In this blog, we will discuss some of the best digital marketing opportunities you can take to grow your B2B business, how to effectively act upon those strategies, and how to make sure money is being made!

Understanding B2B Digital Marketing

In its essence, B2B marketing is defined as the strategies and tactics employed to promote and sell products or services from one business to another in an online environment. It involves utilizing various online channels and platforms to connect with other companies, build relationships, and drive sales.

When you begin to focus on a new digital marketing strategy, there are a few things you need to define that will help guide your overall strategy development. You should ask yourself the following questions:

Target Audience

Who is your primary target audience? Furthermore, who will be the decision-makers within an organization deciding to purchase your product or service?

This will differ from a business-to-consumer (B2C) campaign that focuses more on specific consumer demographics. In contrast, a B2B campaign targeting should focus more on the industries, job seniority, or job titles that would use your product or service. If you are selling a software product, who is most likely to use it or make that decision? Is it an IT Director, a Marketing Manager, or a Sales person?

Conversions & Leads

How do you receive leads? What is the most crucial conversion point? Should you offer free trials, free quotes, or a demo of your product? How much revenue, on average, do you get from a lead or conversion?

In a B2C world, consumers can just return a product if unsatisfied. With a product or service in a B2B world, your audience will be more open-minded to see similar products or services from other companies, so being as flexible as possible with how you develop your leads is critical.

In addition, having a defined revenue number of what a lead means can help with your analysis of the effectiveness of your marketing strategy.

Website Structure

Is your website set up to connect effectively with your audience? Is your website professional and clean? Can a user easily navigate the site? Is your product or service defined effectively?

An effective website for a B2B company should serve as a gateway to current and future customers, highlighting priority services and products, key selling points, company information, and more. It should transcend the role of a static online brochure, evolving into a dynamic space that effectively communicates a business’s brand identity and value proposition. This digital presence is a crucial touchpoint in the customer journey, facilitating lead generation, providing valuable insights, and fostering meaningful interactions.

Brand Positioning

How is your brand positioned in the digital space? Does your brand have specific guidelines? Does your brand have a positive outlook? What separates your brand from the competition?

A well-defined and consistently communicated brand image establishes a strong foundation for a business’s success. It goes beyond mere visual aesthetics; it encapsulates the brand’s essence, conveying its values, personality, and unique selling propositions.

When a brand projects a consistent image and position, it fosters trust and familiarity among its target audience, driving customer loyalty and differentiation in a crowded market. From social media interactions to website design, it’s vital to reflect similar design aesthetics, values, and messaging across various channels. By maintaining this cohesive presence, a business contributes to the creation of a robust brand positioning strategy that resonates with consumers, leaving a lasting and positive impression.

Once those questions are answered and understood, you can begin crafting your strategy to reach your target audience and generate qualified leads.

Developing a Digital Marketing Strategy for a B2B Product or Service

Crafting a well-thought-out strategy is the cornerstone of B2B marketing success, serving as the compass that guides us through the dynamic landscape of the digital realm.

It should start with a specific goal, which should be tied to the conversions driving revenue to your business. Consider setting a SMART goal, which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. Once a goal is set, you can develop tactics from specific channels to reach your goal. Your tactics should focus on providing the most impact to reach your goal.

For example, your SMART goal could be to increase ‘Demo Leads’ by 50% year-over-year. To achieve this, you could use the tactics of LinkedIn Ads, Authoritative Content Development, Search Engine Optimization, and Email Marketing to specifically target your defined audience.

Now, let’s dive into these tactics and how they can be effectively used in a B2B Digital Marketing Strategy.

Understanding Key Digital Marketing Channels

Paid Media

In a B2B digital marketing strategy, paid media refers to the promotional efforts that involve paying for advertising space or placement on various online channels to reach and engage other businesses. This includes platforms such as search engines, social media, industry-specific websites, and display advertising networks. The effectiveness of paid media campaigns is often measured through key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rates, conversions, and return on investment (ROI), being the most important.

There are a variety of different paid media outlets you can utilize, and the big question is, which ones do I choose? Below is a list of the pros and cons of some of the most popular paid media channels to utilize:

Google Search Ads

Google Search Ads are one of the most popular forms of Paid Advertising and, when utilized effectively, can be a significant revenue driver for your business. With Google Search Ads, you can receive the top placement of search queries for your brand or keywords relevant to your business. For example, a Market Research and analytics company could target the keyword ‘Market Research Company’ and then be placed at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). This is an easy way to get qualified users to your website and drive leads.

While Google Search can be effective, it can also be competitive and costly, depending on your industry space. You will want to ensure the keywords you target drive qualified leads and present a positive ROI.

Social Media Ads

Social Media Ads are another great way to connect with potential customers who may not know your brand. For a B2B business, the most effective social media platform to place your ads will be LinkedIn, though others, such as Facebook, can also be effective depending on your industry.

With LinkedIn Ads, you can target users based on location, industry, job title, job functions, and interests or exclude users based on the same attributes. This can provide a unique approach to reaching a particular audience.

An additional strategy to ensure your paid ads generate qualified leads is to entice your target audience with an industry-specific case study or showcase the effectiveness of your product but require users to submit their contact information to gain access to the content.

Social Media

Most people worldwide are on social media and most likely include your target audience. Maintaining a robust presence on social media platforms can be a key part of a business’s digital marketing strategy in the B2B market.

The evolving landscape underscores businesses’ need to engage with B2B buyers on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and X. These channels serve as conduits for disseminating curated content and industry insights and offer unique opportunities for fostering connections and establishing thought leadership.

While some argue that B2B transactions primarily occur in a professional context, the growing trend of decision-makers leveraging social media for information and networking challenges this perspective. The strategic use of social media in B2B marketing facilitates brand visibility, trust-building, and the establishment of meaningful relationships.

For example, one of Go Fish Digital’s B2B clients, a company that provides funding for small businesses, has found success in leveraging social media to engage with potential clients. They do so by engaging and following other small businesses on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn and producing engaging content on these platforms that this particular audience may find useful.

Content Marketing and SEO

In B2B digital marketing, the relationship between SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and content marketing is a cornerstone for success.

SEO is the guiding force, ensuring a business’s online presence is visible and strategically positioned on search engine results pages. By optimizing relevant keywords, meta tags, and website structure, SEO facilitates discoverability among businesses actively seeking specific products or services. Your first focus when reviewing the organic presence of your site should be on your revenue-driven pages and ensuring they are optimized.

Content marketing, on the other hand, breathes life into this digital visibility. It involves crafting valuable, informative content tailored to address the needs and pain points of the target B2B audience. Whether through blog posts, whitepapers, or engaging multimedia, compelling content captures attention, establishes authority, and builds trust. SEO and content marketing synergize to elevate a B2B business in the digital landscape, driving organic traffic, fostering credibility, and nurturing long-term business relationships.

An excellent example of utilizing these two tactics in tandem is a local Junk Removal Service targeting other businesses in their area. Not only do they have a service page around each type of junk or trash they remove, but they also utilize their blog to target informational keywords for each of these services, setting themselves up for success in the future when that user may be more inclined to use their business.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is another powerful tool that can forge meaningful connections and drive substantial business outcomes for a B2B digital marketing strategy.

One of its primary advantages lies in its direct and personalized approach. Email campaigns can be tailored to address specific needs, challenges, and interests of individual businesses, fostering a sense of relevance that resonates.

Additionally, email marketing is a cost-effective way to nurture sales funnel leads. Whether delivering insightful content, sharing industry updates, or showcasing product offerings, emails provide a consistent touchpoint, keeping the brand at the forefront of the recipient’s mind. Furthermore, the analytics capabilities embedded in email marketing platforms enable precise tracking and measurement of campaign performance, allowing for data-driven refinement and optimization.

By leveraging the targeted and measurable nature of email marketing, B2B businesses can cultivate lasting relationships, drive engagement, and ultimately propel their growth in the digital sphere.

The Importance of Data Analysis

After the strategy and the tactics are set, how do we know if they drive real business and revenue? Analytics and data collection need to be properly set up to ensure that revenue is being generated. This also helps provide insight into what tactics are working and what areas need to be still improved.

This data and how you interpret it should be critical in your decision-making process. While one marketing channel may produce your desired lead amount and may seem successful, that channel could be mainly producing low or unqualified leads. A thorough review of the marketing tactics should then occur to see if that is the most effective tactic, or should the focus be on other marketing channels?

This is the importance of having tools to effectively track where your leads are coming from and adequately analyze the revenue driven by each marketing tactic.

Staying up to Date

In the fast-paced digital marketing landscape, staying on top of industry news is imperative for companies looking to grow, remain competitive, etc. Technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), are reshaping the digital marketing terrain at an unprecedented pace. Awareness of these developments empowers B2B companies to leverage cutting-edge tools and automation, enhancing efficiency and efficacy.

The ever-evolving SEO, social media, and paid media trends also require a continuous learning mindset. Following thought leaders in these spaces, subscribing to digital marketing newsletters, and keeping up with industry news from giants like Google can all be powerful ways for B2B companies to stay ahead of the curve.

Conclusion

Starting a new marketing strategy can be a lot of work, but it can quickly impact your business growth and revenue if done effectively. As your business navigates the digital marketing space, always think about your audience and how to reach that audience with a number of different tactics effectively.

B2B Marketing Strategies to Amplify Revenue Streams is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

Here at Go Fish Digital, we have a variety of employees who work in different zip codes, states, and in some cases, countries. As a project manager, it’s my job to ensure that no matter where a team member works, they feel heard, valued, and appreciated. It requires a fresh approach to team management and an emphasis on communication when in-office collaboration is missing. In this article, we’ll explore 8 key tips and strategies for managing remote teams effectively.

Key Tips for Nurturing Remote Teams

1. Communication is Key

In a remote work environment, effective communication is the cornerstone of success. Regular check-ins, team meetings, and one-on-one discussions can bridge the gap created by physical distance. When working with a team of remote individuals, it’s inevitable that your communication will rely on tools like video conferencing, instant messaging and written communication. The sooner a team (and manager) can perfect this new reality, the better.

2. Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance

The line between work and personal life is often blurred when a person is working from home. Without a daily commute, it can be easy for remote team members to fall into unhealthy habits, like working late hours, ignoring vacation time, or failing to establish boundaries between work and personal life. As a manager, be sure to encourage a healthy work-life balance amongst your team members. This can look like:

• Lead by Example: Demonstrate a healthy work-life balance yourself. Avoid sending work-related emails or messages to your team during non-working hours, and take your vacation days as needed.
• Encourage Breaks: Long calls and hectic work sprints can be mentally exhausting, especially for remote team members. When needed, encourage your employees to take short breaks during the day and discourage working through lunch.
• Give the Right Feedback: Instead of celebrating team members for working long hours or clocking overtime, check in with them and see where you can provide support on bandwidth and time management.

3. The Get-To-Know-You’s Dont Stop at Onboarding

Without an office setting, it can be easy to fall into talking only about work with your team members and failing to get to know them on a personal level. To avoid this, don’t let the “get-to-know-you’s” stop at onboarding.

Encourage casual chats, virtual water cooler moments, and themed Slack channels for light-hearted conversations between your team members. (At Go Fish, our “Anything But Work” Slack channel is a personal favorite.) Creating opportunities for personal interactions between team members can help to combat feelings of loneliness and isolation that some remote workers may experience. It helps to grow the overall camaraderie of your project team as well.

4. Give a Big Welcome to New Remote Workers

Speaking of onboarding, it’s important to give new remote team members extra attention when they just start or are new to your team. It’s easy to get lost in the crowd when you’re not in the same physical space. Schedule virtual coffee chats, regular check-ins, and even virtual team-building activities to help new members integrate smoothly. Taking the time to learn about their lives and interests demonstrates your commitment to their success.

5. Master the Art of Time Zones

If you have team members who work remotely, it’s likely that they may live or work in a different time zone than you. Here are a few tips on how to best handle this challenge:

• Keep Track of What Time Zone Each Team Member is In: This may seem like a no-brainer, but nothing can be more frustrating for remote team members than repeatedly having to remind their manager of their time zone. Even small details like knowing when to greet with “Good morning” or “Good afternoon” on calls can go a long way!
• Take Advantage of the Time When Everyone’s Online: Identify overlapping working hours and leverage them for collaborative activities. It’s during these windows that real-time discussions, brainstorming sessions, and joint problem-solving can take place. Making the most of these shared hours fosters efficient communication and teamwork.
• Be Considerate: Holding meetings at odd hours or setting rigid deadlines based on one time zone can lead to burnout and frustration. Schedule meetings that work for everyone or record them for those who can’t attend live. Consider asynchronous communication for tasks that don’t require real-time interaction.

6. Provide Resources and Clear Obstacles

As a project manager, it’s important to equip your remote team members with the resources they need to excel. When team members work different hours, it’s vital to clear any obstacles that may hinder their productivity. Ensure they have the needed access to software, documents, etc. Providing the necessary resources for your team will keep everyone well-equipped to do their jobs effectively.

7. Say Thank You Often

In the hustle of remote work, expressing gratitude can easily be overlooked. When managing remote team members, say thank you and express gratitude often. Acknowledge individual and team achievements, celebrate milestones, and remember to show your appreciation, especially when things get busy. This small act will make sure that each team member knows they are valued, appreciated, and cared for.

8. Empathy is Your Secret Weapon

Lastly, remember that empathy goes a long way in building strong relationships with remote team members. It’s important to understand that everyone’s work-from-home experience is unique, and factors like home environment, family responsibilities, and personal well-being can impact their performance. As a project manager, empathy isn’t just a soft skill — it can be a powerful tool for team cohesion.

Conclusion

Remote work has become a lasting reality, and as a manager, it’s our responsibility to adapt and lead our teams effectively in this new landscape. By prioritizing communication, empathy, flexibility, and gratitude, we create an environment where remote team members can thrive. Embracing both the challenges and opportunities of remote work fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and shared success.

As we navigate the ever-evolving world of work, let’s remember that behind every screen is a talented individual with unique strengths and aspirations. By implementing these strategies, we can not only manage remote teams but also nurture them, ensuring that distance doesn’t diminish our ability to create exceptional work together.

8 Tips for Managing Remote Teams Effectively is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

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The Role of Project Managers in Bridging the Gap

In a digital marketing agency, project teams consist of clients, digital marketing experts, and project managers. As project managers, we have a unique role in bridging the gap between the expertise of our team members and the impact of their efforts on business outcomes. Although we may not be experts in every vertical, we understand the tools available in our digital marketing toolbox and how they should work together to drive results. This broader perspective allows us to effectively align our marketing strategies with business goals, advocate for our clients, and explain the impact of our efforts in a way that speaks directly to their objectives.

Shifting Strategy Requires Reevaluating Reporting Methods in Digital Marketing

To achieve effective project management in digital marketing, it is essential to focus on the right measures of success. Traditional reporting methods often center around individual key performance indicators (KPIs) unique to each marketing channel, such as organic sessions for SEO or click-through rates for email marketing.

However, this approach fails to connect these metrics to business outcomes.

Organic sessions don’t save businesses.

Email click-through rates don’t generate revenue unless they convert subscribers.

Therefore, when businesses face economic challenges, or, the economy starts to shift, or endless talks of impending recessions make everyone nervous, they tend to cut marketing investments based on the perceived lack of correlation between metrics and tangible results. To overcome this disconnect, we must plan our strategies with business outcomes as the primary focus.

Prioritizing Business Outcomes in Digital Marketing Strategy

To align digital marketing strategies with business goals, we need to understand our clients’ measurable, monetary objectives. This includes revenue targets, lead generation goals, return on investment (ROI) expectations, and other key performance indicators. By establishing a clear understanding of these goals, we can structure our project strategies around them. This business-first approach enables us to demonstrate how our work directly contributes to the client’s bottom line and positions marketing as a mission-critical investment.

Shifting Perspectives: Approaching Digital Marketing Strategy through the Lens of Business Outcomes

Traditional project strategies often prioritize individual channel metrics, resulting in siloed efforts. To overcome this, we need to create synergies across verticals and align everyone’s efforts toward a single, meaningful business outcome. By integrating channels and strategies, we can create a cohesive approach that drives tangible results for our clients. This shift in perspective requires thinking beyond siloed metrics and considering how each task and initiative contributes directly to the central business goal.

Below are two examples of how a team may design a digital marketing strategy. The first example focuses on traditional marketing metrics:

In this example, it’s clear how the tasks and initiatives set will accomplish these goals. However, it’s unclear how these initiatives and KPIs will directly impact business outcomes. A business executive reviewing this strategy may easily think to themselves, “I can forgo organic sessions and new email subscribers. I need to focus on revenue.”

Marketing strategies planned through the lens of business outcomes, on the other hand, build synergies across verticals and invest everyone’s efforts into achieving a single, meaningful, monetary outcome. These strategies may look something like this:

In this example, it’s immediately clear how marketing functions contribute directly to a client’s bottom line, thereby making it more likely that a client will retain these verticals even through challenging times.

Approaching project strategy in this way requires a new way of thinking about our work with clients, the strengths and weaknesses of the marketing channels we manage, and how we measure success. Below are some steps for moving your projects in this direction:

Understand your client

Understanding your client is key to driving business outcomes in digital marketing. Do you clearly understand your client’s measurable, monetary business goals? If it’s revenue, how much? If it’s leads, how many? By when? For what ROI? What counts as a qualified lead? Or are we more focused on MQLs? Within what level of the marketing funnel are there gaps? The answers to these kinds of questions form the foundation for planning your project strategy.

Evaluate the tools in your toolbox

Are they the right tools for the job? SEO may be effective in building brand awareness, but it’s not the right tool for driving revenue within a short period of time. If revenue is your client’s goal and the only tool you have in the toolbox is SEO, it’s time to talk to your client about adjusting their scope of work to add tools like PPC which may be better suited to achieve their goals. If that’s not an option, set clear and quantifiable expectations and be transparent with your client about what is achievable within the given timeframe and budget.

Establish the measure of success

Once you have a clear understanding of your client’s desired business outcomes, you need to set the central, business-driven goal for your team. Structure internal strategy meetings around this central goal. Ask questions that encourage vertical experts to think about how they can contribute to business outcomes across channels. Map it out if you need to. Get a bit messy in the middle. Reframing how you think about project strategy isn’t linear. It requires some critical brainstorming.

Defend that measure of success fiercely

Transitioning to this new approach may face resistance from team members accustomed to traditional reporting methods. It is essential to defend the measure of success that aligns with the client’s business outcomes. Continuously evaluate tasks and initiatives to ensure they contribute directly to the central goal. Encourage open discussions and push for explanations to ensure alignment between strategy and desired results. Although this shift may be challenging at first, it sets the project on a path to success and enhances our ability to explain the impact of our efforts to clients.

Let the experts be experts

Rallying your team around a central goal does NOT mean that you are suddenly a vertical expert. As project managers, our role is to guide the team and evaluate strategies through a client lens. Let the digital marketing experts on your team provide insights and recommendations based on their expertise. You know where you all need to go, allow your team to tell you how to get there.

Assess performance against the central goal

Assess performance against the central business goal and communicate the impact of marketing efforts in a way that aligns with the client’s objectives. Focus on relevant metrics that contribute to the narrative of success and highlight how each vertical worked together to achieve results. For example, rather than report on the organic sessions a particular page earned, consider the rate at which visitors to that page flowed to other high-value pages on the site. Rather than assess conversions by channel, consider direct conversions AND assisted conversions to tell a better story of how each vertical worked together to drive results.

The Benefits of Aligning Digital Marketing Strategy with Business Outcomes

When clients can directly see the impact that marketing has on their bottom line, they are more likely to see marketing as an essential component of their business. By aligning project strategy with business goals, we not only achieve better outcomes for clients but also use everyone’s time more efficiently. This alignment optimizes resources, improves ROI, and retains clients.

In conclusion, as project managers, it is our responsibility to bridge the gap between marketing efforts and business outcomes. By demonstrating the direct impact of marketing on the client’s bottom line, we solidify the importance of marketing as an essential component of their overall business strategy.

How To Align Your Digital Marketing Initiatives With Business Outcomes is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

What is SEO? 

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a technique that can elevate your website from obscurity on Google’s search results to the coveted top position on the first page. SEO is  all about optimizing your website to rank higher in those ever sought-after organic search engine results pages (SERPs). This means improving your site’s relevance, authority, and overall user experience to make search engines like Google, YouTube, and Bing take notice. 

By following SEO best practices, you can boost your website’s visibility and make sure that users searching for what you offer can easily find and benefit from your brand, product, or service.

What are the Benefits of SEO? 

SEO is a strategy that can help businesses improve their website’s visibility and ranking in organic search engine results.  It’s a cost-effective method to drive traffic to your website long-term without paying per visitor.

Optimizing your website for SEO makes it more visible to people searching for keywords related to your business. This can lead to more leads, sales, and revenue over time. Plus, SEO can also improve the user experience of your website, making it easier for people to find the information they need while increasing the trust and credibility of your brand.

In fact, the benefits of SEO can continue to pay off for months or even years after you’ve optimized your website. So, it’s definitely worth considering as a long-term strategy for your business.

What is PPC? 

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a popular form of digital marketing that allows businesses to promote their products or services by placing targeted ads on search engine results pages (SERPs). PPC is a highly effective way to drive targeted traffic to your website because it enables advertisers to bid on specific keywords and phrases relevant to their business. When a user enters a search query that matches the keywords you’ve bid on, your ad will appear at the top of the search results page. If the user clicks on your ad, you will be charged a fee based on your bid amount.

What are the Benefits of PPC? 

PPC advertising can be a valuable tool for businesses looking to drive traffic to their website. One of the greatest advantages of PPC is its ability to quickly reach a target audience, making it an ideal option for businesses looking to generate leads or sales in a short amount of time. Another advantage is that PPC campaigns are very customizable, allowing businesses to tweak their ad copy, target specific keywords, and adjust their budget at any time to optimize performance.

PPC provides measurable results that allow businesses to see how well their ads perform and make informed decisions about their marketing strategy. When done correctly, PPC can be a cost-effective way to drive traffic to a website and reach people actively searching for products or services like yours. This can help establish your brand and increase brand awareness.

It’s vital to have a clear understanding of your target audience and to continually monitor and adjust your campaigns for the best results. Overall, PPC can be a valuable addition to a business’s marketing strategy.

What is the Difference Between SEO vs. PPC? 

When considering SEO vs. PPC, it is important to remember the fundamental differences between the two strategies. The primary difference is that SEO traffic is free, whereas PPC traffic requires a cost per click. Additionally, paid ads typically appear at the top of the page, above the organic listings that are influenced by SEO. The choice between the two depends on your specific goals and budget.

SEO is a long-term strategy that can bring consistent traffic over time without requiring ongoing investment, although it can take some time to see results. Conversely, PPC can generate immediate traffic but requires ongoing investment, which can be more costly in the long run.

Which is Better for Your Business: SEO vs. PPC 

SEO and PPC are two digital marketing strategies that can drive traffic and generate leads or sales for businesses. While both SEO and PPC have their unique benefits and drawbacks, the choice between the two depends on a business’s specific needs and goals. Prior to discussing which is better for your business, lets briefly recap:

SEO

SEO is the process of optimizing a website to rank higher in organic search engine results pages (SERPs). By improving a site’s relevance, authority, and overall user experience, SEO can help businesses increase their website’s visibility and ranking, making it easier for people to find and benefit from their brand, product, or service. The benefits of SEO include cost-effectiveness, long-term results, and improved user experience.

PPC

On the other hand, PPC advertising allows businesses to promote their products or services by placing targeted ads on search engine results pages. With PPC, advertisers can bid on specific keywords and phrases relevant to their business, and when a user enters a search query that matches those keywords, their ad will appear at the top of the search results page. The benefits of PPC include immediate results, customizability, measurable results, and the ability to reach a specific target audience.

SEO Vs. PPC Differences

When considering SEO vs PPC the primary difference is that SEO traffic is free, whereas PPC traffic requires a cost per click. Additionally, paid ads typically appear at the top of the page, above the organic listings that are influenced by SEO. The choice between the two depends on the specific goals and budget of a business.

The best approach for maximizing online presence and driving traffic to a website depends on the specific needs of a business. If a business is looking for a cost-effective way to drive traffic in the long-term, SEO is the way to go. However, if a business needs to generate leads or sales quickly, PPC can provide immediate results.

Now that we’ve covered the benefits and drawbacks of SEO vs. PPC, perhaps you’re wondering when to choose one over the other or whether to use both strategies. Well, good news – we’ve got you covered! Below we will highlight the best times to choose SEO, the ideal situations for PPC, and how combining both strategies can lead to even greater success. 

When to Choose SEO Vs. PPC 

SEO is an excellent choice for businesses looking to establish a sustainable online presence over the long term. This strategy is particularly advantageous for those seeking to attract a high volume of organic traffic without paying for every click. With SEO, businesses can take the time to invest in optimizing their website and producing high-quality content to engage their audience. Moreover, SEO is a cost-effective way to increase online visibility, making it an attractive option for businesses with limited budgets. There are a wide variety of situations where a company may choose to focus on SEO vs. PPC advertising. 

Here is an example of when to choose SEO over PPC:

Let’s say a small e-commerce business sells handmade handbags online. The business has a limited marketing budget and wants to drive more traffic and sales to their website. After analyzing their options, the business decides to focus on SEO vs. PPC for the following reasons:

1. Long-term benefits:

Unlike PPC, SEO is a long-term strategy that can generate sustainable traffic and sales over time. By optimizing their website for search engines, the business can improve their organic search rankings, which can lead to increased visibility, clicks, and sales in the long run. 

2. Limited budget:

PPC advertising can be expensive, especially for small businesses with limited budgets. By focusing on SEO, the business can generate organic traffic without having to pay for each click or impression. 

3. Niche audience:

The business sells handmade handbags, which is a niche market. By focusing on SEO, the business can target specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to their products, which can help them reach their target audience more effectively. 

4. Content marketing:

SEO is closely tied to content marketing, which can be a powerful way for the business to attract and engage their target audience. By creating high-quality content that is optimized for search engines, the business can establish themselves as an authority in their niche and build trust with potential customers.

In this case, by focusing on SEO, the small e-commerce business can improve their organic search rankings, generate sustainable traffic and sales, and establish themselves as a trusted brand in their niche, all while staying within their limited marketing budget. Overall, SEO is an excellent strategy for businesses seeking a long-term, cost-effective approach to building a robust online presence.

When to Choose PPC Vs. SEO 

If your business needs to generate immediate results or reach a specific audience, PPC advertising may be the way to go. This approach is particularly effective when you want to quickly test different marketing messages, promotions, or product offerings. 

Additionally, PPC can be a good option for businesses with high-profit margins or when the cost per click is lower than the potential revenue generated from a conversion. If you have a larger marketing budget, investing in paid advertising can be a smart move, and PPC can help you reach your goals. So if you need quick results, targeted advertising, or have the financial resources to invest in paid advertising, PPC may be the perfect fit for your business. 

Here is an example of a business that chose PPC over SEO:

Let’s say a medium-sized business has just launched a new hair care product and wants to drive immediate sales and revenue. The business has a reasonable marketing budget and wants to generate as much traffic and sales as possible in a short amount of time. After analyzing their options, the business decides to focus on PPC vs. SEO for the following reasons:

1. Immediate results:

Unlike SEO, which can take time to generate results, PPC can deliver immediate traffic and sales. By creating targeted ads and bidding on relevant keywords, the business can reach their target audience quickly and start generating revenue right away. 

2. Competitive market:

The business is operating in a highly competitive market where SEO may not be enough to generate the desired level of traffic and sales. By focusing on PPC, the business can increase their visibility and stand out from the competition. 

3. Limited time:

The business has a limited time frame to generate sales and revenue, such as during a product launch or seasonal promotion. By focusing on PPC, the business can maximize their marketing efforts and generate as much traffic and sales as possible within the limited time frame. 

4. Testing and optimization:

PPC campaigns allow businesses to test and optimize their ads and landing pages to improve their performance over time. By analyzing data and making adjustments, the business can improve their ROI and achieve their marketing goals more effectively. 

In this case, by focusing on PPC, the medium-sized business can generate immediate traffic and sales, stand out in a competitive market, maximize their marketing efforts within a limited time frame, and test and optimize their campaigns for improved performance over time. 

When to Choose Both? 

Combining SEO and PPC is a smart choice for businesses looking to achieve maximum results from their digital marketing efforts. Using both strategies can be particularly effective when a business needs to generate immediate results through PPC while simultaneously working on a long-term SEO strategy to drive sustained traffic over time. 

Additionally, using both tactics can help businesses cover more ground in search engine results pages, increasing their visibility and attracting more potential customers. 

Finally, combining SEO and PPC can provide valuable insights into which keywords and messaging resonate with the target audience, allowing businesses to refine their marketing strategy and improve their overall ROI. If you’re looking to achieve comprehensive online visibility and drive maximum results, combining SEO and PPC may be the perfect solution for your business. 

Here is an example of a business that has opted to leverage both SEO and PPC:

There is a large e-commerce business that sells a wide variety of products online and wants to maximize their visibility and revenue across all channels. After analyzing their options, the business decides to use both PPC and SEO for the following reasons:

 1. Diversification:

By using both PPC and SEO, the business can diversify their marketing efforts and reach their target audience through multiple channels. This can help to increase their visibility and reduce their dependence on any single channel. 

2. Seasonal promotions:

The business runs seasonal promotions throughout the year, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday. By using both PPC and SEO, the business can generate immediate traffic and sales through PPC while also optimizing their website for search engines to generate long-term traffic and sales. 

3. High-value keywords:

The business operates in a highly competitive market where certain keywords are extremely valuable. By using PPC to bid on these keywords, the business can ensure that they are visible to their target audience, while also optimizing their website for search engines to generate organic traffic. 

 4. Testing and optimization:

By using both PPC and SEO, the business can test and optimize their campaigns and strategies for improved performance over time. By analyzing data and making adjustments, the business can improve their ROI and achieve their marketing goals more effectively. 

In this case, by using both PPC and SEO, the large e-commerce business can diversify their marketing efforts, generate immediate and long-term traffic and sales, increase their visibility in a highly competitive market, and test and optimize their campaigns and strategies for improved performance over time. 

SEO vs. PPC Summary 

When it comes to digital marketing, there are several approaches available to businesses, with two of the most popular being SEO and PPC. While both have unique benefits, deciding which one is right for your business can be challenging. However, combining both strategies can often yield the best results.

Before making a decision, it’s crucial to evaluate your business goals, budget, and target audience. If you’re looking for a long-term strategy that can deliver cost-effective results, SEO might be the way to go. However, if you require immediate leads or sales, PPC could be a better option. Similarly, if you’re targeting a specific audience, SEO might be more effective, while PPC could be ideal for broad markets.

It’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to digital marketing strategies. Every business is unique, and what works for one may not necessarily work for another. Taking the time to consider your options and create a customized strategy that aligns with your business goals and requirements is critical for achieving success. So, whether you choose SEO, PPC, or a combination of both, ensure that your strategy fits your business needs for optimal results.

SEO vs. PPC: Which Option Should You Choose? is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

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1. Build Trusting 

In any type of relationship, trust is the foundation that holds it together, including those formed in the workplace. Establishing trust early on is a vital component in building a strong and long-lasting client relationship. To achieve this, make use of every opportunity to connect with your clients in a meaningful way. Pay attention to the details they share with you and bring them up in your next conversation to show that you’re invested in them. Whether it’s asking about their child’s soccer game or dance recital, take the time to acknowledge the impact they have on your client’s life. Be an active listener, show attentiveness, and communicate with a clear purpose. Foster a culture of transparency by having open dialogues and visibility with your clients, giving them a sense of security in your partnership.

2. Be Empathetic

When it comes to client relationships, it’s important to remember that your clients aren’t just business transactions – they’re individuals seeking your services. Make an effort to see, hear, and value them as both consumers and people. Building a true partnership means showing your humanity and empathy. That means taking on their problems as if they were your own, considering their perspectives and experiences, and understanding their priorities. When you can truly walk in their shoes, you can best support them and build a partnership that lasts. Remember the Platinum rule: treat others how they want to be treated, and watch your client relationships flourish.  

3. Take Responsibility

Mistakes happen, even to the best of us. But when they do, it’s essential to respond with transparency and humanity. By acknowledging and taking responsibility for any errors, you show your commitment to integrity and build trust with your client. Don’t shy away from discussing how to prevent similar mistakes in the future, and don’t wait to deliver bad news. Honesty upfront is always the best policy. Demonstrating ownership and maintaining transparency will show your client that you’re serious about their business and dedicated to providing the best possible service. In fact, owning up to mistakes may even increase their confidence in you!

4. Be the Expert

To be seen as a true expert in your industry, you must not only possess in-depth knowledge but also have a thorough understanding of the services you provide. Once your clients trust your expert opinion, they will rely on you for guidance and advice. Therefore, it is essential to maintain that level of trust by consistently demonstrating your expertise.

Remember, your clients turn to you as the expert to lead them to success. They need you to exude confidence while helping them achieve their vision. Understanding their needs and partnering with them to develop a solid strategy is key to building stronger client relationships. Don’t forget to clearly articulate goals, next steps, and the “why” behind your plan. Collaboration is important, but it’s equally important to maintain your expert voice throughout the process.

5. Track Progress

Tracking progress is a crucial aspect of any successful strategy, and it’s essential to have the right tools in place to do so effectively. There are numerous options available, such as Google Analytics, ad network conversions tracking, KPI tracking, Data Studio reporting, and more. Using these tools will enable you to demonstrate the success measures and areas for improvement with data to support any decisions made.

One example of how to improve progress tracking is by utilizing comprehensive reporting. At Go Fish Digital, we use Looker Studio to create dashboards that update in real-time, pulling information from various sources such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Search Console, Laravel, Sheets, and more. Our clients can access up-to-date performance data for their accounts in one place, at any time, providing ultimate visibility.

These reports also allow clients to review data for different date ranges, campaigns, and ad groups, giving them the ability to filter down to relevant information. Providing clients with transparency and visibility into their accounts is crucial, and utilizing tools like Looker Studio can help ensure that they are fully informed about the progress being made.

By leveraging tools that can increase visibility for your client, you will be able to better identify areas of strength and opportunity in your strategy. In tracking progress, you can ensure that you are able to  adjust the figurative sails throughout the storms as needed at the first signs of possible concern. 

6. Be Yourself

The last tip on our list is quite possibly one of the most important of them all, be yourself. Sounds easy enough right? This is one area that anyone else around you would absolutely fail at replicating, no matter how hard they try. No one can be as “you” as you are. It is important to recognize your strengths and lead with those strengths when communicating with your client. Ask yourself, how can I make my client feel seen, heard, and valued? 

As an example, I consider myself to have quite the sense of humor. I enjoy getting to know what makes my clients feel comfortable, but also very much enjoy learning what makes them laugh and smile. There is value in providing comfort, laughter, and understanding with clients. I believe that this in turn assists greatly in the relationships that I have built with them. 

I bet you didn’t expect homework from this article, but set aside some time today or tonight to truly do some self reflection! Take a moment and genuinely think about the parts of yourself that shine, those attributes that you can pull forward when communicating with clients. How can you make your clients feel seen, heard, and valued by leveraging more of your natural strengths? In the wise words of Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Final Thoughts 

You now have a few new tips to take with you into your existing and future client dynamics! In the beginning, it can be a daunting task trying to create the firm foundation necessary to foster strong and lasting client relationships. It will take more than delivering great results. It will require a well-rounded approach accompanied by a genuine time and thought investment. However, you have the tools necessary in order to make your relationships with your clients truly exceptional. 

6 Ways to Build Stronger Client Relationships is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

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This is exactly the mindset you should take when you are going into a project kickoff meeting with a brand new client. This client has agreed to a partnership of some sort with your agency, and now it is time for you to make sure that their decision was well made. Let’s discuss the essentials of running a successful project kickoff meeting, from preparation to expectation setting to follow-up. 

What Is a Project Kickoff Meeting?

A project kickoff meeting is the first real interaction the project manager and respective team will have with a client after the sales process has wrapped up. This meeting is a time to discuss with the client in more detail what their priorities, goals, and objectives are for the project. I like to set this meeting up as a somewhat structured dialogue between the client and our team to make sure we set expectations for timelines and execution and just take some time to get to know the client on both a professional and personal level. 

In order to have these important conversations with any client, you must first make sure that you and your team are prepared. Below we will discuss the steps to take in preparing for a project kickoff meeting.

1. Preparing for a Project Kickoff Meeting

Conduct an Internal Project Kickoff Meeting

The first (and maybe the most important) step in preparing for a project kickoff meeting is setting up internal meetings to gather as much information as you can about the client before the actual project kickoff call. At Go Fish Digital, the project manager will set up a few different internal meetings to start, depending on what the client’s scope of work is. 

The first internal meeting is always between the project manager and whoever walked through the sales process with the client. This meeting ensures that the project manager is up to speed on any background information that the sales team member might have collected, as well as any goals or objectives that the client has already shared. It is also a time to begin discussing which team members would be best fit to work on the client’s project. 

The next meeting we set up is what we call a discovery meeting. During this meeting, the decided strategist and analysts from each vertical within the client’s scope of work will come together to compile a bit of research. For example, if the client has SEO as part of their project scope, we may look into things like visibility, backlinks, and site speed. We may also conduct a short site crawl to make sure there are no red flags. This time helps the team begin to understand the client’s site andcall out anything we might want to bring up with a client during the project kickoff call. 

The final internal meeting will be set up the day before the project kickoff call with all team members from each vertical within the client’s specific scope of work. This meeting is set to make sure that everyone feels comfortable with their talking points laid out in the project kickoff presentation and agenda (which we will discuss below) and that no one has any lingering questions or concerns. 

Create a Project Kickoff Meeting Presentation and Agenda

Creating the project kickoff meeting presentation and agenda is something that the project manager will work on the week leading up to the call. The agenda helps the internal teams feel prepared and know exactly what points they are going to be talking to, and the presentation deck helps the client follow along and visualize some of the expectations we will be set throughout the meeting.

It is important to make sure that your agency has templates for both the agenda and the presentation deck so that there is consistency and efficiency in the execution of these meetings. 

2. Executing the Project Kickoff Meeting

Introduce the Team

The first part of any project kickoff meeting should be introducing the team. Not everyone on the team will be client-facing, so it is helpful to put faces to names that the client may be interacting with through a project management tool or digital communication channel throughout the project. I always encourage our team to join these meetings with their cameras on, even if the client has their camera off, to help the client get to know our team a bit more. 

Ask Background Questions

The next step in a successful project kickoff meeting is to give the client a chance to introduce themselves and their team. This is also a good time to ask any questions you may have based on what you learned from the sales handoff or from research done prior to the meeting. 

In my opinion, this is the most important part of the kickoff call. This will set the groundwork for the client relationship for months or years to come. Prior to the kickoff call, you should spend time going through the client’s website, combing through your notes from the sales handoff call, and doing any additional research on the client to compile a list of questions to ask the client during the call. I also make it a point to ask the client to send over access to all of their Google properties that will be helpful within their scope. I have included a list below of a few questions that I tend to ask during a project kickoff call. 

• What goals do you have for our work together on this project? 
• What are your priority keywords?
• Who are your primary competitors? 
• Who is your primary audience? 
• What are your primary products/services? 
• Can you tell us about your brand? 
• Have you had any issues or problems with digital marketing presence in the past that we should know about? 
• Which CMS do you use? Can you give our team access to your CMS? 
• What is the best way to communicate with your team? (We use a project management tool called ClickUp to communicate with our clients, but I always make sure that this works and/or if they would like to also communicate via another channel like email or Slack.) 

You also want to make sure to leave time to let the client ask any questions they may have prepared or that may come up while presenting the project kickoff presentation. Some of the questions they ask might need further research or be answered down the line, but it is always beneficial to help the client feel heard on this initial call. 

Set Expectations and Next Steps

Once you have gotten sufficient client background to start creating a strategy, have each vertical strategist within the client’s scope of work paint a clear picture of what the client should expect in the weeks to come. We think it is very helpful to use visual timelines. For example, with digital PR campaigns, the first few weeks are for researching, gathering data, and creating assets. Then we are able to start pitching this campaign to journalists to hopefully receive backlinks. This is something that is important to let a client know during the project kickoff meeting so that they know when to expect updates and results.

3. Follow-Up and Next Steps

Once a project kickoff meeting is over, the real work begins. You have already done a great job preparing, researching, and setting expectations. But, what is most important now is making sure you follow through on what was talked about during this call. Be diligent about going back through the notes you took in your project kickoff meeting agenda and following up with the client on anything they inquired about. Also, talk with the client about the cadence of their follow-up status calls and which tasks you will be working on moving forward so they have a clear roadmap for the upcoming weeks. 

Conclusion

Project kickoff meetings are crucial in laying a great foundation for a long-lasting client relationship. Don’t expect every meeting to go perfectly, but if you follow the steps guidelines above, you will be able to take the first step in supporting your team in running an efficient and effective project kickoff meeting. 

A Guide to Running a Project Kickoff Meeting is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

Below are five steps I recommend following to effectively plan and manage your work week.

5 Steps to Plan Your Work Week

Step 1: Plan Ahead

When it comes to planning out your work week, it helps to start early. I recommend planning out your upcoming work week on the Friday before. This will help set you up to be able to jump right into your first priority on Monday, and give you a clear picture of what to expect for the upcoming week. It will also help ensure that you stay ahead of your deadlines or identify any dependencies or required inputs from your other team members. You’ll also be able to enjoy your weekend without wondering or worrying about what may lie in the week ahead.

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To plan your week, identify a tool that you like using to keep track of your to do list. Personally, I use Evernote to plan my work week. The Apple Notes app is another good alternative. There are many different tools that you can use to plan your week, so find the one that works best for you!

To start planning, I create a new note in my app with a heading for each date in the upcoming week, as shown here:

Step 2: Review Calendar Meetings

The first thing I do when planning for the week is review the meetings on my calendar for the following week. As you are reviewing your calendar, ensure that all of the meetings scheduled are still relevant and timely. If any meetings need to be added, rescheduled, or canceled, reach out to the meeting owner to discuss. For every meeting on your calendar, create a to-do item on your list to prepare for the meeting the day before and a to-do item to follow up from the meeting the day it occurs.

These to-dos are very helpful in ensuring that meetings are more valuable for the whole team. When preparing for the meeting, be sure you have an understanding of the goal of the meeting and agenda that will be reviewed. If there are any agenda items that you are responsible for, make sure you are prepared to have a meaningful discussion on these items with the group.

In most cases, a meaningful meeting will result in some follow-up or action items. Use your follow-up to-do as a reminder to ensure that all actions items have been recorded and followed up on. This will guarantee nothing falls through the cracks, and for meetings that may be recurring, that future meetings are more valuable.

Here’s an example what my work week to-do list looks like after I’ve reviewed the meetings on my calendar:

Keep in mind that some meetings may be scheduled once your week begins. Be sure to add or rearrange these throughout the week to keep up to date with your schedule!

Step 3: Review Priority Deadlines and Recurring Tasks

After you’ve reviewed all of your meetings for the week, take stock of any high-priority items you know need to get done next week. For example, if you have promised a client or stakeholder a deliverable by Thursday of next week, be sure to add that to your list so it can be completed on time.

Additionally, are there any tasks that you routinely complete every week? For example, I have a weekly report I deliver to a client every Monday, and on Fridays I always have a to-do to plan out my next week.

This step will help you prioritize timely and recurring items that you need to complete by a certain day of the week.

Step 4: Consider Upcoming Assigned Work

Now that you have planned all of your time-sensitive activities for the week, your meetings, deadlines, and recurring responsibilities, it’s time to plan out the rest of your work.

Most likely, you will have some form of tasks or projects assigned for you to complete in a given week. At Go Fish Digital, for example, we use Basecamp as our project management tool to assign and coordinate individual tasks. At this point in your planning, review all of the remaining tasks or projects on your calendar that you need to work on for the next week.

Then, begin to plan out which days you will work on each task to ensure that your workload is spread out evenly. In my Evernote example above, it looks like we anticipate Thursday to be a busy day with two meetings to follow up on, one meeting to prepare for, and one client deliverable deadline. Therefore, we may want to plan less work for Thursday, and more task work on a day like Tuesday, where we only have one meeting.

Another recommendation is to group similar tasks together, for example, do you have multiple tasks for one project that you need to work on next week? Schedule these to knock them out at the same time and save fixed cost of setup time or acclimating yourself to the project. Here’s how your week might look now:

Step 5: Tackle the Work Week

Now you have planned out your work week! You have a sense of what meetings you’ll be preparing for, attending, and following up on. You’ve mapped out important deadlines, and you know what work you’ll try to accomplish each day. You’ve also made sure that your work week will be well balanced, to avoid burnout or boredom from a day with too much or too little work.

Now, it’s time to tackle the week. In the same way you plan for each week on the Friday before, try to review your plan for each day the day before and ensure that you have set a realistic plan for yourself. I like to start off each workday with a quick task, something that you can accomplish within the first hour of your day. This will allow you to build momentum in your list early on and continue chipping away at your overall work for the day.

As you work through the week, keep track of whether you’re able to accomplish everything you set out to. If you aren’t, you can easily roll items to the next day so they still get done (as long as they aren’t time-sensitive). If you are on track, that’s great! Keep track of what’s working well for you as you go (for example, grouping similar items together or getting a quick win at the beginning of the day).

Even the best-laid plans are subject to change, so as you work through the week, be sure to reprioritize or move items around as needed to stay on top of your week. If items come up throughout the week that don’t need to be tackled immediately, you can start a running list of to-dos for next week and plan them out when you work on next week’s schedule.

What are your top tips for planning out your week and staying organized? Share in the comments below and check out the Go Fish blog for more productivity tips and industry insights!

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Plan Your Work Week is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

1. Leadership and Team Management

Set the tone. To successfully manage the project from start to finish, you need to confidently lead the team as both a motivator and support system.

Lead through goal setting. As a project manager, keep client goals top of mind when scheduling work. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks and scheduling and lose focus of the overall project goal. However, if you lead by example and keep that goal top of conversation during internal collaborative meetings, day-to-day communication, and client discussions, it’s going to benefit both the internal team and the project as a whole.

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Lead with support and accountability. Everyone works differently, and you learn that very quickly as a project manager. This means that you may have two identical projects but each project will operate differently if you have two unique teams. You need to learn to manage the various ways in which different team members do their best work.

This may mean that one team member works in a linear fashion, one prioritizes hard tasks first, one works best collaborating with a team, and one prefers to work as a lone wolf. It’s not your job to tell someone how to work. It is your job, however, to give them the tools and information they need to be set up for success, do their best work, and hold them accountable to that standard.

2. Communication

Communication is at the core of every project management role you’ll take on. It’s all in the details: Slack messages, g-chats, phone calls, emails, video calls. The way that you communicate with your colleagues and clients through these avenues can make all the difference.

As a project manager, the details outlined within communication can be the difference between a task being done correctly or incorrectly. You need to effectively convey both the small details within a task and the big picture details of an overall project. When in doubt, always over-communicate.

Outside of internal communication, you can’t expect clients to know or understand what the internal team has done without sharing those details. When communicating with clients, take the time to communicate big-picture wins with the work that’s been done by the team.

3. Expectation Setting

Alongside leading a team through effective communication, you need to set proper expectations for the project. Resource management, time management, and scheduling all come into play here. 

What needs to be completed? Who can complete it? And when can it be completed?

Before you can set expectations, you need to take a realistic look at the project workload, the team, and existing schedules. Rarely, if ever, will a project fit exactly into the perfect schedule. Once you accept that, it makes things a little less stressful. Being honest with yourself, your internal team, and clients about what can get done and when is going to make everyone’s life easier in the long run. 

You’ll find if you give yourself and your team the appropriate amount of time to do the great work they’re capable of doing, the quality will shine through. 

4. Problem Solving

You’ve heard it before: Work smarter, not harder. It’s wise to take this approach as a project manager when faced with the inevitable obstacles that come your way.

You’ll be tested with countless scenarios where there’s not a clear answer or outcome. Don’t overcomplicate things. If you’re not sure where to start, ask for help. Don’t feel like you need to shoulder the burden yourself. 

Conversely, if you notice a teammate is struggling and it’s outside of your day-to-day role, step in and get familiar with their workload so you can lend a hand. Utilize the tools at your disposal, as well as your colleagues, to maneuver through situations that initially may seem unsolvable. Don’t be afraid to break the standard process in order to get something done. It’s more important to pivot and find a solution, even if it’s working outside of your comfort zone.

5. Negotiation and Flexibility

Negotiation and flexibility go hand in hand with problem solving. You may have the next month of work scheduled perfectly and then you hop on a client call and priorities have shifted and everything needs to be rearranged.

As a project manager, you will constantly be trading off one task for another, re-prioritizing, and negotiating internally and externally in order to hit a deadline. You’ll often have conflicting workloads where something is a priority for the client, for example, but won’t really move the needle in terms of performance. You’ll also run into instances where you need to trade off one client’s work for another to meet a deadline or deliver on a high-priority item. 

The key to success is to be flexible. Understand that when you set a schedule, 90% of the time, it’s going to shift.

Every role and team is unique, but if you keep these five core skills top of mind, you’ll find it will make you that much more efficient as a project manager and that much more reliable as a resource for your clients and internal team.

Top 5 Project Management Skills for Success is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

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In a lot of ways, management is a pretty unique job. Being the best widget maker on the planet does not necessarily make you the best manager of widget makers. Widget making and management may require incredibly different skills, and to be successful in management, those skills must be deliberately learned, practiced, and prioritized.

I learned everything I know about management in my past life as a teacher. As I’ve changed roles, transitioned careers, and stepped into digital marketing, I’ve found that the successful management of students and their education is not all that different from the successful management of adults and their professional projects.

Regardless of the work setting, management requires a clear and measurable vision and the ability to motivate others to work hard in pursuit of that vision, even if they don’t necessarily find it all that visionary. Both require a balance of listening to others, seeking advice, delivering feedback, receiving feedback, and taking ownership over the success of the group. And finally, all contexts of management require a deep commitment to improving the lives of the people you manage.

From the classroom to the workplace, below are the three main pieces of advice I’d give to anyone considering a management position.

1. Take an Internal Inventory

Before accepting or seeking out a management position, ask yourself: Is management truly the best fit for you? I stepped into management rather early in my career and, admittedly, I was swayed by the glamor of the role: the title, the compensation, the influence. I was ready to make big changes and achieve big things. I was not, however, ready for the responsibility that came with it. I was not ready to navigate my new role with people who were more like friends than coworkers. I was not ready for the backlash when my big ideas overwhelmed and irritated others. And I was not ready to balance my workload with helping others balance their own.

Before stepping into a management position, consider:

1. Do you enjoy working with other people and helping them solve problems?
2. Are you comfortable taking responsibility for the failure of projects?
3. Are you comfortable holding others accountable?
4. Will you still find success rewarding when the glory goes to the people you manage rather than yourself?

If your response to these questions is ambivalent or you find yourself thinking, “No, I want to expand my technical skills or improve the product I work with.” Then, maybe you want to consider career advancements that allow you to work on bigger projects or take on more technical responsibility.

This is especially possible in the world of digital marketing where there are always more complex problems to solve. Diving into your area of expertise to be the most technical expert on the team or an influential thought leader in the industry may be the path for you.

Management is only one option for career advancement, and there should be only one reason you step into management: because you care about the people you work with and believe you could make their professional experience better, easier, and more rewarding.

2. Master the Art of Being Direct

Without question, the hardest part of management is providing clear and direct feedback to the people you work with. We’ve all seen managers try their best to circumvent this uncomfortable reality in various ways.

There is the vague, generalized feedback that’s directed at the group but only applies to a few people. “If we could all try and start our shifts on time, that would be great.”

There is the apologetic feedback. “Hey, I hate to have to mention this, but I really need you to start your shift on time. Again, I know you’re busy and I hate to stress you out, but I’d really appreciate it.”

There’s the delayed feedback that comes up in annual reviews, and worst of all, there is the feedback you hear indirectly from other people.

All of these forms of feedback are problematic and erode trust within a group. It is difficult and awkward to say, “Hey, I noticed you’ve arrived late to your shift three times this week. Moving forward, please make sure you arrive at least five minutes early so you’re prepared to start on time.” However, providing this kind of clear, direct, and timely feedback is an art form you must master if you’re going to be a successful manager.

Like any craft, it takes practice and commitment to excel at difficult conversations. I highly recommend the book Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone for anyone looking to improve their ability to navigate challenging conversations with peers, coworkers, employees, friends, partners, parents, or even children. Difficult conversations are a fact of life. Knowing how to engage in them with purpose and empathy to reach solutions that serve you and the other party will strengthen your ability to manage and support others, both within and outside of the workplace.

3. Be Relentless in the Pursuit of Your Vision

Lastly, it is important to be relentless in your pursuit of the vision you set for yourself, your team, and your company. People are motivated by clear, actionable, and meaningful goals. As a manager, you have the opportunity to set those goals for others and be the catalyst behind achieving extraordinary things.

This is one of the best parts of management. It can be so energizing to see people come together and work incredibly hard in pursuit of a vision you set. However, the opposite is also true. It can be incredibly devastating to lead people down a path destined for failure because the vision you set was not backed up by careful planning and measurement. There is nothing more stress-inducing than working for a manager who has lofty goals but lacks the ability to manage people and projects in a way that achieves them.

To be successful in setting a vision, you must feel comfortable determining roles and responsibilities for team members, communicating clear deadlines, and holding team members accountable to the expectations you set. After all, you’re the visionary who brought your team on this exciting journey, you also need to be the shepherd that safely guides everyone over the finish line.

At the end of the day, you are responsible for your team. There is a difference between empowering others to make decisions and putting the success of your vision on their shoulders, leaving them out to dry without direction. One is collaborative management, the other is gaslighting, and never has that led to long-term success.

Management is hard, but it can also be incredibly fulfilling work. With dedicated practice, patience (with yourself and others), and good mentors to guide you along the way, you may find that through management you’re able to achieve big things, improve the lives of the people you work with, and ultimately find a bigger purpose in your work.

3 Tips for Becoming a Manager is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.

“None of us is as smart as all of us.”

     Ken Blanchard

As a project manager, I’ve found collaboration and communication to be some of the more complex and delicate aspects of the professional world. Replace critical communication components such as body language and tone with text on a screen, and things get a lot more confusing.

“Am I expected to respond to this email at 11:30 PM?” 

“Is this person helpfully over-clarifying or being patronizing?” 

“I’ve read this ten times and still don’t understand what’s being asked of me.” 

I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling this way. The COVID-19 pandemic forced almost all of us to reevaluate nearly every aspect of how we interact with others, and for some, introduced the idea of living and working entirely remote. Some were lured into a false sense of security by this change early on and believed it would bring a new level of ease into our lives, but instead of relief, many of us found discomfort.

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But, discomfort is okay. Discomfort forces us to grow and adapt, improve the way we approach challenges, and change practices we’ve “always done this way.” Disruption of our normal behaviors introduces new processes, habits, and workflows into our lives and reshapes how we collaborate with others. Here are some of the practices I’ve found that streamline virtual collaboration with teams and are also helpful with in-person work.

Define Boundaries & Consider the “Grey Space”

Working remotely grants us the ability to thoughtfully type instead of talk but takes away our ability to process body language and tone and clarify our intentions through speech. You can offset this by defining boundaries at work in task assignments, time, emotions, and processes. 

A couple of examples include:

• Blocking off calendar times when you know you won’t be available avoids needlessly shuffling meetings and reduces meeting-scheduler stress 
• Taking 10 seconds to define task boundaries for a team member can mean saving them 10 minutes of uncertainty and potentially hours of focusing on an unnecessary aspect of the task (Neither party is usually to blame for this miscommunication. One side may believe their intentions were made as clear as possible, and the other may feel that they wholly understood the request.)

Isolating blame and miscommunication is one of the most impactful ways to avoid friction when collaborating and ensures that the final deliverable results from explicit boundaries and clear intent.

Always Communicate Clearly & Sometimes Communicate Briefly

Humans often have a funny way of associating two things and then never again reevaluating the relationship that exists between them. I believe the words “clear” and “brief” have fallen victim to this practice, and this pair of words is not alone (Notice the title of this post says “simple” and not “easy,” which are entirely different concepts).

Clear communication can be brief, but brief communication is rarely clear. 

If you’re lucky enough to have retained employment throughout 2020 and have the option to work remotely, you’ve also been gifted the ability to read and re-read (and if you’re me, re-re-read) the messages you send. Use this gift wisely and with the intention of not leaving your conversations open to interpretation. 

Take the extra few seconds to clarify by: 

• Writing a few more words
• Spending 30 more seconds on that call 
• Putting yourself in the position of the recipient of your message

It could save everyone more time than you might initially think.

Agenda-ify Everything

One of the practices we have at Go Fish Digital is creating agendas for client calls that are sent before every meeting. I typically share an agenda with the internal team the day before to allow for their input.  Once the team has had an opportunity to provide their feedback and feels good about all notable discussion points, I send the agenda to the client the morning of our meeting to allow them time to reach out with anything else they’d like to discuss during the call. 

This practice has opened the door for further collaboration with clients, which otherwise wouldn’t have existed. I’ve had many clients express their appreciation for this practice, citing experiences with other meetings which take up far too much time and get little accomplished due to the lack of structure. Spending time on these agendas brings a new level of intention to my work and allows space to focus on what discussion topics are essential. Giving meeting attendees a copy of the agenda beforehand shows them that you value their time enough to consider the time impact of the meeting. 

Try it just once, seriously. Even if it’s just a brief outline of what you’d like to cover, you and your teams will end up loving it. Heck, I’ve even started to agenda-ify my days, so I know exactly which projects need my attention and when, which makes preparing for client calls even easier and keeps the most essential items top of mind throughout my days and weeks. 

Know Your Limits and Find Empathy

Empathy and emotional intelligence play increasingly more significant parts in what many consider good management, and rightfully so. Being an empathic leader means you understand how your team feels about a project or process and how those feelings affect their behavior and productivity, but doing something with that information is where many get stuck. 

Understand that with remote work exists the pressure to be on-call and respond immediately, and no matter your title, everyone has responsibilities outside of work. Becoming a more emotionally aware, empathic manager and caring about how your team feels are all important catalysts for change and should ideally shape the way tasks are handled and projects develop. If your work doesn’t rely on regularly scheduled video calls, I would highly recommend introducing them into your team’s workflow. Not only will it allow you to reintroduce to meetings some of the body language and tone lost through digital communication, but it will also allow you to speak candidly with your team about projects and read between the lines more easily. 

Emotional intelligence doesn’t stop with your team, however. As I mentioned, remote work brings the pressure to be on-call and respond immediately. You need to know your limits and create time for your own priorities and responsibilities outside of work or else your work will suffer. Introducing more empathy into your life and management style will in turn allow your team to read between the lines better, collaborate with less friction, and produce more meaningful work for your clients. 

4 Simple Ways to Collaborate More Effectively While Working Virtually is an original blog post first published on Go Fish Digital.