Lights … camera … ACTION!
A marketing director’s job might not be as flashy as helming a blockbuster film, but it’s every bit as important. In short, the marketing director is in charge of everything that goes into the marketing strategy, from concept to execution. There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye.
Nine Things the Marketing Director Gets Done
The marketing director is hired as the key strategic leader for all marketing efforts – the big cheese, the head honcho. But what does it all actually mean? Someone qualified for the mantle of director knows your business inside and out, while also bringing a full toolkit of tactical and strategic marketing skills.
Here’s what that looks like:
1. Personnel
A true marketing director doesn’t work alone. He or she might have specialized expertise in something like social media management or email marketing, but someone needs to shuffle the bits around from day to day. That means the director’s first order of business is to assemble a team.
2. Technology
Building an efficient, secure technology stack is essential to good marketing. The stack consists of all the different applications and how they work together: Getting the necessary customer data, then crafting a message that speaks directly to the target audience. This often involves 8-10 applications at once.
3. Training
Digital marketing moves fast. Social media networks are always changing, as new ones enter the scene. And everything a brand does online has to meet Google’s latest standards, which change on a dime (often without notice!) The director ensures the rest of the team is up to date on key knowledge.
4. Market Research
Marketers of all stripes can learn a lot from what their competitors are doing well … and what they’re not doing at all. This kind of gap analysis helps small and mid-sized companies learn where they can make a difference against larger competitors.
5. Customer Feedback
Every piece of marketing collateral is written for someone. You can’t afford not to validate assumptions about your customers before you market your offerings. The marketing director often has input in the post-sales follow-up process, filling gaps in your knowledge about your buyers.
6. Ideation
Marketing campaigns start with an idea. A marketing director may make it look easy, but it’s often the result of a creative process honed by thousands of hours of experience. Marketing’s new, data-driven focus makes it more scientific, but you still need the instincts of an artist.
7. Campaign Execution
Execution is where everything comes together. The best laid plans need to be followed to succeed. That means ensuring everything is organized and the right people are in the right places. There’s no point in expecting to publish twelve blog posts a month if there’s no editorial calendar tracking the progress.
8. Promotion
Promotion can take many forms, but social media remains king. A marketing director must know where your target audience is, when they’re active, and how to address them. These factors change over time as promotion channels wax and wane in popularity.
9. Paid Traffic
The use cases for online advertising are changing, especially for small businesses. While paid traffic might be in a separate silo, the marketing director is often the first person with the birds’-eye view necessary to identify areas where your budget matches up with opportunities.
Two Paths to Modern Marketing Magic
You have two options to fill the role of marketing director:
Hire someone on staff to manage everything. There are some things a full-time staffer does best, like capturing the voice of your brand. But with so many plates to keep spinning, even the most experienced marketing director is best supported through a robust staff that can bring ideas to life.
Skip the big hire and outsource your marketing. It costs an average of more than $7,700 monthly to hire a full-time marketing director. For less than half that amount, you can bring in a marketing agency. With an outsourced marketing team at your side, you simplify the process and focus on results.
No matter whether a campaign is a smashing success or a failure, marketing directors need to distill the lessons, learn, and keep moving. Without the backing of a trustworthy, multi-talented team, you could find yourself in the unwelcome position of trying to replace your marketing director after burnout.
Marketing directors need others to have their back, but in-house hiring can take a year or more to bear fruit. You can start benefiting from proven marketing excellence in days rather than months through an outsourced marketing strategy. Contact New York Ave today for expert advice.
