Understanding Dynamic Keyword Insertion

Dynamic Keyword Insertion is a feature that enables advertisers to create ads with placeholders, which are replaced by the actual keywords that triggered the ad. By incorporating the user’s search query directly into the ad copy, DKI enhances relevance and makes the ad more appealing to the searcher. It helps in improving click-through rates, quality scores, and ultimately, the overall performance of the ad campaign.

Implementing Dynamic Keyword Insertion

To implement DKI in Google Ads, follow these steps:

• Ad Creation: Begin by crafting an ad with a placeholder, such as “{Keyword}” or “{KeyWord: Default Text}”. The placeholder will be replaced with the keyword triggering the ad, unless it exceeds character limits or violates advertising policies.
• Ad Group Settings: Set the DKI option to “Enabled” within the ad group settings. This will ensure that the keyword triggering the ad is dynamically inserted into the ad copy.
• Keyword List: Create a list of relevant keywords for each ad group. Ensure that these keywords are closely aligned with the ad copy to maintain ad relevance.
• Ad Rank Considerations: Keep in mind that DKI can impact ad rank. As the dynamically inserted keyword is likely to be highly relevant, it may contribute to a higher ad quality score, resulting in improved ad rank and potentially lower costs per click.

Cautions and Risks Associated with DKI

While DKI offers several advantages, it’s important to exercise caution due to the potential risks involved:

• Ad Relevancy: DKI may lead to the creation of ads that lack coherence or context. If the dynamically inserted keyword doesn’t fit well within the ad copy, it can confuse or mislead users, adversely affecting the user experience and campaign performance.
• Policy Compliance: The use of DKI can inadvertently violate advertising policies. Advertisers must review and monitor their ads to ensure they comply with guidelines, such as not promoting restricted products or using misleading claims.
• Brand Reputation: DKI carries the risk of damaging a brand’s reputation. Inaccurate or poorly worded ads resulting from DKI can create negative associations with the brand, impacting trust and credibility.
• Competitor keywords: if you use DKI while advertising on competitor brand names, you might mention their name in your ad which is legally prohibited and can cause financial damage.
• Competitive Landscape: DKI can make it difficult to stand out from competitors. Since multiple advertisers may use the same keywords triggering their ads, it’s crucial to carefully craft ad copy and value propositions to differentiate oneself from others.

Summary

Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) is a powerful tool in the Google Ads arsenal that can significantly enhance ad performance when used effectively. By customizing ad copy based on the user’s search query, DKI increases relevance and click-through rates. However, advertisers must be cautious about the potential risks associated with DKI. Careful ad crafting, policy compliance, and maintaining brand reputation are essential to mitigate these risks and ensure successful outcomes. When utilized with care and consideration, DKI can be an invaluable asset in optimizing Google Ads campaigns.

The Dutch market

With a population of around 17 million, the Netherlands is an attractive target market for German companies. The small country scores not only with its outstanding logistics, but also with favorable legal conditions and a highly qualified, multilingual workforce. Despite the fact that they are our neighbors, however, there are still many cultural differences that can lead to misunderstandings.
Nakoa is a German company with a Dutch co-founder and CEO who has many years of experience in online marketing in Germany as well as in the Netherlands. Since Nakoa combines knowledge of both cultures, we can optimally advise our clients on their strategic decisions. We have thus already helped several German companies to successfully enter the Dutch market.
We are not accountants or tax experts, but we know from experience which first steps to take.

Would you like to know how we can help you take the first steps in the Dutch market?

Contact us

Consulting and Strategy

With offices and staff in The Hague and Munich, we can help your business make the move to the Netherlands.
We know the Dutch market and work for SMEs in the Netherlands.

Want to know if you can be successful in the Netherlands?

Contact us

Online Marketing for the Dutch Market

We help you get found online and translate your content. We optimize SEO for the Netherlands and set up advertising campaigns in Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram and other marketing channels

Want to get started with online marketing in the Netherlands?

Contact us

Online marketplaces

Want to sell your products on marketplaces like Bol.com and Amazon? Or do you want to know which marketplaces are right for your products? We have experience with marketing campaigns on almost all popular Dutch marketplaces and know the pitfalls

Do you want to sell your products on Dutch marketplaces?

Contact us

Dutch
Translations

Do you need translations for your website or online marketplace product pages? We are not a classic translation agency, but we will be happy to help you with the translation of your texts into Dutch.

You want to outsource content translations?

Contact us

Logistics
in the Netherlands

Do you want to ship your products to or within the Netherlands? We work with partners and can advise you on different types of products

Short description about limango

The company limango, based in Munich, is the leading shopping platform for young families. Meanwhile, the company, which belongs to the Otto Group, has over 1.9 million active Kund:innen. limango offers with over 3,000 brands a wide selection in numerous categories, for the family. Whether it is fashion, home textiles, shoes for children or adults, toys, beauty or decorative items for the home or even technology – limango should be the first choice for a connection if the target group family is to be reached. Over 2. million newsletter subscribers receive daily notifications of attractive promotions – every 5th family has already shopped on limango.

In the beginning, the company started with the closed online store and built up a loyal community within a very short time as a private shopping platform. In 2017, the limango marketplace was created, whereby an even larger and, above all, more permanent assortment in all family-relevant categories is offered in the open store. The main aim here is to meet the needs of end customers – because the needs of the target group are always the focus. In the promotions area, users receive selected offers from top brands on a daily basis. The action business is also accessible to the marketplace partners and a lucrative opportunity to increase visibility, brand awareness and performance or specifically strengthen their own sales & sales phases.

Why limango?

limango offers partners access to a large number of active and loyal customers. Each partner receives individual support and advice from an assigned, category-specific partner manager in order to plan targeted advertising campaigns and achieve their own marketplace goals, among other things. The limango partner management team is available at all times for individual consultations on questions, comments or optimization of the product range: Together, in partnership & at eye level to success!

To enable the partner to focus fully on its core business, limango takes care of customer service in addition to payment management and offers a variety of marketing measures to generate more traffic and thus sales. Other special features are the partnership-based sales commissions and that there are no other ongoing costs. limango is a curated marketplace where there is no price war between merchants. (If you would like more info or specific offers, the sales team will be happy to hear from you: sales-marketplace@limango.com).

Retail Media at limango

To push brand promotions, but also to increase the visibility of the assortment in the open store independently of promotion placements, limango offers various retail media measures along the entire customer journey (including newsletter placements, Social Media, Display Advertising Onsite). limango`s recommendation here is always to drive a combination of branding and performance measures in order to generate short-term sales uplifts on the one hand and to achieve a high level of “basic traffic noise” to the range of products on the other. The booking, evaluation and optimization of appropriate measures is done through and in close cooperation with limango`s Retail Media Team (contact for more info gladly via adsales@limango.com).

Prerequisites and process of integration

Selling on the limango marketplace is simple and fair. Each interested party fills out the partner program form and the required info is submitted to limango. Afterwards, the partner management will get in touch to discuss all further steps.

The possibilities for technical integration are many – whether via a software interface of a middleware service, such as Tradebyte, plentymarkets or via a direct connection, for example via CSV or XML. We will find a solution together, for an automated and scalable connection type!

Cost

Limango partners do not pay a basic monthly fee, unlike most marketplaces. Only after successful sale of the product follows the settlement, according to a commission-driven model. The amount of the sales commission varies by category and is market standard.

Conclusion

limango is a leading shopping platform for young families with over 1.9 million active customers and offers a wide selection of products in numerous categories. The company offers partners individual support as well as various retail media measures along the entire customer journey. Limango partners do not pay a basic monthly fee and the sales commission varies by category.

We think limango is the perfect marketplace if your business offers products in fashion, home textiles, shoes, toys, beauty and technology, especially for young families.

What are DooH ads?

Digital Out-Of-Home (DooH) ads can be a great addition to other social ads. Traditional outdoor advertising “Out-Of-Home” is combined with digital aspects. This means ads are displayed on public screens and digital billboards, for example. Recently, it is now possible to publish these ads through the Google Marketing Platform, as Google has partnered with some providers such as Vistar Media and thus gaining access to the screens of major media owners such as JCDecaux or Ströer.

Advantages of DooH ads

The biggest advantage of DooH ads is that they combine the benefits of traditional OOH ads, such as the captivating formats, with the effectiveness of digital opportunities. Many of the targeting options of display ads, for example, can be applied to DooH ads. At the same time, these ads will not be interfered with by ad blockers or skipped and closed by users. Moreover, thanks to Google, they can be conveniently edited together with other advertising media on one platform via Display & Video 360. Another advantage is the flexibility that DooH ads bring. Depending on the broadcast location, for example, small differences can be applied to the creatives.

Are there also disadvantages of DooH ads?

Of course, DooH ads also bring some difficulties. For one thing, the use of creatives is a bit more complicated: a separate format is needed per ad booking, creatives could be restricted because the ad is broadcast to many users and thus sensitive content cannot be used, and creatives cannot be edited without rechecking the ad. However, re-verification and delivery of the ad can take an average of 24 hours. Another difficulty is measuring performance. Since the broadcast does not happen via Google directly, but is forwarded to a provider, the usual user-specific data is also not available. Instead, providers supply summarized impression multipliers for each screen.

Do DooH ads work?

A successful example can be seen with the online fashion retailer ASOS. The company used Display & Video 360 to easily and quickly select digital billboards through Intersection in the US and JCDecaux in the UK. Thanks to Google, everything could be bought, published and measured on a single platform. The goal of the campaign was to improve exposure for the brand. This goal was also met, as 22 million impressions were generated with the help of hundreds of digital billboards.

Conclusion

DooH ads, as you can see, can be a good addition to other advertising measures, especially to generate stronger brand awareness and a wider reach. Especially the fact that all campaigns can be created comfortably via the well-known Google platform brings many advantages and is convenient to use. We are looking forward to test these new possibilities and to generate an even better performance for our customers.
Do you need support or would you like to leave the online marketing of your company in professional hands? Then don’t hesitate to contact us! At Nakoa Digital we are performance marketing and retail media experts. We are happy to help you strategically move your online marketing forward! You can easily book a no-obligation consultation and ask us your question
Do you need support or would you like to leave the online marketing of your company in professional hands? We are glad to help you! Simply arrange a non-binding consultation and ask us your questions!

Zalando and the fashion industry today

The fashion industry is in a state of flux. On the one hand, after the Covid years, many fashion retailers have financial problems and are facing insolvency. This year alone, several fashion giants such as Galeria or Peek & Cloppenburg have already filed for insolvency. In 2022, 102 producers and retailers in the textile industry were affected and filed for insolvency.

But there are also many changes in the online world. The largest online fashion retailer in Germany and Europe is Zalando. For some time now, we were able to see that it is no longer possible, or only possible with difficulty, to participate in the Zalando affiliate program. This is due to the fact that Zalando wants to clean up its assortment. It can even happen that certain brands are kicked out of the partner program if Zalando is of the opinion that the products no longer fit the company. The new motto is quality instead of quantity in order to offer customers better products. Lastly, there was also a new fee schedule for Zalando partners who sell their products on the platform. According to Zalando, this has been standardized, but the result is that it is no longer profitable for many retailers to sell on Zalando. This is because commissions of 25% are incurred in some cases as a result of this new order. Therefore, more and more retailers want to turn away from Zalando.

What alternatives are there?

About You

About You is also a fashion and lifestyle marketplace and is active in several countries in Europe. The marketplace has over 30 million active users per month and therefore offers a lot of potential. About You’s goal is to put a focus on personalization and offer customers a personalized shopping experience. To show this directly, About You even advertises with the slogan “Europe’s most personal fashion online store”.

Otto

Otto is also a good alternative to Zalando. Each month, 59.8 million visitors visit the platform. In addition to clothing, Otto also offers household products, furniture and much more, making it a generalist among marketplaces. Otto is very well known in Germany and advertises itself with 11 million active customers and up to 10 orders per second. With this, Otto definitely brings a lot of potential.

limango

If it’s more about kids fashion, then limango is a great place to go. Limango is aimed at young families and sells fashion products to babies, children and adults. In addition, the marketplace also has Home & Living products on offer. According to limango, there are 1.9 million active customers on the marketplace and is the top platform for young families.

YOOX

Then there’s also the YOOX marketplace. YOOX describes itself as the “world’s leading online lifestyle store.” YOOX is more for premium products, you can find lots of designer brands like Versace, Prada and Gucci. So for high-end and high-priced clothing and shoes, YOOX is the perfect marketplace.

Marketplace Newcomer – Best Secret

The fashion world is huge, of course there are many more marketplaces where products can be sold. Also, new ones are added regularly or well-known fashion brands expand their range and become marketplaces. One example of this is Best Secret. This off-price shopping club has already announced that it will expand its offering to include a marketplace model. At the moment, this model is already being tested with a few brands in Germany, but is soon to be expanded and spread to the whole of Europe.

Conclusion

The current situation with Zalando shows us that we must not become too dependent on a single marketplace. However, this does not mean that you have to be directly present on all marketplaces. We recommend building up competencies in the marketplace area and then making informed decisions, because each marketplace has its advantages and disadvantages that need to be recognized.

The developments of online shopping

As the world continues to change, so do the ways we shop. Live shopping is a new form of shopping that is becoming increasingly popular and is now spreading to online shopping. This new form of shopping has evolved tremendously in recent years and it is now easier than ever for businesses to get involved and for potential customers to take advantage of the savings this form of shopping brings. In this article, we look at the developments that have taken place in online live shopping and how it can be used by online marketers to get their products out there.

What is online live shopping?

Live shopping is a way to purchase products or services through an interactive live broadcast over the Internet. Live shopping events usually have a host who talks about products or services during the broadcast, answers questions from viewers, and offers discounts or coupons for certain items available during the event. The purpose of such an event is to provide potential customers with a unique experience that encourages them to purchase items that may be out of stock elsewhere or not currently available on other platforms.

Benefits for online marketers

Online marketers can use live shopping events as a powerful tool to promote their products and services. Not only does it allow them to showcase their wares to potential customers, but it also gives them an instant feedback loop where they can gauge customer interest in real-time and make adjustments accordingly. In addition, these events are often free to attend, making them extremely cost-effective compared to traditional advertising methods such as television commercials or radio spots. In addition, through discussions with viewers at these events, marketers can create further brand awareness while building relationships with potential customers.

Social media as a catalyst for Liveshopping events

Social media has become an integral part of modern life, which means there is now even more potential for online live shopping success thanks to its massive reach across all age groups and locations around the world. Social media marketing campaigns – such as Facebook Ads – allow companies to target specific audiences based on geographic location, age groups, interests, etc., enabling them to reach people who might not otherwise be able to reach them through traditional means such as television commercials or billboards. /printed matter would have come into contact with their product or service. These campaigns also allow businesses to easily set up dedicated pages for their live shopping events, increasing visibility for both parties; presenters/hosts get more exposure while viewers get another platform where they can find information about upcoming shows and make purchases if they wish without having to leave social media sites like Facebook or Twitter etc. TikTok has launched “TikTok Shop” in Asia and parts of Europe, a feature that enables live shopping. Whether this will also be launched in the US and whether it can be a success remains to be seen.

Mobile technology and the future of life-shopping events

With mobile technology improving day by day, it is no surprise that smartphones are fast becoming one of the most popular devices people use all over the world to access websites/apps, etc. This means companies now have yet another way to promote their live shopping events through dedicated apps where users can receive notifications about upcoming shows just before they start, plus access to exclusive offers not available anywhere else via desktop computers etc. apps easy access (no additional login required), making payment processes much smoother, while businesses can also track user trends in real-time so they know what content or products work best when trying to reach a particular demographic, etc All of these points together highlight how important mobile technology has become in discussing future trends specifically related to life-shopping events; something we’re likely to see more of in the coming years, especially as 5G networks roll out in many countries around the world and offer faster internet speeds, meaning people will be able to stream these streams no matter where they are.

Finally

It should be clear how much online shopping has developed since the early 2000s. Both technologically and promotionally, and because everyone experiences all the benefits of buying goods/services directly from the source, instead of going to go to the store/market. In addition, advancements in mobile technology combined with social media allow marketers to promote upcoming events on those same platforms, creating opportunities to engage large numbers of consumers almost immediately, rather than waiting weeks for traditional marketing methods.

In Germany, other parties such as Douglas and Galeria Kaufhof have also conducted several successful tests with online live shopping. But on the other hand, Facebook has already done away with live shopping and Instagram has now also announced that it will stop live shopping. The future will tell whether live shopping can take its place as a sales channel. It is true that new platforms such as TikTok can make live shopping more accessible and, if it wants, can dominately promote live shopping.

What is GA4 Sampling?

GA4 sampling is a feature of Google Analytics 4 that allows users to select a subset of data from their entire population in order to make more accurate and reliable inferences. This feature is especially useful for large datasets, as it allows users to quickly and easily analyze a subset of data without having to analyze the entire population.

How Does GA4 Sampling Work?

GA4 sampling works by selecting a subset of data from the entire population. This subset is then used to make inferences about the population as a whole. The sampling process is based on a number of factors, including the size of the population, the type of data being analyzed, and the desired accuracy of the results.
The sampling process begins by selecting a random sample of data from the population. This sample is then analyzed to determine the characteristics of the population as a whole. The results of this analysis are then used to create a model that can be used to make inferences about the population.

Why is GA4 Sampling Important?

GA4 sampling is important because it allows users to quickly and easily analyze a subset of data without having to analyze the entire population. This can be especially useful for large datasets, as it allows users to make more accurate and reliable inferences about the population as a whole.
In addition, GA4 sampling can also be used to identify trends and patterns in data. By analyzing a subset of data, users can identify trends and patterns that may not be visible when analyzing the entire population. This can be especially useful for marketing and research purposes.

Conclusion

GA4 sampling is an important feature of Google Analytics 4 that allows users to select a subset of data from their entire population in order to make more accurate and reliable inferences. This feature is especially useful for large datasets, as it allows users to quickly and easily analyze a subset of data without having to analyze the entire population. In addition, GA4 sampling can also be used to identify trends and patterns in data. By analyzing a subset of data, users can identify trends and patterns that may not be visible when analyzing the entire population.”
We are happy to help you to strategically advance your online marketing! You can easily book a non-binding consultation with us and ask us your questions.

Zalando’s logistics network

Zalando is one of the leading marketplaces for fashion and lifestyle in Europe. Since its founding in 2008, the company has developed a unique sales concept and has grown to become one of Europe’s largest online retailers. In doing so, Zalando attaches great importance to a strong logistics network that ensures fast and reliable delivery and thus increases customer satisfaction.
Since 2017, Zalando has also offered partners an attractive and sustainable logistics solution. This solution was introduced under the name “Zalando Fulfillment Solutions”, or ZFS for short.

What are the Zalando Fulfillment Solutions?

The logistics solution introduced makes it easier for sellers to sell in Europe and to internationalize their shipping processes. The goal of ZFS is to reduce logistics costs, increase customer satisfaction and protect the environment.
By using Zalando Fulfillment Solutions, partners gain access to Zalando’s logistics and distribution network and can handle their shipping processes directly through Zalando. This also creates benefits for shoppers, as the ordering process as well as shipping and returns are handled uniformly and quickly for all customers via Zalando.

How does shipping via ZSF work?

To run warehouse and logistics processes via ZFS, sales partners send their selected sale items to the online marketplace’s warehouses. From there, the products are sold to the customer via Zalando. From this moment on, the partner puts its complex logistics processes in the hands of Zalando, saving both time and money. Warehouse, sales and returns management are handled entirely by Zalando.
But Zalando has also come up with something for the environment and the customer. The “One Box Solution.” With this process, customers can buy different items and brands from the Zalando range and get all the items in a box delivered to their home the very next day. Consolidating orders is convenient for customers and good for the environment.

The advantages of the Zalando Fulfillment Solution

ZFS creates many benefits – not only for the partner, but also for the buyer, Zalando and the environment. First of all, the partner benefits from lower fulfillment costs, more storage space and a reduced effort in shipping their products. In addition, Zalando enables fast and easy internationalization in Europe and Switzerland through a large number of warehouses in Europe.
The “One Box Solution” is also a good way for partners to save costs, as they only pay their share of the shipping costs of the mixed box. With this solution, customers benefit from a larger assortment selection and receive all products conveniently and quickly in one go. In this way, Zalando reduces the number of parcels sent and effectively cuts emissions.
Another plus point of ZFS is the ability to send not only from German warehouses, but also from Poland, Italy, France and Sweden. If a customer from Italy sends a package back, it does not go back to Germany, but stays in the warehouse in Italy. From there, the items quickly go back online for sale and are shipped on. This is not only efficient and fast, but also environmentally friendly.

Conclusion

Zalando Fulfillment Solutions (ZFS) offers very comprehensive logistics solutions for partners and customers. As a partner, you benefit from fast shipping, uncomplicated returns and higher sales potential thanks to Zalando’s know-how and logistics network. Overall, Zalando Fulfillment Solutions are a great way to simplify logistics processes while reducing environmental impact.
Want to learn more about Zalando Fulfillment Solutions to get started with ZFS yourself? We are glad to help you! Simply arrange a non-binding consultation and ask us your questions!

Compared to the previous year, this was an increase of around 30.1%, taking second place after Facebook (2020: USD 84.17 billion).

YouTube’s users

Since 2005, YouTube has provided a platform where users can easily and quickly share video content with one another. The sale to Google Inc. in 2006 continued the success of the streaming provider. YouTube now has just over 2 billion registered users worldwide every month. There are also users who do not actively register on the site but still access content. In total, the number of users adds up to around one billion hours of streaming time. Among them are 48 million Germans who visit YouTube at least once a month. The target group is very broad from a demographic point of view. According to the ARD/ZDF online study 2020, just over half of the users in Germany are male. In addition, 94% of 14-29 year olds and 81% of 30-49 year olds regularly use the streaming offer. In addition, YouTube is also used more by the older audiences compared to other social media platforms.

YouTube as an advertising platform

With this broad mass of potential target groups, YouTube offers a diverse advertising channel that around 62% of companies worldwide have already discovered for themselves. YouTube has a significant advantage over other social media or streaming platforms. Since YouTube is a subsidiary of Google, the channel not only benefits from the extensive database and machine learning processes, but also from partnerships with e-commerce companies such as Shopify or Square.

YouTube advertising – How it works

For a perfect advertising campaign on YouTube, various parameters must be carefully selected: the advertising format, the audience and the creative, i.e. the commercial itself. Thanks to Google, this information can be tailored very precisely to the desired audience. Depending on the desired goal, you can then target more generally with a broad audience or work with more specific audience segments. Here, for example, there is the in-market audience , in which a buying interest is recognized, for example, in Google Maps searches. In the lower funnel , if the focus of the strategy is on remarketing or lookalikes of your own customer group, the format True-View- for-Action to be appropriate. This is designed for the desired action such as lead generation or purchase. Another advantage of Trueview is that you only pay for what the customer looks at. So if there is wastage, it doesn’t cost you dearly.

Conclusion

The YouTube platform has become indispensable for advertising videos. The large number of active users alone shows that there is a huge reach that companies can use. With the help of Trueview , the social media keeps costs fair so that companies do not spend money unnecessarily. YouTube is still striving to release new functions such as the shopping live stream or the 3D video format VR180 in order to offer even more possibilities. So, as long as the promotional videos are done well , businesses can benefit greatly from the YouTube advertising platform.

An opportunity for digitization

The new way of working has been discussed for years. Whether you are at home or anywhere in the world, as long as you have a laptop with internet access, you can work. Hip offices, co-working spaces and video calls make it easier to be flexible with office space, working hours and staff. Yet there were still many companies that said A but did B.
Until last week. Since the call to work from home, everyone is given a “crash course” so that everyone is empowered to work from home. Many people have to learn to work and communicate in a new way.
Slack saw a 40% increase in paid users, and Microsoft Teams had 44 million users in one day, up from 20 million a few months ago. Google Trends also shows that people are massively looking for tools to communicate online.
Additionally, Zoom’s stock price is rising at a time when most stocks are falling in value:

online shopping is on the rise and e-commerce is becoming more popular. As an international marketing agency, we also notice this. Customers are seeing increases in sales, omnichannel customers are shifting their focus to online.
Fortunately, changing working conditions have only a minor impact on us. Project management and customer communication via tools such as Monday.com or Trello are standard. We have 2 offices, so we already have daily video conferences via Microsoft Teams and communicate a lot internally via Slack. We use apps like Krisp.ai to filter out background noise as we work in a less quiet environment at home. Every day we have a “stand-up” meeting via video conferencing to keep the team spirit.
Working from home is a major challenge for many people and businesses. The popularity of working from home will certainly change due to the corona virus. If we can get something positive out of this situation, everyone is open to new ideas, partnerships and I hope that this will accelerate the digital transformation.
A question I ask myself is: do we still need our 2 offices if work from home is going well? If we make sure our team can work well and safely at home or anywhere in the world, then why do we need an office?

What do experts say about this?

I asked Kim Wlach about this. Kim Wlach is co-founder of Berg & Macher, a company with which she connects people in the team and with the organization. In times of Corona, in addition to team workshops on the topics of purpose, vision, roadmap and roles, Kim also intensively deals with cooperation in remote teams. Together with her co-founder Jonas she writes about it in a series on www.berg-macher.com .
Does it make sense to cut offices? Kim replies that it comes down to several things:
“Researchers have found that the most important factor in employee engagement, and therefore team success , is a sense of belonging to the team .
This sense of togetherness can be achieved through regular team gatherings. The meetings focus on working on the culture of cooperation and ensuring that the team members feel connected to each other. Once the common basis has been established, it is possible to work remotely again for several weeks.
It is important here that common standards are also defined and discussed for digital collaboration, as well as which communication channels are suitable for which type of message (emotional vs. factual, quick feedback required, complex tasks, etc.). These team meetings every 3-6 months are independent of the office and can, for example, also be carried out in a team offsite. This is particularly useful for distributed teams that do not have a large office for all employees themselves and also need accommodation for the team members who travel from other offices: Team offsites provide a good combination of practical reasons and a valuable change of perspective away from everyday office life. It is also to be hoped that

Conclusion

Offices are not absolutely necessary for everyday team work. However, it is then important that rules are established together and that the team pays particular attention to the feeling of belonging to the team.