Being on the same page— why is it more important for content and digital marketing teams than any other pair of teams?
Simple answer: because there is no content marketing without either.
In fact, I clearly remember my mentor saying “Content and marketing are 2 sides of the same coin.” and over time, I have come to whole-heartedly believe that idea.
Both of these are two halves of the same equation. They depend on each other for sustenance. It goes without saying, if there is no content, there is nothing to market, and, if there is no marketing team, there is no use for content.
Now that we have established that content marketing is equal parts of content and marketing, we must look for ways to have both these teams on the same page.
We have seen it first-hand at ProofHub, collaboration is the very essence of effective content marketing. Through our journey together with the content creators as well as the marketing team, we have seen the real meaning of
“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”— Helen Keller
In fact, we have found that it is more than just a give-and-take relationship. This relationship is more about:
- Agreeing about the status quo.
- Sharing knowledge and exchanging intelligence seamlessly.
And these are things that we accomplish pretty easily here at ProofHub.
At our organization, we hope to achieve that both these teams stay on the same page with transparency and collaboration.
And that entails a lot of stuff. For instance, here are some things we prioritize above all else:
1. We Normalize Talking
Sometimes the best way to talk to people is to initiate the conversation. Just break the ice and you might find the person bearing the flag of the other team is your best friend.
By normalizing talking, I mean making inter-team casual communication the norm. And that is important.
Here at ProofHub, we feel that humor drives productivity. We consider ribbing, jokes, pranks, and the general casual rapport equivalent to the best team-building activities.
We do it to achieve:
- Harmony between teams.
- A better understanding of the needs and trigger points of all individuals.
- A seamless system of back and forth between the two teams.
This benefits us by establishing trust between and a general feeling of empathy between the content and marketing teams.
An indicator such as laughter, for us, is a reaffirmation of the bonds between the two teams.
2. We Curb Micromanagement
When we have two teams, we have two wildly different perspectives on absolutely everything. This can easily give way to micromanagement.
We identify this problem as the one where there is no “status quo”. Defining what is being done is the first step towards doing something new. We work with that theory and try to define what is happening as per our perspectives.
I believe that being on the same page also includes being aware of why we are doing what we are doing.
We make sure that the content team is aware of what goes on in marketing — we let them know about the research arc, the changes in trends, the scope of the project, and the demographic to focus on.
Similarly, the content team always keeps us, the marketing guys, up to speed about the new strategies they want to work on, campaigns they want to run, the changes they would like to see, and the information they would like to be more privy to.
This reduces the chances of the marketing team imposing “what should be done” on the content team and vice versa.
3. We Present A United Front
Creating a united front is all about making conscious efforts for coming together. We try to implement transparency for officially being on the same page.
Over the years, we overcame the transparency problem by setting up a system for the effortless flow of information, documents, lists, and files. We use cloud file storage tools and task management platforms to stand unanimous with one another.
In fact, the other thing that helps us present a united front is having all our shared agendas, goals, and targets on the front and center with a project management system. This not only keeps us on the same page but also helps us share a feeling of togetherness.
Apart from being transparent about our activities, we also make sure to:
- Organize campaigns together.
- Celebrate events and special days together.
- Appreciate one another for collective achievements.
- Prepare for success and fallbacks together.
- Show responsibility for our collective efforts, together.
These things help us bond well with one another and create a working environment where everyone feels heard, welcome, and appreciated.
All in all, presenting a united front before the management allows us to get the content and marketing teams on the same page.
4. We Address Limitations
In life, I have found that people find it easier to bond over the negative aspects rather than the positive ones. We use this human nature logic at our organization and try to be honest with one another about the pitfalls and the limitations.
Voicing opinions is the first step towards being on the same page. Because I feel that discussing the negatives is how we can do our jobs better.
Being aware of the limitations brings us confidence in the work we do and also a newfound respect for our partner-team.
If you don’t yet understand what I am talking about, I mean limitations such as:
- The limitations of funds,
- The shortage of resources,
- The quickly fleeting time, and
- The strength of the workforce.
If the input of the marketing team is “shareability”, then the input of the content team is “creativity”. Building up these boundaries in this relationship is, therefore, pretty natural.
But what we can do is not promote the development of false hopes by being clear about the resources we have to work the problem.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, what we want from work is results. And results, as I have generally seen, come from collaborative efforts. This is why for your campaigns to be successful and for the flow-in of revenue, the content and digital marketing teams must work in total harmony.
Stop letting your efforts go to waste and focus on the effective collaboration of the content as well as marketing teams. Anyway, what do you do to keep these two teams on the same page? Do share in the comments below!
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