There’s no denying the importance of marketing. This statement may seem obvious in 2022, but even industries and companies that historically never had to focus on marketing are now having to allocate funds and figure it out. Studies show that marketing budgets increased to 9.5% of overall company revenue in 2022.
But despite spending so much money, businesses often fail to create successful marketing strategies. This isn’t always because of a lack of effective materials. Often, the cause is much more simple; ineffective marketing workflows.
But what are marketing workflows, and how can they be improved?
What is a marketing workflow?
Every marketing task has a series of steps which must be completed. This process is known as a marketing workflow. Workflows aren’t uniform, and lengths can vary depending on the complexity of a task.
Here is an example of a marketing workflow.
- An idea is conceived.
- Tasks are assigned to different teams.
- Marketing materials are created.
- Materials and strategies are approved.
- Materials are published.
So far this probably seems quite simple. But certain barriers often prevent effective workflows. For example, visibility is often a major problem. Not all team members have a clear view of workflows and aren’t given the right information. Simple mistakes are also common. For example, many B2B businesses use a B2C strategy (and vice-versa).
But with all that said, what can you do to improve your workflows? Here are five examples that will set you on the right path.
1. Know Your Objectives
It might sound simple, but too many businesses rush their marketing. Once work has been requested, it’s important that you have a clear idea of the task at hand. This doesn’t mean a broad, long-term goal. Having an end goal is important, but how will you achieve it? You need a clear set of objectives that will help see you through your project.
When setting your objectives, you’ll need some of the following information.
- What is the time frame? How can you ensure that work is completed within it?
- What is the scope of the work? Do you have all the information that you need about a project?
- What needs to be delivered at the end of the project?
Have the right documentation
When working with a client and identifying objectives, it’s important to have documentation that clearly lays out expectations. You don’t want, later, to be given additional objectives that are outside the terms of your agreement.
Make sure documentation is legally binding. For that, you’ll need the right e-signature software. There are many options to choose from and you need to find the product that meets all your needs (check out, for example, the difference between HelloSign and DocuSign).
2. Delegate Tasks Effectively
Delegation will be a big part of your marketing workflow. But how you delegate tasks will have an impact. Some managers delegate tasks randomly, regardless of how well-suited a team member is. This isn’t the approach to take if you want an efficient workflow. Tasks will take longer to complete and work will be lacking in quality.
The best managers take stock of their teams and identify the best worker for each task. Managers should know the skill sets of each member, their strengths, and weaknesses. For instance, some workers are better at working in teams than others. It’s best not to delegate collaborative tasks to members that prefer to work solo.
To put this in a nutshell, take time to consider your team. Make sure you’re getting the most out of each member.
3. Keep an Eye on the Time
Image via clockify.me
Poor time management is one of the major causes of inefficient workflows. If you’re trying to hit deadlines, you need to cut out wasteful practices. Each team should be mindful of how they currently use their time. You could choose any of the following methods for keeping track of time.
- Keeping records of time spent on different activities using a timesheet.
- Using a stopwatch as you work on a task.
- Deploy time tracking software.
Once you know exactly how much time is being wasted, you can begin to speed up processes.
4. Use the Cloud
More and more businesses are turning to technology. It could be to improve collaboration, using conferencing software such as Microsoft Teams. Or it could be to produce faster business proposals using the Salesforce proposal generator. Technology can also play an important role in improving marketing workflows.
Visibility is extremely important for your workflow. Remember, a different team will likely handle each task. Sometimes collaboration between teams will be required, and information will need to be exchanged. Being able to access the necessary files and know the progress of other teams is essential.
When collaborating on documents, it can be frustrating to find that you are working on an old version. You may find that you have the wrong information. With teams working on different versions of the same file, you may end up with mismatched documents.
The cloud can be an excellent solution to this problem. Teams will always be able to access important files and find the information they need. With the right collaboration software, you can ensure that teams are working on up-to-date documents.
5. Always Prioritize
Not all tasks will have the same level of importance. It’s important that you always prioritize the most important tasks. Examine the jobs needed within a workflow. Which are integral for meeting your goals? Make a note of all your tasks and list them in order of importance. This exercise will help avoid time wasting and ensure resources are allocated where they are needed.
Here again, the cloud will come in handy. By working on a centralized platform, you’ll be able to prioritize team tasks more easily.
Don’t Overlook Your Marketing Workflows
There are certain elements of each business that need to run smoothly. For instance, effective inventory management is essential for businesses that want to deliver products on time. For almost every business, however, marketing is an area that shouldn’t be overlooked.
But too often, businesses approach marketing without a clear strategy and process. This could be changed easily by taking a moment to consider workflow. The benefits of prioritizing marketing workflows aren’t hard to see. Whether it’s better collaboration, timekeeping, or a more streamlined process, the right workflow can transform a business.
Take a moment to think about how your business’ workflows can be improved. Consider the five steps listed here, and how they can be implemented into your organization.
Remember, your marketing workflow is essential. Don’t overlook it.
For more great tips, tricks, and how-to’s, subscribe to the DivvyHQ blog today!