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The world may be shrinking thanks to all the technologies that allow for real-time communication and collaboration, but why, then, is it still so hard to find the time for connecting with your client or agency? Especially with the increasing likelihood that an agency is miles (if not oceans) away from its clients, communicators need alternatives for collaborating on projects without the need for in-person meetings. The solution? Extranets, of course.
A cousin of intranets, which are widely used to streamline internal communications processes, extranets are secure Web sites for sharing documents and information. They offer PR executives a solution for big projects in which divisions and agency partners need to get updates, share documents and chat. Not only do extranets build excitement around a project, but they solve the pesky problem of massive e-mail attachments getting caught up in bandwidth filters as well.
Without further ado, here are the critical elements for creating one:
* Proceed with caution. Not every agency-client relationship or project is suited to extranet collaboration, so be sure it's a cultural match before investing the time and money in creating one. Some...