Collaboration between your team is fundamental for productivity, efficiency, and communication. Today highly collaborative work environments are more likely to improve return on investment (ROI) and increase productivity because they encourage engagement and foster shared goals. Work productivity improves work efficiency. When employees are given better tools, they tend to produce more efficient work.

At Greenline, we function in an asynchronous team, meaning yes - we all have tasks and responsibilities - but the time and work hours we do them vary. We work remotely the majority of the time and come together for in-person meetings and strategy sessions as needed. This element of our work environment heightens the need for the best tools to keep communication clear and open.

1. Monday

Put simply, Monday is our task manager. Monday’s purpose is to help build a unique system that ensures everything gets done and nothing slips through the cracks. With Monday, we can make sure the right people are working on the right tasks at the right time. Visibility increases with this system, making planning a high-level marketing strategy easier.

Monitoring ongoing work in one place allows us to make more strategic and more efficient decisions. Monday effectively allows us to customize and organize your workload while keeping everyone aligned on campaign progress.

If you are looking for increased efficiency, Monday can be set up with automation to keep workflows running behind the scenes. Your team can also see the fruits of Monday’s communication software through the features that allow you to notify them of top-performing keywords, timelines, deadlines, as well as approvals.

2. Slack

Slack is a cloud-based, real-time messaging platform. This online chat and notification system provides an interactive alternative to using email to communicate. Dedicated channels allow for more organization. You can even use a set of channels to separate your workflows. These separate channels for ongoing discussion topics are beneficial because you can create new feeds for different groups.

Slack makes group file and image sharing between these channels easy. Chats and channel communications are retained and you can search them. Slack allows teams to minimize distractions because they rely less on meetings and email. Slack channels are critical in aligning your business strategy and operations. There’s even a mobile app that allows you to stay updated on your work no matter where you are.

3. Google Drive

Google Drive is a tool most people are familiar with, and in our opinion, it’s definitely worth the hype. This cloud-based platform is a great place to store content because of the features that elevate the experience of using it. Collaboration on shared files makes working together and team editing seamless through sharing, collaborating, and communicating in real time.

Being able to log in through any internet browser makes working remotely easy.  Not to mention that you can even work completely offline when it comes to just creating content. Google Drive allows you to upload and store any type of file, making them fully accessible to you wherever you have an internet connection.

4. HubSpot

HubSpot is a powerful tool built to connect all of your business efforts - sales, marketing, service, and more. The extensive tools are easy to use and navigate. This is an all-in-one platform when it comes to publishing content and tracking leads. HubSpot is the most analytical of these 4 tools. It offers lead tracking and conversions through its integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. And it doesn’t end there, it also can streamline Search Engine Optimization (SEO) efforts with the capabilities to edit, track, and connect your content and keywords. Social posting is taken to a new level on HubSpot. You can schedule posts on all your channels and check out their insights directly on HubSpot. All of these features are tied together so that you can see the strides your business is making.

4 Tips for using tools Productively

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and consistent effort.” The wise words of Paul J. Meyer paint a beautiful picture of what goes into making your dreams become a reality. These 4 tips will make meeting the needs of your team - and clients - a lot easier.

1. Stay on top of your tools updates

Be sure to stay on top of your tools updates to optimize your usage. Often tools make updates to compete with other tools so users don't have to add one more tool to their toolbox. Checking for updates regularly will allow you to condense the platforms you use when you can.

2. Don't overdo it

This leads to the next point. Don't overdo it with the number of tools you use. Keep it simple. There’s no need to use 10 tools for different things when these 4 are capable of just about everything. Too many tools can be distracting. This is not the space for keeping up with the jones. Adding more tools can paralyze your team and do the complete opposite of what you are hoping for within your team.

3. Put your team first

Consider how your team prefers to communicate. Implementing tools that don't work with people's communication styles will cause more issues than necessary. Communicating on Slack and Monday allows for all of the collaboration needs you may have.

4. Establish a communication plan

Establish a sound communication plan. Slack equips you with quick communication for Yes/No topics- like are you joining today's call? Whereas project management systems on Monday work great for tracking, visualizing, documenting, linking, and anything else that requires more work feedback.

At Greenline, we use these tools every day to get things done. The caliber of work that HubSpot, Google Drive, Slack, and Monday allow us to produce makes them the most practical tools. Your business will have more room to create a personalized experience for your audience when you use them. Their simple-to-use nature is backed by countless businesses that can help you knock your efforts out of the park.