In an industry defined by start-ups and virtual offices, remote working is becoming more commonplace in digital marketing. Though there are some advantages to operating from a physical office, the expense, the potential for unpleasant workplace politics and the hassle of commuting is encouraging more and more people to ditch their day job and turn to the online world as a source of income. Some companies are even encouraging their staff to work remotely as it’s more cost effective. With this in mind, we’ve prepared a few tips to help you make remote working a success.
1. Allocate Yourself a Dedicated Workspace
This could be the corner of a bedroom, a small home office or even a shared public space like a library, but the importance of having a dedicated workspace should never be underestimated. Distractions in the home are numerous and between the neighbour’s barking dog and the occasional passing salesperson, it’s easy to let your working day slip by without realising it. Allocating a dedicated space that you use only for work will allow you to change your mindset at the start and end of the working day, it will also help you to feel more professional and organised.
2. Learn to Communicate with Your Clients Regularly
Though you don’t necessarily need to update your clients or your boss every hour, in our experience, most people appreciate regular, clear communication when it comes to the progress of a progress. Delays, issues with payments or other problems are generally received in more positive way if you let people know about them as soon as you possibly can. “No news is good news” isn’t always the case in marketing and getting into the habit of sending regular emails that explain how a project is progressing and how long you expect it to take is good practice.
3. Be Aware of International Time Differences
It’s now commonplace for people to work collaboratively across several different continents. Some companies have their customer service operation in one part of the world, but their manufacturing processes are carried out in a completely different time zone. The same is true for digital marketing. When sending emails are trying to engage in skype conversations, always be mindful of the local time for the person you are communicating with. Though we live in 24/7 culture, people do still need to sleep, eat and live their lives outside of work.
4. Don’t Forget to Go Outside
If you can work from the comfort of your sofa and everything you need to use is on your laptop, you’d be forgiven for thinking there’s little point in heading outside unless you absolutely have to. Isolation and loneliness can be dangerous things for the remote worker, though, so always make time to interact with the real world. Interacting with other people is an essential part of every day life, so even if it’s as simple as taking a walk to a local coffee shop or having a stroll around the block, make time to get out of the house to avoid the onset of cabin fever.
5. Learn to negotiate professionally
When you work remotely, whether it’s for a large company or as a self-employed freelancer, you will need to learn to negotiate with your clients and your team. Always check emails for anything that could be construed as negative or unprofessional as this line of communication is a direct representation of you as a person and as a business. Similarly, don’t feel as if you need to accept unprofessional behaviour or communications yourself. The key is to be firm, fair and friendly.
6. Work when you’re the most productive
Not everybody does their best work between the hours of nine and five. In fact, a famous American writer once explained that he was sceptical of all those who do. If you do your best design work at the crack of dawn, don’t be afraid to move your working day forward a little. There’s nothing to stop you making a start on a project as soon as the sun comes up and you can always finish a little earlier to compensate for the early start. If you’re a night owl, don’t be afraid to use your days for other activities outside of work. Providing you are working in a way that’s effective for you and your clients or supervisors, that’s all that matters.
7. Learn to switch off, completely
That means no emails, no quick skype calls and definitely no “getting ahead” for the next day. If you don’t learn to switch off at the end of a working day, you’re headed for serious trouble both physically and mentally. Remote working can make it feel as if there’s always something more to be done and while this is true to an extent, understanding how to divide your time effectively an essential skill that everybody who works outside of an office needs to learn.
8. Focus on Quality not Volume
This is true in terms of both productivity and when securing clients. When you’re first starting out as a remote worker, it can be tempting to work all the hours god sends and also to accept anything and everything comes your way. This approach won’t be sustainable for long and it can also be detrimental to your health and your reputation. Try to focus on quality, well-paying jobs that allow you to use your skills to the best of your ability. Not only will this make your working life more satisfying, it will also allow you to generate more income over time. Many modern workplaces still suffer from an old-fashioned approach to productivity, where staff are expected to work relentlessly, despite the negative impact this can have on quality. Always remember why you decided to choose remote working and allow yourself to operate in a way that allows you to deliver work that you’re proud to present to the client.
