4 top tips for working with a virtual marketing department

Virtual marketing departments are becoming more commonplace in many businesses today, as the practice saves time, money and produces better results when the work relationship is solid between the business and the virtual department. However, many businesses often simply leave everything in the hands of the virtual department, which subsequently results in less than favorable production, a waste of expenses and marketing efforts that don’t produce a good ROI.

To take full advantage of the benefits a virtual marketing department can provide your company, you must make sure to engage in ample communication and clear discussion about what exactly you are trying to achieve. Working consistently with the marketing department, rather than leaving them to their own tasks, is a critical step to marketing success. From providing the marketing department with the resources they need to complete a task successfully, with holding scheduled web meetings in order to receive updates and discuss progress.

1. Defining Your Goals
When you first begin working with a virtual marketing department, you must ensure that they understand what you hope to accomplish through your marketing efforts, as well as how, and, if relevant, in what specific time frame. Additionally, try to ensure that your goals are realistic. Expecting the impossible only puts more stress on the marketing department and subsequently leaves you frustrated and disappointed.

2. Keep the lines of communication open
When you have an in-house marketing department, it can be fairly simple to regularly check up on progress or discuss new ideas. But many who work with virtual marketing departments tend to forget that the department even exists until such time that any projects are close to nearing completion and ready to be presented. It is important to be in touch at least a few times during the week in order to see how the workflow is going, and to discuss any additional edits, strategies, or ideas. You can easily do this through an online meeting app, which can be used to quickly set up web meetings through your computer or mobile devices, with multiple parties. The marketing department can also use UberConference to showcase marketing materials they are working on so that you can see the progress first hand.

3. Don’t micromanage
While defining goals and keeping communication ongoing is important, you must also know your limits. Allow the virtual marketing department to do what they do best, so that you can focus on other daily tasks. Keep your communication on a scheduled basis instead of contacting them randomly to see how things are going.

Offer the virtual marketing department whatever resources they might need to help them complete their projects.
A brand new virtual marketing department, even with clear goals in mind, might not still have the best idea of what exactly you may be looking for. It is a good idea to share them with other marketing materials you have used in the past that have been successful so that the department can follow the same feel and look, unless you desire a complete change.

4. Allow the virtual marketing department to improve
You may not like everything the marketing department comes up with at first, but by redefining goals, keeping communication open, and referring to other resources, you’ll be on track to help the marketing department achieve their goals in a manner that best fits your company and helps you achieve marketing success.

Do you already have experience working with a virtual marketing department? Feel free to share your experiences and offer any advice for other businesses that may like to try using one. Or simply ask a question that other readers may be able to answer for you.