American Marketing Association defines marketing as "the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large." Pretty sophisticated, right? Ya, Marketing is a challenging trade to master and remain current. But, some elements of marketing never change. No matter the economy, the industry, or the team's size, these three components are crucial for any marketer to survive in their role.
Get a pen, folks. Or maybe get ready to copy and paste. You won't want to forget these three.
Develop a healthy relationship and unbreakable alignment with sales. Marketing works for sales. No matter the role or position. Marketing can't be successful without sales. But sales can be successful without marketing. Do we stereotypically have diabolically opposed personalities? Yes. Can it be a struggle? Totally. Is it crucial to push through and find common ground? Absolutely. Marketers can't move the needle without sales buy-in and support. If salespeople don’t buy into your work you need to either work on your pitch, pivot your strategy, or move on. Any other choice will leave you and your marketing organization irrelevant and unsuccessful.
It would be best if you started writing and liking it. Everyone in marketing needs to know how to write—every single person. A copywriter's role is more critical now than ever with corporate platforms extending from websites, social media, and marketing collateral all acting as an extension of the brand. The responsibility to keep the copy on point and consistent shouldn't rest on one team or person's shoulders. Writing persuasive and entertaining copy is a skill every marketer needs.
Grow some thick skin. Marketing is one of the trades that many people believe they can do with ease and continuously question the ROI. It is what it is. Don't get mad. You should be able to articulate what you do, why you do it, how long it takes you, without blowing a gasket. People don't know what they don't know. It isn't insane to have someone without marketing experience that are out of scope, have unrealistic expectations, or set insane timelines.
If you can master these three things, you'll be golden. If you're interested in learning how Saleswhale can help you not only survive but THRIVE, shoot us a note at hello@saleswhale.com. We’re in this together.