Things to Help You Effectively Manage Digital Projects

The increasing importance of digital projects and their impact on business results have led to a rise in the level of responsibility of those in charge of these endeavours.

This is quite logical and if you’re one of those managing digital projects, you’re probably quite familiar with it. Your task is, simply put, to make stuff happen in the digital world, but very few people actually understand what kind of knowledge and skillset is required to do this job properly.

You need to understand things from a strategic perspective (as any other great manager) and know what technology is available to you. Finally, you need to be familiar with the whole process and have a very clear picture of how it can be delivered. To help you cope with the increasing pressure, we’ve singled out some of the most important elements for a successful execution of digital projects.

Focusing on main duties

The types of digital projects are really varied. Your work might be related to web, mobile, videos, games, events, content, e-commerce, social media, advertising, search engine optimization and you need to get things done before the set deadline. To do that, you really need to remember your general duties, such as drafting meeting agendas, assigning and scheduling project tasks, leading project meetings, directing project team members, preparing project schedules and budgets, etc. That’s the only way to lay solid foundation for the project.

Developing the right skills

Time management, resource management, planning, organizing, delegating are just some of the skills needed, but they are not enough. Copywriting and editing, problem-solving, negotiating, reporting, flexibility and adaptability also rank highly when it comes to managing digital projects. So, in order to be on top of your game, make sure you hone these skills constantly.

Setting clear and attainable goals

As a project manager, you need to be realistic about the goals set before you. There should be no ambiguity, nor should you set unrealistic goals. Otherwise, the project will fail at the very beginning. Make sure you don’t give promises just to keep everyone happy at the moment. After all, you’re the one responsible for the final product and if you don’t deliver what you promised, you’ll never be entrusted with a similar task in the future.

AdWords

No digital project can be a success unless you pay attention to AdWords management. This encompasses a set of activities related to managing your Google AdWords account, which will help you create plan and monitor search campaigns. Focusing on keyword research, analysis and organisation, planning the campaign and its budget, as well as creating and optimising ad text are just some parts of a comprehensive AdWords management strategy, which will help you deliver results that will rank your product higher in search, regardless of the competition.

Not missing a single deadline

Every person involved in the project should know exactly what their task is and by what time they should complete it. Naturally, many tasks depend on other tasks being previously completed, which only makes the planning phase more vital. You and your team need to stick to deadlines. Otherwise, delays will start accumulating and your targets won’t be met. To prevent that from happening, make sure you follow up on those deadlines daily and deal with any potential hold-ups before a problem arises.

Empowering your team

A great manager is a person who can bring out the best in each team member. This is done if different ways, one of which is definitely empowering team members to make their own decisions. Naturally, it doesn’t mean they should exercise their free will, but simply showing trust and creating conditions in which every team member can shine.

Communicating with your team and client

As a project manager, you are in charge of establishing good communication both within the team and externally, with your client. It’s very important that everyone has all the necessary information from day one and that both the team and client’s objectives are aligned and agreed upon. When it comes to your team, they need to communicate with you and among themselves regularly, so that everyone is up to date with what’s happening.

In your communication with the client, the idea is to pull them a bit closer by showcasing how you prefer working on your ongoing projects. In a way, they could be treated as a team-member. If you manage to establish great communication with them, the decision making process will be much smoother and you’ll be able to work towards you common goal in a much better atmosphere.

Needless to say, this list of tips doesn’t include all the important items, but it should give you an idea about how difficult it is to manage digital projects. Not only will you appreciate the job more, but you’ll also get a clearer picture of what it includes.