By: Matthew Kaiserman, Junior Account Executive

In the fast-moving world of marketing and communications, many professionals have to juggle multiple projects and deadlines at one time. Working in an agency particularly means balancing several clients and wearing many different hats. Some days may be very media relations heavy with multiple pitches all happening at the same time. Other days may focus on reporting and analyzing campaign metrics to share with a client. No two days are ever the same, and new projects can arise at any given moment.

Staying organized and on top of all running deadlines is imperative for communicators. Utilizing a project management tool across all client accounts can help streamline ongoing projects and ensure all team members are on the same page. More importantly, integrating a platform can offer a transparent view of all company operations to ensure all deadlines are met.

Having a shared digital system is vital for all agency operations. Each company has different preferences based on their size and need, but having a central hub to track all projects is a must. A project management tool can cut down on the endless back and forth emails on projects and provide clarity on who’s responsible for specific tasks.  Company leaders can also stay in-the-know on all ongoing projects and team members can easily prioritize their day-to-day responsibilities.

Two project management tools we use internally are Asana and Freedcamp, which both offer a place for real-time collaboration. Freedcamp is used internally to keep all projects aligned and on track. Asana is a similar tool that our team uses for external purposes. With these tools, we can streamline all ongoing projects both in-house and with our clients.

With the sheer amount of content that marketers create, having a project management tool in place is absolutely necessary. Any type of collateral from blogs, video to graphics goes through many rounds of tweaks and revisions. A central place to provide real-time edits and comments can reduce the back and forth on projects allowing team members to see the full cycle editing process. This speeds up the process of building out content calendars and ensures everyone is editing the most updated version of a blog. 

The same is true for campaign and media outreach management. Many media pitches occur at the same time across multiple client accounts. It is vital to keep all media interest organized to avoid any coverage opportunities slipping between the cracks. Reporters will have many various deadlines to meet, so keeping all campaign tasks clearly listed by client and date can help to streamline this.

A shared digital platform to visualize all ongoing projects is the only way to efficiently operate in an agency setting. Teams must leverage all technology at their disposal to stay ahead in the digital age. Integrating a project management tool may seem like a daunting task, but it can truly change the way a company operates. Balancing multiple clients and deadlines can get tough, but employing a centralized location for all projects leads to transparent operations, both internally and externally.