Don’t underestimate the value of the right digital tools. According to a survey by Aruba (part of Hewlett Packard), 74 percent of employees working in “fully-enabled digital workspaces” cited their job satisfaction as excellent or very good. The tools you choose and your team adopts can increase your productivity, collaboration, and communication.
But how do you know which tools are your team’s investment of time and resources? There are countless software services on the market to address production problems. In the marketing world alone, there are more than 8,000 SaaS companies offering tools for various tasks.
One option is to start with high-level categories and find the best tools there. Figure out your company’s pain points and implement digital solutions. Below are a few common problems that companies face and the best digital tools that solve them.
While there may be 8,000 (and counting) marketing tools available to you, your team only needs a solid few. To determine what to prioritize, address any issues you currently face. For example, do you need more analytical data? Is social media overwhelming? Is your sales team disorganized? If so, these tools can help.
If you feel overwhelmed by the number (and scale) of the projects on your list for the upcoming year, then it may be time to integrate a digital tool. Project management platforms will help you get organized and streamlined. While there are many options on the market, a few popular ones include:
While all of the tools on this list will refine your team’s day-to-day workflow, certain tools specifically aim to save your valuable time. If you want to level up the concentration and increase production, incorporate one of these digital solutions:
If you have employees that are road warriors (making deliveries, attending sales meetings, visiting clients, etc.), then you may want a GPS-enabled platform to keep in touch. Alternatively, a time tracking tool can help remote managers ensure that their team is on-task and effective. Many platforms combine both of those tracking functionalities to offer an all-in-one solution.
A few options to consider include:
Before evaluating the different productivity tools on the market, make sure you have set criteria for your needs. How many employees will this tool support? What’s your budget? What are the must-have features versus the nice add-ons? How will you measure ROI?
Answering these questions ahead of time can help you filter out expensive or irrelevant systems that won’t help your team. This increases your chances of choosing the right tools on the first try and onboarding them seamlessly throughout your departments.
Tracy Ring is a freelance writer and content marketer who works with organizations to curate engaging content and grow their social media presence via targeted digital marketing strategies. She brings a real-life perspective to her writing from 8+ years of diverse experience including, HR, project management, customer and client relations, and admin roles. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.