Big data is central to the success of modern marketing strategies. Today, more than ever, companies need to find more innovative ways to leverage data analytics to create a competitive edge in an everchanging landscape.
One of the most important, yet overlooked, benefits of data is with scheduling. Marketing teams can use data analytics to optimize their scheduling to squeeze a higher ROI from their strategies.
The Evolving Importance of Data-Driven Scheduling the Marketing Discipline
Running a well-functioning marketing team requires strategic workforce scheduling. You need to develop a win-win work schedule that benefits both the organization and the workers — nothing less is acceptable.
Fortunately, there are a number of possible applications with big data. One of the most obvious is with social media content scheduling. Social media content can have a lot more visibility during certain periods. Advanced data analytics tools make it easier to identify these sweet spots. Some machine learning tools even enable these schedules to be automated.
If you?re struggling with putting together a schedule that allows your team to run at maximum capacity and be uber-excellent at running their marketing campaigns, then this guide is for you.
We?ll cover six tips to use big data help you prepare an effective work schedule for your marketing team.
1. Use a reliable scheduling software
Whether you?re working with a virtual marketing team or running everything in-house, you benefit significantly from using reliable scheduling software. Many of these tools use big data to automate and streamline their processes.
It lets you streamline and manage your employees? schedules easily, allowing you to stay on top of your schedule management without having to access, and pay for, several tools. This wouldn’t be possible without sophisticated machine learning algorithms.
For example, Deputy?s staff roster software allows you to view everyone?s? schedules from within the platform.
It also lets you recommend staff and send shift orders in a few clicks.
Deputy has several other features such as auto-scheduling, view real-time data on wages vs. sales, customize your pay rates, etc. As you can probably imagine, your scheduling manager can breeze through the process of preparing your marketing team?s schedules with software like Deputy.
2. Have a clear line of communication
Last-minute shift changes are common — they can?t be helped too, sadly.
You?d have none of the last-minute shift changes in the ideal world, but because this is a reality you need to face, you need an excellent strategy to deal with it.
Having a clear line of communication does wonders at helping you address last-minute shift changes. Big data can be useful for facilitating conversations, both internally and externally.
It allows the person assigned to the shift to inform you (the soonest) that they can?t come in for the shift. And it helps you look for replacements, with whatever time you are afforded.
Without a clear line of communication, the person who?ll miss their shift will struggle to inform you of their absence. On your part, you?ll struggle with finding replacements too — both of which needlessly delay your delayed business operation.
3. Estimate the time it takes to complete a task
If it takes your marketing team one week to build a complex marketing funnel, create a work schedule that matches your estimate. Another great benefit of of big data is that it eliminates redundancy.
After all, there?s no point in creating a schedule for two weeks? worth when it only takes a project a single week to complete. Not only will you spend needlessly on manpower hours, but you run the risk of compromising other campaigns, as well.
There are several data-driven strategies you can employ to come up with reasonable estimates.
- Study your previous campaigns. If you have other projects or campaigns that look similar to those you?re working on, check out how long it took your marketing team to accomplish their tasks. Considering how they?ve already done something similar in the past, they should be able to finish quicker. You can use detailed data analytics tools to take a deeper look at old campaigns to see areas where they could be improved.
- Ask your marketing team. Your marketing guys have a better grasp of how long it takes to complete specific tasks. It?s their job, after all. If you?re uncertain about how long it?ll take your team to complete a project and you have no previous records to benchmark, ask your team.
4. Share schedules weeks before
If you want to reduce scheduling conflicts, notify your marketing team of their schedules at least two weeks before their shifts. It allows them to make necessary preparations and ensure they?ll be available for their shifts.
Giving your team enough time to prepare isn?t just good for your scheduling and attendance; it improves your team?s relationship.
Giving the schedules in advance shows them that you care. It shows your marketing team that you want to make things as convenient as possible for them, too.
On the other hand, when you assign schedules only a few days (or hours) in advance, you?ll look like a dictator. You?ll come across as someone who?s utterly unconcerned about your team?s work/life balance.
5. Be mindful of your employees? skills when scheduling
Suppose your marketing team?s main objective is to create an ebook.
With that in mind, the last thing you want is to schedule several web developers within the shift. It makes no sense.
Your web developers aren?t trained to write exceptional copy. Not just that, they might even hate writing.
To do this right, you?d be better off scheduling several writers within the shift, and perhaps one or two graphic designers ? if the ebook requires graphics.
By doing this, everyone in the shift can focus on doing work they?re trained to do and even love.
6. Allow schedule request changes
Give your marketing team the benefit of the doubt. Not everyone requesting schedule changes are lazy or irresponsible. Others have legit reasons for asking for schedule changes. Some might have a doctor?s appointment, while others might have an emergency.
We all know how unpredictable life is, so don?t treat your marketing team like they have full control over every second of their future.
Below are several strategies you can employ to mitigate the risk and the challenges that occur when an employee requests schedule changes.
- Set a limit. You can allow schedule changes on X hours before their shift starts.
- Limit the occurrence. Within X months, only X schedule changes are allowed.
- Communication. We already discussed why having a clear line of communication is essential. Schedule change requests are one of them. With a clear communication line, you can address this challenge quicker and easier ? let alone, in a more systematic approach.
Data Analytics is Critical for Schedule Optimization in Marketing
Big data is a key component of successful marketing strategies in 2020. Managing your marketing team?s schedules doesn’t have to be rocket science. With tried and tested big data strategies, you can optimize your work schedules to improve your marketing team?s productivity and performance.
What?s more, with a carefully prepared work schedule, you avoid employee fatigue and needlessly manpower hours. Data-driven strategies are ideal for getting the most of your marketing campaigns.
You win big time with proper team scheduling via data-driven initiatives!