How Your Remote Marketing Team Can Benefit from an Online Whiteboard

by Jill Phillips, Guest Contributor 

Access to a global labor pool can give your company a chance to assemble a talented remote marketing team. Having telecommuters on your team can provide you with many benefits such as increased productivity and lower overhead costs.

​However, despite the many advantages, remote work can present certain challenges...

​Virtual teams suffer from lack of opportunities for face-to-face communication and collaboration. Luckily, technology has brought about numerous online apps that can bring them closer to their in-office coworkers like never before. Online whiteboards are one of them and when applied correctly they can improve the way your remote teams work.

An efficiently working team will boost your marketing efforts and ensure your business runs smoothly. Utilizing online whiteboards in your daily operations can give you a competitive advantage. Read on to find out how.
 
What are online whiteboards? 

An online whiteboard is a visual online collaboration software that allows your remote team to communicate and work together on various projects. Team members can access the board through web browsers on computers and via mobile apps on tablets and smartphones.

Online whiteboards are a great tool for discussing and approving content ideas, brainstorming blog topics, collaborating on marketing campaigns and communicating on a daily basis.

There are many different online whiteboards available. Apps such as Real Time Board give users everything they need to fulfill their daily responsibilities.

Whiteboards use an astoundingly simple concept to give your teams the competitive edge they need. They create a place where employees can work alone or as a team in real time to get things done more efficiently. 

Real-time collaboration 

Collaboration formerly required ongoing email chains in which the exchange of numerous messages often confused users and resulted in different versions of the same file. Now, remote marketing teams can use whiteboards for natural real-time collaboration. Team members can share files and notes more easily and efficiently, rather than rely on back-and-forth e-mail discussions.

The tool has enough flexibility to bring team members together in a single online space where they can discuss projects and share information. Team members can stick notes, add images, draw and doodle online, adding their ideas and concepts to the board. To ensure progress continues after a whiteboard meeting, users can save notes from meetings and access them online or email them to other participants so that they can track and log progress. 

Your remote team can experience the same freedom you enjoy when using a physical whiteboard with your in-office workers. By switching to a virtual whiteboard, your remote employees no longer need to be left out of important meetings when discussing important marketing strategies with your in-office team members.

Flexibility and ease of use 

Online whiteboards can load on practically any device, making them easy to use and share. Users can choose a tablet or smartphone to work while traveling or they can use a computer while working from a home office. Such flexibility helps workers stay productive without feeling tied down to a particular device or location. 

The flexibility of online whiteboards also means that employees can assemble collections of content into a single place and easily share it with others. Team members can put post-it notes on their boards for reminders and stack spreadsheets and other documents for review.

Unlike their physical counterparts, online whiteboards won’t get erased at night by the cleaning crew. Work stays online and accessible around the clock, enabling contributions from anyone who has access to a particular board.
It also has unlimited space, giving team members the ability to collaborate on complicated matters in any way they choose. This makes virtual whiteboards a better choice than the physical ones even when presenting ideas to in-house workers in big meeting rooms.

Increased creativity and productivity 

It is well-known that remote workers produce more than their counterparts who work inside company offices. An online whiteboard can add up even more to their productivity and creativity. The tool serves as a focal point for developing and exploring ideas because it allows users to record thoughts they might otherwise have difficulty expressing.

Everyone on the team can simultaneously use the whiteboard as they collaborate, improving efficiency. Whiteboard users write and draw without switching tools, saving time they would otherwise use changing tools. The speed made possible by the whiteboard helps workers keep thoughts fresh.

Team brainstorming works well with whiteboards as everyone can spontaneously write or draw their comments and ideas. The ability to see watch your team members write and draw allows you to react quickly and instantly facilitate new ideas. The universal availability of the whiteboard means that workers can jot down fleeting thoughts and use them to act and react to business events as they occur. 

Members of your team with poor drawing skills can still get creative with their interaction with the team by inserting digital images rather than making sketches. Users can also cut and paste from the Web and exchange files from a simple user interface. 

Final word 

You can easily unify your remote marketing team by giving them access to an online whiteboard. When you do, ideas will freely flow among team members. Teams will complete projects in less time with improved quality.
Online whiteboards also have a lot to offer as communication tools. If your team uses a whiteboard efficiently, you can bridge the gap between your company’s offices and remote workers and improve collaboration. Working well together and building upon the strengths of each team member will stimulate creativity while encouraging innovative thought.
 
Jill Phillips is a freelance writer from Buffalo, NY. She is an aspiring entrepreneur and tech enthusiast, who loves to share her insight on various topics. When she is not writing, Jill enjoys taking photos and hiking with her dog. Connect with Jill via Twitter @jillphlps

IMAGE CREDIT: VFS DIGITAL DESIGN