[Updated for 2023]
Do you ever feel as though there are better ways to manage and organize your marketing efforts? This feeling is very common among marketing managers – and for good reason. As a marketing manager, you have many responsibilities in your day-to-day routine, including ongoing emails and requests, communicating needs to team members and vendors, and delivering campaigns on time.
In this blog, we’ll share with you some of the best tips to improve your project management skills as a marketing manager, including:
- How to assist your team when they are overloaded with tasks
- How to take effective notes
- How to better prioritize tasks
- How timeboxing can help you
- What tools can help effectively manage your projects
Our goal is to provide you with the information needed to set you up for success when managing your future marketing projects.
1. AVOID OVERLOADING BY USING AI
Chatbots such as Open AI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard can help your team take the pressure off with everything from content creation to coding. AI is currently being incorporated into search engines, emails, and even Google Docs. Instead of being fearful Artificial intelligence (AI) can help with daily tasks in a variety of ways. For example, AI can be used to automate tasks such as data entry, customer service, and more. AI can also be used to improve the efficiency of tasks by providing recommendations or suggestions. Overall, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way we work and live. By automating tasks, improving efficiency, and creating new possibilities, AI can help your team to be more productive, efficient, and creative.
RELATED: OPENAI’S CHATGPT VS GOOGLE’S BARD
2. TAKE EFFECTIVE NOTES DURING MEETINGS
Learning to take brief but valuable notes during a meeting will help you to save time and stay present, as opposed to trying to write everything down. We recommend that you focus on these key items to take better meeting notes:
- List of Attendees – Take note of who is participating in your meeting.
- The Agenda – A strong meeting starts with a clear, focused agenda. Be sure to note the final decisions for each item.
- Prepared Questions and Answers – Write down the answers received and notate any additional questions discussed that you’ll need to look into later.
- Meeting Action Items – Make sure all action items are listed along with their assignees, deadlines, and when to follow up.
- Important Ideas – Note all of the important ideas mentioned during the meeting so you can keep that vital information on hand in the future.
On top of taking good notes, make sure your agenda is clear and stick to it. Your team is looking to you, as a marketing project manager, to keep the meeting focused and productive.
3. PRIORITIZE TASKS AND PROJECTS
A key aspect of marketing project management is delegating tasks, setting deadlines, and following through to make sure they’re completed. After a project is broken down into steps, the project manager’s job is to assign tasks to team members based on their abilities and job functions. Assigning projects by priority helps teammates know what to tackle first. The better you prioritize, the less likely you are to have bottlenecking and slow down in the process. Don’t forget to first set clear expectations and goals to prevent miscommunication.
Consider using the Eisenhower Matrix to assign task priority:
- Important and Urgent tasks are a top priority. Take care of these first.
- Important but Not Urgent tasks can be scheduled for later in your timeline. Consider using project management software to track these tasks and ensure completion.
- Not Important but Urgent tasks can be delegated to team members. As a project manager, be mindful of the workload each team member is currently handling.
- Not Important and Not Urgent tasks can be skipped until other tasks are addressed and workloads are lighter.
4. TIMEBOXING
Have you ever looked at a long to-do list and felt instant dread? An important part of time management is knowing how to juggle multiple deadlines and tasks, managing both your own time and that of your team. We recommend timeboxing for efficient time management. Timeboxing is a time management technique that focuses on short spurts of productivity dedicated to each task. When using the timeboxing method, estimate a reasonable amount of time for each task in front of you. Set a timer and get started. Once the timer stops, it’s time to move on and start the next task. Allow for small breaks between tasks so that you can start fresh on each one. Timeboxing is a great way to make sure you don’t spend too much time on one task and put off another.
5. USE THE RIGHT TOOLS
There are multiple software platforms and tools available that make it easier to conduct efficient marketing project management. A quick Slack chat can replace lengthy emails and time-consuming Zoom calls. Software programs such as Wrike, Trello, and Asana can help you to seamlessly assign tasks and monitor project progress. Review your team’s typical workday and internal processes and consider what tools would be beneficial for you to use.
To be a successful marketing project manager, it is important to effectively take notes, manage time and tasks, and set deadlines. By following the tips we’ve mentioned, you can improve the organization of marketing efforts for your entire team. For more help with your marketing projects, you can also contact our experts. We’re ready to efficiently manage your next big project.
