Online digital marketing took the business world by storm nearly 30 years ago. Emerging around the same time as the Internet, this type of marketing started small.
Clickable web banners and the launch of Yahoo kicked things off in the ’90s. Before long, companies were advertising on social media and designing websites with SEO best practices in mind.
Just as digital marketing practices have evolved, so should your marketing team. The methods that worked years ago are no longer relevant. Are your current team members the right fit for today’s buzzing digital marketing landscape?
Changes can be difficult, but when it comes to staying ahead of your competition, it’s necessary.
Here, we’ll discuss signs and reasons to restructure and rebuild your marketing team into the advertising powerhouse needed to succeed.
So, What’s Changed?
Are you a believer in using the tried-and-true way of doing things? While this might work in some aspects of life, your company’s marketing efforts aren’t one of them.
Even adopting the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality can negatively impact your business. Below are a few things that have changed in recent years and why you need to take notice.
Access to More Data and Analytics
In the past, marketers would throw a bunch of techniques to the wall and see what stuck. However, this isn’t the case anymore.
With the introduction of data collection and analytics services like Google analytics, marketing teams can now see exactly which efforts are working and which aren’t. Teams can then use this information to fine-tune their strategy and reallocate funds if necessary.
This saves precious time, money, and resources. Data collection allows team members to measure and manage marketing efforts, maximize their effectiveness and optimize ROI (return on investment).
Marketers also get first-hand knowledge of which efforts are reaching the most customers and where the target audience is located. Marketing analytics takes the guesswork out of getting the most bang for your buck.
AI and Virtual Reality
It was only a matter of time before artificial intelligence, and virtual reality made their way into the marketing world — and that time is now.
Similar to marketing analytics, AI can gather, analyze, and store data. Marketers can then use this information to evaluate consumer trends.
By definition, artificial intelligence is a computer system capable of performing a job once done by humans. Right off the bat, utilizing AI cuts down on overhead costs and eliminates the risk of human error.
But beyond that, AI helps marketers better understand what makes their target audience tick. Teams can then design campaigns that reach the right customer, at the right time, in the right place.
Virtual reality also has its place in the 21st-century marketing world by bridging the gap between experience and action. Using VR, you can give potential customers a digital experience of your products and services.
Virtual reality also allows companies to connect with customers on a deeper level. With 95% of customers making decisions based on emotions, this benefits new-age marketing teams.
The Social Media Craze
Facebook started over 15 years ago as a way for college students to connect. Before long, it exploded into an addiction that’s captivated the world.
Even after its initial surge, Facebook was still seen as a social networking platform for individuals to meet and connect. But recently, businesses have taken notice. Now, there’s no denying how valuable social media is to your company’s marketing efforts.
Without a Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn account, you’re missing out on the chance to reach and target billions of prospects. Social media is so expansive and evolved that most marketing teams have a specific team dedicated to social media management.
Creating a positive social media presence that converts involves posting consistently, engaging with comments, likes, and shares, and utilizing Facebook ads and other promotional opportunities.
Less Involvement in the Purchase Process
The truth is, your customers don’t need you to purchase your product or service. In fact, most customers complete a transaction without ever interacting with a member of your team — at least not directly.
Unfortunately, online ratings and both employee and customer reviews do all the talking for you. However, this isn’t always a good thing.
For those customers who want to give your company the benefit of the doubt, you need to respect their time and intelligence. That means delivering straightforward, transparent, and useful content and processes up-front.
No searching. No sales pitches. Just give the customer what they want.
Today’s Marketing is a Team Effort
Your company probably already has a marketing team. But do all members work cohesively as a team? Chances are, each member has their specific role and job to do.
Over time, employees can become complacent and comfortable in their one-dimensional job descriptions. Unfortunately, that’s not how marketing works.
Customer demands, advances in technology, and trends are just a few things that impact your marketing strategy. You need a marketing team that is flexible, adaptable, and can work in several roles at once.
Another big change impacting marketing teams is the importance of the customer journey. This means that individual team members are no longer recognized solely for their skills but for how well they can address customer pain points.
While members of your marketing team will still have key roles and functions, they’ll perform them differently.
How to Design a Marketing Team Built for Today’s Marketing World
Do you see a common thread throughout the marketing changes listed here? They’re trendy. That means what was hot yesterday may not be hot tomorrow. It also means you can’t put all of your marketing efforts into one basket.
While “the customer is always right” may have faded into darkness, the core meaning still exists. Understanding and catering to the customer needs, experience, and journey from start to finish is becoming a major focus of most marketing strategies.
This is why designing a marketing team that can handle changes, evolution, and updates in the field are crucial for your company’s success.
The Modern Team Structure
Before you start building your marketing dream team, you need to know the three most important roles.
- Acquisition team – Generates leads and front-end sales
- Content team – Builds content (blogs, videos, podcasts, social media)
- Monetization team – Turns leads and front-end sales into loyal customers
Don’t be fooled into thinking the last group on this list is most important simply because they generate the money. Without the other two teams, the monetization team would have nothing to work with.
Remember, a successful marketing team is made up of many moving parts. No one role stands on its own.
Each team should have a team leader. Below them, you’ll find assistant managers and other members with more specific job descriptions. An important thing to remember is that it doesn’t matter how large or small your marketing team is; it needs to have all of these components.
Create Job Descriptions
Just because team members are working together doesn’t mean each person doesn’t need a job description.
In addition, the description should cover key performance indicators (KPIs). This helps team members stay on task and take responsibility for their successes and failures.
Detailed job descriptions and KPIs guarantee both employees and managers understand company expectations.
Prevent Turnover
Once you build your dream team, the last thing you want is to lose quality members. While you can’t prevent employee turnover altogether, certain things can help reduce the likelihood.
One of the easiest ways to keep good staff is by creating an awesome company culture — build it, and they will come. Attract quality employees by offering perks and benefits, promoting from within, and acknowledging hard work.
Keep in mind that if you want experienced team members, you’re going to have to pay for them. That means offering higher than normal salaries to skilled employees who bring a positive vibe to your establishment. The investment is well worth it in the long run.
Another method to prevent turnover and promote efficiency has a marketing manager who also acts as a mentor. Avoid hiring micro-managers. Instead, bring someone on who is willing to teach others what they know and lead by example.
The best part of this dynamic is that once this highly qualified employee climbs the corporate ladder within your company, they’ll have trained another team member to take over where they left off. Now, you have two dedicated, skilled employees in your arsenal.
Dedicate Time to New Hires
You may not be so lucky as to hire all experienced team members to start — and that’s okay! There’s something to be said for bringing on eager new hires with little to no real-world experience.
The greatest benefit is the ability to mold your new hire into the ideal employee. This isn’t to say they’re a robot who will obey your every command, but with no previous knowledge or experience to taint their outlook, new hires learn according to your guidelines and expectations.
You’ll experience much less push-back or rebuttal based on the way your new hire “used to do things.” You get to lay the groundwork for their individual and team success and contributions.
It’s also important to allow ample time for the onboarding process — one week, at minimum. Things to include are the company’s core values, mission, and policies, followed by the job description and KPIs.
To create a positive, cohesive work culture, all new hires must understand the company’s core values above all else.
Steps to Lead Your New Marketing Team to Success
Now that you’ve put some time and effort into rebuilding your marketing team let’s discuss how to put these wheels in motion.
Use Analytics and Get to Know Your Customer
The new face of digital marketing places a lot of emphasis on the customer journey. With access to analytics and data, you can now get inside the mind of your customers.
Utilize team members with strong research skills to examine and process data results. Then, build your brand to attract your target market.
Produce Quality Content
Content was king years ago, and it still is — just in a new way. While blog posts and keywords still have a place in digital marketing, things are expanding.
Content managers must focus on producing quality videos and social media posts in addition to a blog. Develop content based on analytics.
What are customers searching for? What do they need and want, and how can you give it to them?
Another crucial part of producing content is to be consistent. If possible, post new content every single day!
But remember, customers want useful content. Craft DIY videos or posts and answer your audiences’ pressing questions. Providing valuable content helps build brand recognition, customer trust, and loyalty.
Make it Personal
The ability to gather detailed information about your customers and target audience allows you to create a more personalized experience.
You can also target customers at the right place and time using geomarketing and other techniques. Your teams’ digital strategist or webmaster can help appeal to the pain points of a specific demographic.
Measure Your Progress
The only way to make sure that your marketing efforts produce the desired results is to track your progress. Although using analytics and data improves your chances of a better ROI, nothing is guaranteed.
Examine your results and then make any necessary changes to optimize your efforts. Look at both the inner workings of the marketing team, as well as their production numbers.
Are they reaching their full potential? Are there more streamlined ways of achieving the company goals and benchmarks?
Embrace these evaluations — they’re the first step in fine-tuning your marketing efforts.
Transform Your Marketing Team Today
Are you ready to create a winning marketing team? With new advances in digital marketing, it’s time to clean house!
The good news is, you can probably utilize your current staff and their skill sets while also adding a few new members to your team. Creating a winning marketing team for the 21st century doesn’t always mean starting from scratch — it means utilizing new technology and information in different ways.
Looking for more helpful tips on taking your company to the next level? Check out our blog!We also offer website analysis services, SEO website hosting, and brand awareness. Contact us today, and let’s get started!