How do you communicate with other marketing professionals?

💎 I've connected with over 8000 marketers on LinkedIn and have been messaged several times from them as well. One of the most common reasons why we network is to share knowledge and keep each other updated on several different marketing topics. I've been asked to join several newsletters or LinkedIn/Discord groups, and you should always make sure to let them know if there is a cost or no. If you reach out trying to offer something, they will quickly think it's a sales pitch. Overall, this type of goal will probably benefit you the most during your journey in marketing. Networking with others to learn will increase your knowledge, and you make you a batter expert.

In my experience the first step to any marketing / communication plan has to be the need to understand your goals. Once the goal is set in our minds, even at a preliminary stage, then the expected outcome and various paths to plan your campaign open up wide. For example, sometimes even a simple group discussion or a brainstorm session with peers, to generate ideas, can turn into a successful co-created marketing campaign with the potential to become a trend as other companies / competitors follow suit!

I maintain consistent communication with two distinct marketing groups. The first group is composed of my peers, who frequently require my expertise in handling complex client situations. These often involve achieving cost-effective conversions and effectively targeting the right audience. My role is akin to a consultant, providing expert advice to these professionals. The second group is made up of in-house corporate marketing teams. While they encounter similar challenges, their requirements often extend to needing training on various social media platforms and processes. In this context, I function as both a problem-solving expert and an informative trainer.

I follow a simple process to do this: Start with a self-assessment. Reflect on your career aspirations, interests, and what you hope to achieve through networking. It’s critical you’re clear on this so you can be effective selecting who to network with, and focused when you engage with people. Second define your objectives. Set specific and measurable goals for networking, examples might include finding a mentor, exploring new career opportunities, or gaining industry insights. This way you’ll look for people with a focus in mind. Now you can tailor each outreach to the individual you are contacting, mentioning specific points of common interest or their work that caught your attention.

One of the biggest advantages of digital marketing over older methods of advertising is the ability to have a conversation with your audience. A billboard or TV commercial is a one-way communication, but social media platforms, email marketing, and other digital media forms allow the customers to engage with the material and messaging. Open your campaign to dialogue by asking your audience questions, encouraging them to share their experiences with your brand, or by creating an approachable persona on your accounts. When your customers feel connected to your brand on a personal level, they are more likely to not only listen to what you have to say, but to act on your offerings as long-term clients.

A valuable approach to understanding your audience is to carefully examine their headline and most recent job position. This information enables you to customize your message more effectively for that individual. By having insights into their position, you can utilize targeted industry terminology that is more likely to resonate with them. Recognizing their professional status enhances the chances of receiving a response, as they perceive you as knowledgeable in the field. It is also beneficial to personalize your message by mentioning their name, position, and company, demonstrating that your communication is tailored specifically for them rather than a generic copy-and-paste approach.

I can speak from experience during my tenure at Red Bull that knowing your audience is vital as it pertains to stakeholder buy-in (both internal and external) and overall team/project success. When dealing with agencies it's important to note: their project leads' experience working with Brands (size and scope), the agencies' understanding of your Brand's vision and past working relationship, and the bandwidth + capability of your internal team + the agency team. When dealing with internal marketing stakeholders, I find communicating the "Why" and objective to be the most beneficial. This is usually backed with insights and data and tied back into the Brand's overarching goal. The impact of a project helps achieve buy-in when understood.

Being in conversation with the right decision maker is so crucial. Also, your audiences may change over a while so don't be surprised if they become unresponsive. Most of my conversations with audiences are about collaboration and clarity. I try to be a good listener and ask plenty of questions. Even those questions that others may find foolish!

One of the things I've always done when choosing a channel to continue our conversation, is offering a few options. Some of them are very busy, and will prefer a phone call during their commute, while some of them have more time available, and would totally be willing to hop on a video chat. My goal is to always video chat them if possible, since you can create stronger connections when seeing each other.

Some things that I have learnt about communication are- 1. Keep it simple, avoid showing off too much because don’t forget that you are communicating with humans. 2. Know what you are saying. Your arguments/opinions must have strong backing. 3. Use data to support your opinion so that people know that you know what you are saying. 4. Prepare well. We often underestimate this, but prepping enhances your knowledge and also of others.

Based on my experience, understanding your audience can lead to more effective communication. Knowing your audience enables you to customize your message, including the appropriate words, tone, and level of detail. This ensures that your message is conveyed and comprehended as intended. This approach can also enhance the impact of your communication, whether you are addressing a technical audience or a general one. Additionally, it can prevent confusion and misinterpretations, reducing the need for additional emails or phone calls to clarify the intended message and ultimately saving time.

Active listening is crucial for effective communication. It involves attentively understanding and valuing your audience's feedback, questions, and opinions. By paying attention to verbal and non-verbal cues, asking open-ended questions, and addressing concerns, you build strong relationships and continuously improve your work. As my mom used to say, there's a reason why we have two ears and one mouth.

Listening is one of the most underrated skills professionals can cultivate. Understanding what another person is saying can help build strong relationships, establish trust, and create a foundation for collaboration. But it's important to remember that listening is more than just being quiet and waiting for someone else to talk. It's important to respond with good questions and cues to let others know that we understand and are interested in what they have to say. Good questions can help you connect with others in meaningful ways, resulting in better conversations and more fruitful collaborations.

In my 35 years in brand marketing, I've learned communication is less about lingo and more about resonance. Each brand has a unique rhythm; staying true to it builds recognition and trust. But credibility? That's not just in what you say, but how you listen. Active listening sparks innovation. Visual aids help, but the real game-changers are empathy and respect. They make your message relatable, and that's the secret to truly connecting.

Being respectful and professional is important no matter who you are communicating with. Even if the other person is accusing you or your team of a mistake, being direct but honest in communication will help with misunderstanding far better than being rude. A perfect example is a colleague who sent an email blaming my team for a mistake that occurred 6 months before my team took over the account. I simply acknowledged there was a mistake and that it was fixed. I also professionally stated that the mistake happened before the takeover. She acknowledged she didn't look into the timing of the error and apologized for the accusation.

We need to keep in mind that in order to network with other professionals in the area, you will have to be reaching out to people daily. If you reach out to 10 people a week, most of them won't even respond, since they are not active on LinkedIn. If you want to find the most active people on LinkedIn, go to the comment section! Those people are a lot more likely to respond to your messages.

When you have determined those who fall within your target audience of marketing professionals, check on their LinkedIn activities, especially posts and comments and engage. However, don't overdo it so as not to come across as creepy. Now they owe you some reciprocal engagement when you write a great post and ask for their feedback.