- December 2, 2024
- Posted by: Featured
- Category: Expert Roundups
How to Build Strong Marketing Team Communication
What sets high-performing marketing teams apart? Seamless communication and unwavering transparency. In this article, insights from top Marketing Experts and Managing Directors reveal the strategies that keep teams aligned and collaborative. From leveraging weekly roundtables to foster open dialogue to using purpose-driven tools that streamline communication, you’ll uncover 11 actionable tips to boost team synergy. Explore proven methods to enhance collaboration, increase productivity, and ensure everyone stays on the same page.
- Weekly Roundtable Promotes Open Communication
- Slack and Monday.com Enhance Team Collaboration
- Shared Narrative Timelines Link Campaign Goals
- LION Meeting Structure Ensures Focused Communication
- Trello Project Dashboard Reduces Miscommunication
- Weekly Alignment Calls Foster Collaboration
- Regular Cross-Functional Syncs Maintain Transparency
- Teamwork and Check-Ins Empower Collaboration
- Weekly Check-Ins and Asana Ensure Alignment
- Clear Expectations and Shared Vision Drive Success
- Specific Tools Designate Communication Needs
Weekly Roundtable Promotes Open Communication
One strategy that has been particularly effective to maintain open lines of communication and transparency with our team is our “Weekly Roundtable.” Every Friday, the team gathers (virtually or in person) to discuss progress, roadblocks, and creative ideas. It’s not just about status updates—it’s about creating a platform where every voice matters.
We’ve also implemented a shared “Marketing Dashboard” using Google Workspace tools. It’s a live document where team members can update metrics, share feedback, and outline campaign results in real time. This keeps everyone on the same page without endless back-and-forth emails.
The key, though, is our open-door policy—literally and figuratively. Whether it’s a quick chat on Zoom or grabbing coffee to hash out ideas, we ensure communication flows freely, fostering trust and true collaboration. Transparency isn’t just a process for us; it’s part of our team’s DNA.
Sehrish Aslam
Marketing Expert, US Grants
Slack and Monday.com Enhance Team Collaboration
Maintaining open lines of communication and transparency within a marketing team requires the right blend of tools and consistent practices. We rely on a combination of Slack, Monday.com, and daily huddles to ensure our team remains aligned, collaborative, and ready to tackle fast-moving campaigns.
Slack serves as our primary communication hub, allowing team members to share updates, resolve questions, and collaborate in real time. Its channel-based structure ensures that discussions stay organized by project or topic, while features like file sharing and message threading make it easy to keep track of important details. For example, during a recent campaign launch, Slack became instrumental in handling last-minute changes and approvals, ensuring we met deadlines without sacrificing quality.
Monday.com, on the other hand, acts as our centralized project management tool. It provides a clear, visual overview of ongoing campaigns, individual responsibilities, and deadlines. This transparency is invaluable for time-sensitive projects, as it helps the team prioritize tasks and avoid bottlenecks. We use Monday.com’s automation features to set reminders and update stakeholders on progress, which minimizes the risk of miscommunication or missed deadlines.
In addition to these tools, we hold daily 15-minute huddles. These brief but focused meetings are an opportunity for team members to share updates, highlight potential challenges, and realign priorities for the day. For time-sensitive projects or major campaign launches, these huddles ensure everyone is informed and equipped to pivot as needed. Recently, during a complex product launch, these check-ins helped us identify and resolve minor issues before they escalated, ultimately saving time and resources.
By combining robust communication tools with structured daily touchpoints, we’ve created an environment where collaboration thrives, and transparency becomes second nature. This approach not only enhances team efficiency but also fosters a sense of shared ownership and accountability across all projects.
Anna Urban
Digital Marketing Director, QNY Creative
Shared Narrative Timelines Link Campaign Goals
I always create shared narrative timelines for campaigns. I’m creating deadlines and deliverables and the team is working on creating a narrative that will link each one to the campaign goal. From this, we can move from a common project plan to a collective vision where everyone in the team knows how their role impacts the greater cause.
For instance, in the case of a referral marketing campaign, the delivery timeline could include the production of creative assets and the integration of those assets with influencer engagement and customer acquisition milestones. I think this shared timeline helps you feel that flow and that everyone can see where their work is interlocking and where they can support each other.
It also serves as a visual tool that helps to point out any missed areas or a misalignment in the process at an early stage. In one instance, the process enabled our team to see that influencer messaging had to be matched to content being developed for customer emails, and so we made the change that made the campaign better.
Anders Bill
Cofounder/CPO, Superfiliate
LION Meeting Structure Ensures Focused Communication
One strategy I’ve implemented to foster open communication and transparency is the LION meeting structure. I learned this approach from a business coach and it ensures that team meetings are focused, organized, and action-oriented, which is crucial for maintaining alignment in fast-paced marketing projects.
LION stands for:
L – Last Week: We start by reviewing the previous week’s performance, where each team member shares progress on their KPIs.
I – Issues: This is a safe space for team members to share challenges they’ve faced, but with an emphasis on proposing potential solutions.
O – Opportunities: We explore ideas for improvement or innovation, fostering a collaborative and forward-thinking mindset.
N – Next Week: The meeting wraps up with setting clear, actionable goals for the week ahead.
Lisa Frank
Marketing Specialist, AM Industrial Group
Trello Project Dashboard Reduces Miscommunication
Our team started using a shared “project dashboard” in Trello, where everyone can add updates, ask questions, and tag each other on specific tasks. This tool makes communication visible, so there’s no confusion about who’s doing what. It also means people don’t have to wait for formal meetings to get feedback—they can check updates and respond in real time. This setup has reduced miscommunication and keeps everyone on the same page without overwhelming anyone with too many check-ins.
Shane McEvoy
MD, Flycast Media
Weekly Alignment Calls Foster Collaboration
One communication approach that has consistently promoted collaboration across our marketing department is to conduct weekly alignment calls that address both progress and hurdles. We take a step beyond just providing updates and tailor these calls to offer a forum where teammates can dive into priorities, challenge them and come up with solutions together. For instance, in one campaign, our social media manager said that posts weren’t doing as well as they should. This prompted a spontaneous brainstorming session where the team discovered a messaging shift that improved engagement significantly.
We make sure to leave some room in the schedule for informal discussions where members of the team can give input or bring up a project that wasn’t originally covered. This practice has taught us to see the imbalances in time, and to adjust before they become catastrophic. On one occasion, our email marketing team alerted us to overlapping offers that were likely to mislead customers, and we slashed the campaign timeline.
Jason Stelle
Digital Marketer, Filterbuy
Regular Cross-Functional Syncs Maintain Transparency
In my experience, one of the best ways to keep communication open and transparent within a marketing team is to set up regular cross-functional syncs with a clear and focused agenda. These meetings are a chance for team members from different areas (whether content, analytics, design, or strategy) to gather, update, and check in on each other’s priorities. This works best if you have an agenda that specifically addresses issues where you want to provide input or cooperation. This keeps the meeting focused, and you don’t waste time talking over general news that can be delivered through email or project management software.
That connects everyone together and shows how one person’s contribution helps others. These syncs are also an opportunity for anyone to raise issues or questions, which can sometimes get overlooked in the rush to get things done.
When communication is structured and purposeful, it strengthens the sense of connection and alignment within the team. Everyone leaves those meetings with a clearer understanding of what they need to focus on and how their work fits into the larger mission, which makes it so much easier to move forward with confidence and clarity.
Even Fusdahl Hulleberg
Chief Marketing Officer, Recharge Health
Teamwork and Check-Ins Empower Collaboration
Maintaining open communication and transparency within the marketing team is all about combining the right tools with intentional processes. One strategy that’s worked well for me is holding weekly team check-ins where we share updates, discuss challenges, and align on priorities. These meetings ensure everyone is on the same page and no task or project falls through the cracks.
For project management and task communication, we rely heavily on Teamwork. It’s a fantastic tool for assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and tracking progress, all while keeping conversations organized within each project. Teamwork ensures that everyone knows their responsibilities and how their work contributes to the larger goals, while also providing a central hub for collaboration.
By pairing structured tools like Teamwork with consistent team check-ins, we’ve created an environment where collaboration thrives and everyone feels empowered to contribute.
Kyle Morris
CEO / Founder, LawTurbo
Weekly Check-Ins and Asana Ensure Alignment
Fostering open communication and transparency is a top priority to ensure alignment and collaboration within our marketing team. One strategy that has been particularly effective is our use of weekly check-ins combined with collaborative tools like Asana.
The weekly check-ins allow team members to share progress, address challenges, and realign on goals. These tools help us track project timelines and responsibilities transparently. This approach ensures clarity, fosters accountability, and keeps everyone on the same page.
Gaston Kaufer Barbe
CEO, Toucan Insights
Clear Expectations and Shared Vision Drive Success
I emphasize setting clear expectations and providing a shared vision for all projects. I ensure that everyone understands the broader goals and how their individual contributions play a role in achieving them. Regularly reviewing these objectives helps keep the team focused and ensures that everyone is working towards the same outcomes.
One strategy that has worked well is breaking down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks with clear deadlines. This approach makes it easier to track progress and maintain momentum. It also allows team members to take ownership of specific parts of a project, fostering accountability and reducing any potential confusion. Clear goal-setting, combined with regular check-ins, has been an effective way to keep the team aligned and productive.
Matt Earle
President, Reputation.ca
Specific Tools Designate Communication Needs
We maintain open communication and transparency within our marketing team by using specific tools for different needs. Email is designated for client communication to ensure a clear record, while Slack keeps internal collaboration organized and efficient. We hold regular Zoom meetings for in-depth discussions and alignment on strategies. Text and phone calls are used strictly for emergencies, ensuring that business communications stay within established channels.
Doug Darroch
Managing Director, Renaissance Digital Marketing
Submit Your Answer
Would you like to submit an alternate answer to the question, “How do you maintain open lines of communication and transparency within your marketing team? Share a communication strategy or tool that has proven effective in fostering collaboration and alignment.”