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Three-quarters of creative collaboration happens remotely, but waiting for feedback is the #1 problem slowing teams down.
How do you make sure your marketing team stays on top of everything — and that nothing falls through the cracks?
Enter collaboration tools, the marketer’s best friend. The right collaboration tools streamline your workflows, simplify communication, and manage deadlines, all while increasing transparency and accountability.
With that in mind, we’ve identified the five categories of tools every agency should use to empower seamless, harmonious collaboration.
1. Powerful project management tools
Project management software paves the way for smooth progress — from planning and prioritizing, to tracking and measuring tasks, goals, and obstacles.
The criteria we used to measure tools were factors like how they maximized team efficiency, increased organization, automated tasks, and streamlined workflows. We road-tested a robust list of tools, and the ones below impressed us the most.
Teamwork
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“With Teamwork we get more visibility into our team’s capacity and resources available and what exactly needs to be done.”
~Nicci Beacham, Project and Quality Manager, Liberty Marketing
This powerful app checks off lots of helpful features for users and managers. From seeing everything in your department to tracking time and identifying obstacles early, Teamwork provides a smooth process for your marketing project management duties. Plus, it’s easy to use with very little ramp-up time.
Pros
Choose the view that suits your needs, with kanban boards, gantt charts, tables and more.
Both day-to-day and long-range resource management features avoid bottlenecks.
Time-tracking provides a way to see what the team is spending their time on to help manage workflows and budgets.
Full suite of financial and budget management tools, providing a real-time overview of project health and performance.
The portfolio project management tool offers a panoramic view of all projects.
Cons
Very small organizations may find Teamwork to have more features than they need.
Could benefit from more onboarding tutorials, but Teamwork Academy has recently launched to provide greater support.
Asana
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Credit: Asana
From the time a project is just an idea until it’s a finished deliverable out the door, Asana facilitates every facet of the process for marketing teams. Its many features make this tool a great choice for managing small and large aspects of a project.
Pros
It has a single location for all information — no more clicking around in spreadsheets and emails to find important tidbits.
Team member workload is measured across projects, helping use resources more productively.
A shared calendar ensures everyone is on the same page and accountable.
Build Gantt charts with visual timelines for easier planning.
Cons
No time-tracking feature.
The number of features can make Asana seem overwhelming, especially for new tool users.
monday.com
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Credit: The Product Manager
monday.com is a comprehensive project management tool that can be tailored to suit companies of any size. It’s a robust PM tool with plenty of features to streamline team workflows, including time-saving automations, CRM integrations, and 24/7 customer support.
Pros
Customizable color-coded timeline makes it easy to toggle between views (Kanban, charts, and tables) and see project status at a glance.
Easily invite any stakeholders (internal or external) as guests to view project timelines for centralized collaboration.
Can integrate with a number of other tools already in your agency’s tech stack, including Slack, Dropbox, Zapier, and 200+ others.
Cons
Cluttered layout can be difficult for users to navigate.
Poor time-tracking and expenses functionality make it not ideal for agencies or teams delivering client work.
Mobile app is limited and doesn’t sufficiently mirror the desktop app, making it harder to use on the go.
No support for task dependencies.
2. Great instant messaging tools
Cumbersome email threads and endless reply-alls are unorganized, time-consuming ways to communicate. Maximize team communication by incorporating an instant messaging platform.
You can create different groups to keep the relevant people for each project up-to-date. You can also use it to facilitate real-time communication between in-office staff, remote employees, and freelancers — no matter where (or when), they’re working. The following three options will help you collaborate faster in no time.
Slack
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Credit: Kipwise
If you’ve been in marketing for more than a day, you’ve probably heard of this popular collaboration platform. For simple or complex projects and small or huge teams, Slack offers a variety of valuable tools, keeping every stakeholder in the loop.
Pros
Boasts over 2,000 integrations, which helps it snuggle seamlessly into your existing tech stack
Offers numerous communication avenues including chat, threads, direct messaging, video calls, and voice calls
Sends notifications to keep every team member informed of the most recent project updates
Feature-rich mobile app connects users on the go
Cons
Getting “Slacked” can become time-consuming and evolve into needless, unproductive conversations.
The software moves quickly and can become overwhelming (especially for large teams).
There are limited customization options within the tool.
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Microsoft Teams
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Credit: Happy
Looking for a one-stop-shop collaboration platform? Microsoft Teams delivers.
With easy-to-use features allowing you to message, chat, video conference, build and share files, and more, Teams is one of the best online collaboration tools for your agency.
Pros
Generous cloud storage
Single location for all Microsoft Office tools (PowerPoint, Word, Excel, OneDrive, and more)
Powerful, user-friendly software
Wiki document library users can share
Cons
The file storage system is confusing, with many users reporting issues with finding and managing key documents.
It’s time-consuming to change permissions.
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Credit: WhatsApp
Popular as a communication tool for friends and family, WhatsApp provides big benefits to agencies, too. Touch base with clients easily by using the platform’s customizable message templates.
Pros
List Messages and Reply Buttons elicit faster responses and cut down on wasted time waiting on feedback.
Use automated greetings to build rapport and trust.
Labels succinctly organize conversations so you can access and respond fast.
Cons
Not enough features for large teams
Flimsy reporting and analytics features
Not very stringent data protection
3. Video conferencing and screen-sharing tools
75% of remote workers report they can be just as (or more) productive remotely as they are in the office, with video.
If team members don’t share the same workspace, video calls can bridge the miles and create unity better than more impersonal communication channels.
Video tools also let users share screens and leave video messages if schedules (or time zones) aren’t syncing up. These three video conferencing and screen-sharing tools impressed us with their ease-of-use, rich functionality, and scalability.
Zoom
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Credit: Videocentric
It experienced success before 2020, but this video app exploded in popularity when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Available for both iOS and Android, this easy-to-learn platform offers plenty of strong audiovisual offerings and customizable features. It's no surprise that Zoom calls quickly became almost as commonplace as emails in the workplace.
Pros
Customizable backgrounds
Crisp video and clear audio
Tons of integrations with widely used apps and popular calendars
Free meetings (if you keep it under 40 minutes)
Cons
Video can be unstable if the user has a weak internet connection
Mobile app needs improvement
Skype
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Credit: Apple Magazine
Skype is another name you probably recognize as an online meeting favorite. This Microsoft product helps connect millions of users for conversations, brainstorming, collaboration, and problem resolution.
Pros
Instant messaging, chat, and video for free, no matter where you are
Compatible with Microsoft Office 365
Screen and file sharing
Video chat recording feature
Cons
Can have garbled audio, especially if there’s lots of background noise
Costs money to conference with people outside the Skype platform
Google Chat
Fans of Google Workspace (formerly called G Suite) and Gmail may decide using Google Chat is the best choice for their video chat and conferencing needs.
Pros
Lets users enter chat rooms where they can message, share files, and provide quick updates
Powerful security protocols keep your company’s data safe
Easy-to-use screen sharing
Cons
Doesn’t support whiteboards during meetings
Large file size limitations
4. Design prototyping tools
If you’ve ever been thrilled at the prospect of a beautifully wrapped gift, you’ve experienced the driving force behind design. Good design creates a more enjoyable user experience and makes your marketing campaigns stand out.
Whether you have in-house designers or you’re working with a freelancer, design usually takes multiple stakeholders and quite a bit of back and forth.
Using a design prototyping tool allows you to share and discuss prototypes before they become final products. Here are three tools that facilitate a smooth design process, from the first concept through execution.
InVision
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Credit: Toptal
Keep your team collaboration functioning at top capacity with InVision. Here you can design user interfaces to create robust mobile applications. Users can collaborate on designs, upload wireframes, and gather valuable data to make decisions with this collaboration tool.
Pros
Many typographical choices to guide the user’s experience
Scrollable artboards with pinning elements
Rapidly connected and animated interactive elements
Cons
Inspect mode has limited functionality.
There is no way to create custom links for sharing with clients.
Webflow
This app offers quick designing and prototyping without knowing how to code. Its healthy collaboration features ensure designers and marketers are on the same page with their vision and progress.
Pros
Drag-and-drop functionality
Advanced animations
Powerful SEO capabilities
Easy and customizable CMS
Cons
Needs more templates
Advanced features can be confusing to a beginner
Adobe XD
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Credit: sitepoint
An alluring array of features and benefits await you with this full-throttle prototyping collaboration tool. Design a website or app and elevate your brand with Adobe XD.
Pros
Access to user flows, interactions, and motions without knowing how to code
Interactive carousels to scroll important information on your website
Editing with teammates in real-time
Shareable links for easy design feedback
Cons
No way to simultaneously update multiple flows
Needs more integrations
5. Collaborative document editing tools
A collaborative, cloud-based editing tool gives users a way to write, edit, proofread, comment, and ask for suggestions, anytime and anywhere.
These tools are must-haves for content marketing, especially when you’re collaborating with freelancers, agencies, or proofreaders. However, they’re also useful for teaming up on your digital marketing strategy, launching plans, and creating SOPs.
The three tools we picked help all sizes of teams keep projects moving, decrease feedback time, and create a single document of truth.
Teamwork Spaces
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Create and collaborate on documents within a single workspace. This way, everyone works on the same version and stays on the same page — literally.
Pros
Lets users transform documents with interactive widgets
Organizes files via the app’s categories, tags, and filtering functionalities
Email and in-app notifications
Videos, images, and charts with text
Cons
The Tables feature can be challenging to use.
There is no history of completed tasks to refer back to.
Google Docs
Create, edit, and share documents directly from your browser whenever you need to. With Google's simple design, easy setup, and impressive features, you and your team can stay on top of projects, collaborate asynchronously or in real time, and stay aligned from beginning to end.
Pros
Users can access files from desktops, laptops, and smart devices.
Store a revision history to track who made changes (and when).
Give users access to a wide choice of templates.
Cons
Tables don’t always copy and paste well.
There are formatting limitations.
Bit.ai
This visually pleasing app packs a big punch for any team’s document editing efforts. Its many bells and whistles keep even large teams organized and focused on the same goals.
Pros
Individual workspaces that users can invite stakeholders to join
Easy to build internal and external wikis of information to share with other collaborators
Tracks engagement across shared content
Cons
Limited font styles
Document creation not as user-friendly
Streamline efficiency by downloading Teamwork today
Implementing B2C and B2B collaboration tools that prioritize efficiency, simplify communications, and are inclusive of every stakeholder and project is crucial for running a well-oiled team.
Consider your own team, their strengths, and the type of workflows you tackle as you’re deciding on marketing collaboration software programs to add to your tech stack.
Teamwork is an all-in-one tool that’s packed with features to help your organization collaborate effectively, both async and in real time. With tons of templates, transparent work views, and user-friendly features, your team can start experiencing this software’s true value from the moment you sign up.
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