is marketing management? //

Platforms for marketing work management help leaders and teams to structure their daily work so that they can meet deadlines and budget constraints while also managing resources, facilitating communication and collaboration. Some of the functions include task assignment, time tracking and budgeting, communication with team members, file sharing, etc.

Many marketers were already used to working with others outside of their offices, as many brands are spread across multiple regions and the globe. Marketing projects, such as campaigns, websites, whitepapers, or videos, often involve the use of outside resources. This could be an agency, a freelance designer, or a photographer. All of this was brought to a frenzy by the COVID pandemic, when projects had to be completed largely by an isolated workforce in their offices.

All this has increased the demand for work management software. This software documents and optimizes processes, workflows, and projects undertaken digital marketers. It often integrates with other systems such as digital asset management (DAM), or creative suites.

Marketing is a great use of these tools for a variety of reasons.

Marketing work management tools: Benefits

Marketing leaders are faced with increasing complexity and workload. Enterprise marketing work management software can provide significant benefits to marketers, helping them better manage their workload and communicate with their colleagues.

• Management of global operations is more efficient. Marketing work management software can be used to help employees in different markets coordinate and communicate with one another. This allows for consistency and accountability across all markets. Some tools support collaboration and approval process geared towards marketing collateral.
• Reporting is easy and transparent. Although it is possible to use spreadsheets manually to manage projects and track progress, they do not offer native dashboards or reports like marketing work management software. These platforms offer highly customizable reporting tools that can be accessed via widgets and wizards to speed up reporting. These reports can be shared and exposed to executives in the C- and VP-levels. This gives all stakeholders an overview of progress on multiple initiatives.
• Visualizations to aid in planning and resource distribution. Visualizations are available in most marketing work management software. They allow marketers to view multiple projects at once, and adjust their schedules or tasks accordingly to avoid under- or overusing resources.
• Coordination with clients and stakeholders is improved. Some marketing work management platforms have “guest access” or flexible permission structures which allow some information to be shared while others are kept hidden. This is particularly useful for marketers who work at agencies or outside consultants, as they can document everything they need within the tool without worrying about looking less professional to clients when they log in.
• File sharing and digital asset management. Digital asset management and file sharing.
• Communication with the development team and others is more seamless. Developers are often needed for digital marketing initiatives that have a technical component. If marketers and developers work in different departments but use the same marketing management tool, they can work more smoothly together. This is true for any department that marketing interacts with.
• Tracking billable hours is easier, as well as human resource management. Many marketing work-management platforms track time spent by an assigned employee on a given task. This allows agency account managers easily to calculate the hours that were spent on the client’s project. This feature allows managers to keep track of employee productivity.
• Accountability is clear and prevents tasks from falling through the cracks. Most marketing work management software has a version of a “to-do” list, where tasks can be assigned by the person or team responsible for completing them. Managers can avoid delays and miscommunications by using the dependencies feature and tracking these tasks.
• Automating repetitive tasks. Many marketing work management systems allow the creation of templates and reproducible tasks to help reduce repetitive tasks. Managers can reuse the same structure when an agency follows a client onboarding or regular check-up procedure. Some tools also include recurring tasks which can be used to record processes that happen at regular intervals.

Dig deep: Questions for marketing vendors

Agile marketing and relationship

Some marketing organizations are adopting Agile Marketing to keep pace with the pace. This philosophy and workflow was pioneered by developers. Agile marketing workflows have been around for some time, but they seem to be growing in popularity.

Agile marketing does not require any specific software. However, marketers who adopt this method are looking for tools to match their new philosophy. Many marketing work management software vendors have interfaces and reports that are geared towards agile. These include Kanban boards, and a place where you can input your backlog.

Adoption of these solutions is driven by their complexity

The complexity of marketing has increased exponentially. In the past, a face-toface meeting in an office was more common. Now, it’s more likely that you will have multiple conversations via email and chat tools. According to a recent Salesforce State of Marketing Survey, marketers use an average of four different collaboration tools in order to unify and facilitate digital-first communications. Despite this, marketing managers are finding it increasingly difficult to track the progress of their campaigns and tasks. According to the State of Marketing Survey, 69% of respondents said it was harder to collaborate after the pandemic.

These factors have increased the demand for marketing work-management platforms that document and optimize processes, workflows, and projects undertaken by the digital marketer. They often integrate with other systems, such as digital asset management (DAM), or creative suites. McKinsey analysts stated in an article titled “The “How” of Transformation,” that “70% (of complex, large-scale changes programs) fail to reach their goals.

Marketing work management solutions are also in demand because they help keep digital transformation initiatives in check by providing transparency and accountability. They can help marketing managers and C-level executives keep their work in order, whether the employees are in the office or at home.

Do you need marketing management in your organization?

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