Ever get the feeling nobody else in the office gets it? Or feel like you’re making it up as you go, and not really sure if you’ve looked at all the angles? Chances are, if you’re the lonely marketer, you’ll relate to this all too well.
Once upon a time I was that lonely marketing coordinator too. I worked with great people who knew their field, but did they know marketing? No. Was it hard to be understood, and get projects to fly? Sometimes admittedly, yes.
In larger companies, like the corporate world where my business partner Marise comes from, there is usually a whole bunch of marketers in the organisation – from the CMO or Marketing Manager to the Brand Manager, Marketing Coordinator and Comms Specialist (to name a few).
These marketing squads have the breadth and depth to get stuff done and the added advantage of being able to speak in the same dialect. They still have the challenge of communicating their ideas with directors and other key stakeholders, but they at least have several sets of marketing eyes on the task and can see things from different levels and angles.
So, what can a small business marketer do to compete with this kind of task force?
We’ve seen it done a few different ways, but the common thread in the successful marketing programmes we’ve been a part of has included one element – some kind of mentor or sounding board.
In a small business, the benefits of having experienced marketing guidance can be many.
- Building you up to take your marketing plans to management with confidence
- Being honest and pointing out areas you could benefit from training up on
- Helping you build your marketing plan properly and ratify your thinking
- Identifying when, where and what to consider when bringing in outside resource
- Support and training in areas you might not be strong on – from brand strategy to digital marketing
- Bringing that other set of eyes – even if it’s just a quick phone call to say “what do you think about this?”
👁️ Insider’s tip: Another canny way to contend with your big-budget competitors is to (once trust is established) bring in a person with senior marketing experience onto the board of directors. That’s if the business is sizable enough to have one, otherwise for smaller businesses it could be as an Advisor at owner/management level. Having an advocate within the chiefs of your tribe can bring an invaluable marketing brain to the boardroom table and encourage directors and managers to explore broader ideas that can future-proof the business.
Whether you’re a trained marketing co-ordinator, or perhaps someone who has inherited the marketing hat in the organisation, you can definitely excel by building your marketing tribe. No-one needs to go it alone!
Don’t have a marketing mentor or sounding board at your disposal?
Well, you guessed it, we can help. Even if it is to catch up for an hour or so every quarter, or to get more involved to provide training and guidance (or hands-on support) as needed, we can tailor an arrangement to suit you guys.
All it takes is a simple catch up for coffee to see if you feel we could gel, and we can scope it from there.
If you’re able to convince your manager that you could help the company more deeply with this kind of backing, we passionately believe it would be budget well spent. Why not share this article with them to plant the seed!
Both myself and my business partners Megan and Marise are available for mentoring and support (locally here in Hawke’s Bay or on video call) and would welcome your call or email. Between us we can meet with you and figure out the best fit.
Thanks for listening, and good luck out there! We really do feel ya.
– Jodi
Want to know more about our InHouse Marketing support?
Just send us a message on info@inhousemarketing.co.nz and we can have a chat.
We also invite you to check out our marketing plan toolkit services, which can include training and guidance.
