What do you do if your remote team members in content marketing need feedback?

Encourage team members to utilize virtual whiteboards or collaborative document editing tools during meetings to facilitate real-time brainstorming and idea sharing.

In previous team collaborations, virtual meetings were pivotal for effective communication among remote members. When a team member needed feedback, we scheduled video calls instead of relying solely on written communication. This approach added a personal touch and minimized potential misunderstandings inherent in text-based messages. During these calls, we utilized screen sharing to review content together, providing constructive feedback on what worked well and areas for improvement. By being specific and constructive in our feedback, we ensured that each team member understood our perspective and had a clear roadmap for moving forward with their tasks.

Virtual messaging is extremely efficient, but keep in mind that it can lose the tone of the message that you’re trying to deliver. Make sure that you have a regular cadence with somebody and go through your communication style and cadence so that messages can’t be received. Some people text how they think and talk. Others when they text or put things in writing, they try to be much more formal, which doesn’t sound like them, and could come across more stern. Be careful of using capital letters. Most people think that shouting (which I learned the hard way) even if you’re really just trying to emphasize or BOLD some thing. Having a relationship before somebody sees your written communication is always a good idea !!

There are good and bad practices for virtual meetings. For example, watching someone type on Zoom isn't a good use of anyone's time. Virtual meetings should focus on brainstorming or talking through complicated challenges (such as storyboarding, talking through processes, or developing strategy). If you can send it in a short Slack message, it doesn't need to be a virtual meeting. But if you want real-time, two-way, free-flowing discussions—it's virtual meetings all the way.

Weekly sync-ups are helpful in content marketing. We can share what we are working on, what questions we have, to ensure that the overall brand voice is headed in one cohesive direction. Managing brand voice across many contributors requires collaboration with intent. The weekly sync-up is for high level sharing and not necessarily for in-the-weeds editing or feedback. However, we do encourage group feedback and questions for an open discussion. For specific indepth feedback we encourage one on one conversations.

Utilize asynchronous communication tools like shared documents or project management platforms to facilitate feedback exchange without the constraints of live discussions!

In previous collaborations, scheduling conflicts occasionally made live discussions challenging. To address this, written reviews became a practical alternative. Detailed documents were crafted outlining thoughts on the content piece, organizing feedback into categories like 'Strengths,' 'Areas for Improvement,' and 'Suggestions.' Each section included examples and actionable advice to guide team members effectively. These written reviews served as valuable references for future work, enabling team members to track progress over time and continuously improve their skills.

In previous team collaborations, leveraging technology through feedback tools designed for content collaboration proved invaluable. These platforms allowed for leaving comments, tracking changes, and annotating specific sections of content. Particularly beneficial for remote teams operating in different time zones, they facilitated asynchronous communication. By centralizing feedback, these tools ensured that nothing got lost in translation and that everyone had access to the same information. This fostered transparency and accountability within the team, ultimately leading to more streamlined collaboration and higher-quality output.

If you have feedback on a piece of content, the best way to give that feedback is directly in the context of the content itself. Leave extensive comments in the doc - and be sure to provide the "why" behind your commentary. You aren't just asking someone to make edits; you're asking them to learn why you want those changes so they can apply that information for the future. Follow up with a meeting to discuss if needed to make sure the feedback is clear and has been fully understood.

It's no secret that Google Docs has tracked changes, commenting, and editing history. Make use of all of these tools. Tracked changes are ideal for knowing what was changed. Commenting can help explain why you've given feedback. Similarly, comments are useful for sharing links to examples or external sources. Lastly, historical changes can be easily reverted or at least seen.

When addressing subpar content from a team member, it's essential to approach the situation with empathy and constructive feedback. Begin by checking in with them, acknowledging that everyone has off days. Express concern for their well-being and assure them it's not reflective of their usual high-quality work. Highlight the positives within their content to reinforce their strengths. Encourage them to expand on these positives or build upon them. Avoid solely focusing on mistakes, as it can undermine morale and portray you as an unsupportive leader. Remember, fostering a supportive environment promotes growth and motivation among all team members.

Always start with positive feedback first followed by an “AN statement of some thing they could do better. I really like you did with that flyer today, AND From my opinion, I think, making the font larger would reach a larger audience that may have trouble with small fonts.

Que los miembros del equipo revisen el trabajo de los demás puede ser una gran experiencia de aprendizaje y fomentar la colaboración. También permite detectar errores que podrías pasar por alto, pero es clave que todos sean constructivos en sus apreciaciones.

In marketing, the audience is key. Getting feedback from multiple sources will give you a good idea if your vision board and storyline or what the customer is seeing. You could even have your audience guess who the target audience is to make sure that you had a home run. Sometimes when you’re working in a bubble to get isolated and not think through all of the angles from multiple perspectives. Open mind and open for feedback ans flexibility is key!

Always set aside the time for trainings, webinars, courses, and learning. If your team always have tight deadlines and swamped with work 24/7, then they won’t have either time or energy for any learning. But you should remember that the more they learn, the faster and more efficient they will be doing the tasks you give to them. So even if you feel like training takes like 10 hours of their work week, don’t think this time goes to waste. Quite the opposite, you are growing more creative and experienced content marketing specialists.

One way to ensure that the team understands the value of continuous learning is to schedule watch parties for webinars or lectures so the whole team participates, including team leads. Another is to set aside discussion time. Our team has a weekly coffee chat to discuss articles or books relevant to either our jobs in marketing or to the industries we market to. Leadership involvement is key. If the leader is "too busy" to participate this signals a lack of value to the rest of the team and they will prioritize other activities over team development as well.

What I learned from my battles with feedback (as a remote content marketing lead): Sync: Have you tried replacing a passionate teammate's pitch with a dry document? That's serving decaf at a caffeine convention. Feedback is not a one-and-done deal; so, check, check and triple-check if feedback shared, is feedback understood. Patience: Give your team the space to marinate in the feedback, let those ideas simmer and stew. Remember, they're not just battling the comments; they're wrestling with their own work and inner creative beasts. Fluidity: Instead of bossing everyone around, try listening first. Who knows, their wild ideas might just be the secret sauce. Embrace the chaos of different perspectives and let the data be the referee.

→ Frecuencia: La frecuencia con la que brindes retroalimentación depende de las necesidades de tu equipo y del proyecto. → Especificidad: Cuanto más específica sea tu retroalimentación, más útil será. → Enfoque en la Mejora: Presenta la retroalimentación como una forma de ayudarlos a crecer, no para criticar su trabajo.

Always give feedback to your writers, even if they are freelance. I've managed freelance writers and been a freelance writer. Remember that freelancers are trying to improve their writing and grow their careers just like staff writers. Take an extra moment to provide feedback. This shows that you care about their work, ensures better contributions from freelancers, and demonstrates respect for them and their craft.