real-time team communication through text, audio, and video chats.Project Management (PM) platforms like Trello, Asana, or Jira help teams organize tasks, set priorities, and track project progress
File sharing and collaboration tools like Google Workspace Microsoft 365, Dropbox and Box enable seamless document sharing, editing, and collaboration in real-time.
Software like TeamViewer, AnyDesk or Chrome Remote Desktop can be used for screen sharing and remote assistance. Finally, Kanban tools like KanbanFlow and Trello are effective for visualizing workflows and managing work in progress.
B. Establish Communication Protocols: Set clear guidelines for communication, including meeting schedules, reporting structures, and response times.
4. Goal Setting and Performance Management:
A. Set Clear Objectives: Define clear goals, key performance indicators (KPIs), and timelines for each team member. These metrics will help you track progress and ensure accountability.
B. Regular Performance Reviews: Conduct regular performance reviews to provide feedback, identify areas for improvement, and recognize achievements.
5. Foster a Positive Remote Work Culture:
A. Promote Team Building: Organize virtual team-building activities and events to foster camaraderie and a sense of belonging among remote team members.
B. Encourage Open Communication: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback.
6. Time Management and Productivity:
A. Establish Work Hours: While remote work offers flexibility, it’s essential to set clear work hours and boundaries to maintain productivity.
B. Time Tracking: Consider using time tracking tools to monitor work hours. These may include apps like Toggl, Clockify, or Harvest to help track hours worked on specific tasks or projects, ensuring accountability.
7. Legal and Compliance Considerations:
A. Remote Work Policies: Develop remote work policies that address issues such as data security, confidentiality, and remote work expenses.
B. Data Protection: Ensure compliance with data protection regulations when handling customer data remotely.
By embracing remote marketing teams, you can access global talent, reduce costs, enhance productivity, and achieve the flexibility required to meet your marketing goals effectively. However, building and managing any remote team requires careful planning, communication, and the right tools.
By implementing some of the processes and using the tools outlined in this article, companies can create a productive and cohesive remote team while addressing the unique challenges of remote team management, which can then deliver results and drive your business forward in the digital age.
Do You Need a Digital Marketing Agency
An alternative to hiring and managing your own remote team is to simply hire an agency that is committed to your digital marketing success.
So should you hire a dedicated in-house/ or set up a dedicated team of remote digital marketers or go with the more traditional digital media marketing agency?
Determining the best option depends on various factors and can vary significantly between companies. It relies on the specific project’s context and is closely tied to your company’s current stage of development. While we would like to provide a definitive answer, the decision of whom to hire and for what reason is not one-size-fits-all. However here are some aspects you could consider:
→ First, it’s crucial to consider your company’s current needs rather than your future aspirations. While you may ultimately envision having multiple offices in major cities with a full in-house team, if you’re currently a fledgling startup, your focus should be on agility rather than scale.
As your company expands, your emphasis will naturally shift. A second, but related point, is that your hiring model will evolve as your company grows. What you initially start with may not be the same as what you need as you scale.
For instance the marketing needs for a new product is very different from the needs a fully developed commercial product has. Your approach will adapt over time, so your initial strategy will likely involve testing and refining processes, while your eventual solution may require a more long-term perspective.
→ How important is building a company culture to you? In-house teams foster a unique company culture developed over time through close-knit collaboration, social interactions, and shared experiences, ensuring a sense of belonging.
This is not something a self-built remote team can acquire as fast, while an agency will have its own culture which may or may not closely align with yours.
→ Will your marketing teams need to understand a complex product or service in detail including a long history of changes or customized offerings? In-house teams possess unmatched product knowledge and hands-on experience due to dedicated hours spent on the product. If this is an ability you feel your marketing team will need, it’s possibly better to go the in-house route.
Another thing to consider is the skill growth in the team you need. Do you need a marketing team for the long-term? In-house employees continually acquire new skills, adding long-term value to your company, even though it may require investment in training and development.
Why An In-House Remote Marketing Team is Not Right for Every Business
In-house employees (remote or physical team) are more costly, factoring in salaries, benefits, office space, and other expenses, making them less cost-effective. There is also a skill ceiling issue meaning replacing one in-house marketing resource another can be challenging and finding the right fit may require extensive vetting which sometimes increases the possibility of work interruption.
An agency on the other hand offer flexible pricing models, potentially reducing costs and aligning with project needs. Agencies, in fact vet, interview, and train their own teams ensuring you work with qualified candidates, and replacements can be arranged quickly.
These teams often have pre-existing experience working together, enhancing their efficiency and productivity. Finally an agency will allow you to access a broader talent pool, giving you a wider range of skill sets and expertise.
Choose A Setup That Works for Your Business
The most flexible approach involves establishing a core in-house team as a central element of your operations and complementing it with an agency when necessary. This hybrid model strikes a balance between cost-effectiveness and scalability, allowing your business to succeed and adjust as it grows.
By cultivating an in-house team with a strong understanding of your company’s culture, values, and goals, you create a stable foundation. These in-house experts serve as the core of your organization, ensuring that your core operations remain consistent while also fostering innovation and a connection to your brand’s identity.
Simultaneously, this approach is flexible. You can seamlessly integrate agency teams, each with specialized skills and expertise, to address specific projects, cater to demand fluctuations, or handle niche tasks. These agency teams can be easily onboarded and offboarded as needed, saving costs on maintaining a full-time, in-house staff for periodic tasks.
The hybrid model enables your business to combine the strengths of both in-house and remote teams. As your business grows, you can efficiently expand your workforce without increasing your in-house staff permanently, making it well-suited for a fast-changing business environment.
In summary, by adopting a core in-house team supplemented by remote teams, you position your business to navigate the complexities of modern business effectively, staying adaptable and competitive in a dynamic business landscape.