The 5 Cs Of Marketing From Anywhere

Way before Covid-19 came along and changed our lives, we in the technology industry were already talking about the idea of ‘anywhere operations’. Basically, what it means is that businesses are people-centric and location-independent – and it’s all enabled by technology. Today, some form of anywhere operations is a must-have for most businesses as we make our way in the post-pandemic world.

So how does marketing work in an ‘anywhere operations’ set-up? For me, it’s all about the 5 Cs.

Clear Strategy

It doesn’t matter where you’re working from: successful marketing starts with a clear understanding of goals, objectives, and activities, with clear deadlines to achieve these goals. Then it’s a matter of monitoring your progress and ensuring everyone is aware of any challenges. For me, Microsoft Planner is an excellent project and task management tool to track activities and deadlines. It’s available on the Microsoft 365 platform (and yes, Itec can provide Microsoft 365 licences!)

Communication Tools

If communication is King, how you communicate is Queen. I stay in touch with people using a variety of tools: WhatsApp groups for ‘to the point’ messaging, email groups to communicate to specific targeted groups or teams, and StarLeaf or Microsoft Teams for calls and collaboration tools (like Microsoft Planner) so your whole team is in the know.

Collaboration

Whether it’s between you and your team, your agencies, vendors and suppliers, or internal departments, marketing is all about sharing. At Itec, we collaborate across internal platforms like OneDrive and websites with authorised logins, with email notifications to notify team members of any updates. You must however ensure that your hardware, software, and network is secure. That’s where we use solutions like Sophos, with Endpoint, Network, and Email Protection playing a key role in making sure our collaboration stays safe.

Connection

Even if you’re working remotely, the pandemic has shown us the value of face-to-face connection. I try to set up in-person meetings with my team at least twice a week. We just blossom when we strategise together – you can feel the creativity washing through the room!

Culture

When working remotely, it’s easy to zone out and just focus on the work. But it’s important to check-in with each other, and have simple, non-work-related conversations. Whether that’s a Friday afternoon wine-down session with your team or a quick chat in the office, make time to connect as people. It’s vital that you keep your company culture alive and make some time for fun!

For more information, please visit www.itecgroup.co.za