A Comprehensive Guide to Managing Remote Teams with Cloud-Based Tools
As businesses expand globally, managing remote teams has become increasingly common. Despite the distance, cloud-based tools have made it possible for teams to communicate and collaborate effectively. This guide will help you get started with cloud-based tools and manage your remote team successfully.
Project Management
A robust project management platform is critical to the success of your team. Project management software, such as Insightly, helps you manage clients, projects, to-do lists, and calendars from a central location accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. With real-time access to in-progress work, your team can collaborate seamlessly and increase productivity.
Live Video Chat
Video conferencing has become an essential tool for remote teams. With Google Hangouts, Blab, and Skype, you can host video conferences with small groups of people for free. Video chat allows you to communicate face-to-face, no matter where you are in the world. Blab works great if you need multiple hosts with mostly viewers, while Skype is the most popular tool. If you need to record the call for later viewing, ScreenHero is an excellent tool for multiple people to work on the document together.
Editorial Calendar
An editorial calendar is an essential tool for keeping everyone on the same page. CoSchedule offers a robust calendar that teams can work on together, ensuring everyone remains organized. It features a WordPress plugin so you can keep your editorial calendar right inside your company blog. With an editorial calendar, your team can plan ahead, stay organized, and remain productive.
Social Media Management
Social media management can be an arduous task, especially when you’re working with a team. With Buffer and Hootsuite, multiple team members can access your social accounts, schedule posts, and more. Buffer includes the ability to schedule Pinterest posts, a nice bonus for businesses that need to maintain an active presence on that network. Hootsuite also allows you to manage multiple social media accounts from a single dashboard. With both of these tools, your team can stay organized, streamline their social media workflow, and save time.
File Sharing
File sharing is an essential part of any team’s workflow. Dropbox and Google Drive are simple and effective, allowing you to share files quickly and easily. OneDrive is another good solution, especially for small teams who need cloud-based access to Microsoft Office. Each user on the shared account gets their own 1 TB OneDrive space, plus 60 free Skype minutes a month. If you have multiple team members who need access, you can control what is shared with whom in just a few clicks.
Screen Sharing
Sharing your screen is an essential tool for remote teams. ScreenHero is an excellent tool for multiple people to work on the document together. With the voice chat feature, it’s like working in the same room together. While Skype is great if you want to share a screen with a small group, ScreenHero is ideal for when more than one person needs control.
Conclusion
With the variety of cloud-based tools available today, there’s no reason your remote team can’t operate as a cohesive unit regardless of distance. By using these tools, your team can stay organized, streamline your workflow, and increase productivity. Whether you’re managing a small team or a large workforce, cloud-based tools make it easy to coordinate efforts and communicate effectively. With real-time access to in-progress work, you’ll save time and money while increasing productivity.
