What can you do to become an indispensable member of your marketing team?

The key performance indicators (KPIs) are pivitol to the success of any marketing strategy. When developing a marketing plan, budget, and/or campaign the spend and tactics should all collectively align and contribute to the metrics and results you are trying to achieve to ensure an efficient and successful approach. Benchmarks and goals are pivitol to gauge how the strategy is working and to determine if you are receiving return on investment (ROI). This will also provide the necessary framework to adjust and build on the strategy in the future.

Mastering core marketing skills is a must. You need to understand what your super power is and master it, then tell everyone about it. I'm a deck master storyteller.

The best way I can emphasise the importance of setting goals is with an analogy. Imagine you are sitting an exam, about to write an essay: tight deadline, endless amount of work to be done, big stakes at hand. Seems a lot like formulating a marketing campaign, right? Stay with me. Setting goals and understanding your metrics is like your essay plan, it’s vital if you want to perform well. You want to pick out the most significant goals (a golden amount), set targets for what you want to achieve (realistic ones, they are meant to be broken), use what you know (this is not time to experiment; calculated is always better), aim to finish before the deadline (just in case anything goes wrong), and do not take on too much (if anything, refine).

The best way to become indispensable to your marketing team is to know your audience, as it is the foundational step to marketing. You should analyze your audience, and gather detailed data on their demographics, psychographics, and behaviors. This allows you to effectively segment your audience into groups, characterized by unique and common traits. It's then crucial to develop strategies tailored to the needs and preferences of each group. Staying indispensable means continuous learning. The market is dynamic, and consumer preferences can shift rapidly. By regularly monitoring and analyzing the performance of your efforts, and being ready to adapt your strategies in response to new trends, you keep your campaigns relevant and effective.

Base your work on data-driven insights. It's important to know what success looks like, how to measure it, and how to learn from those results - success or failure. I have found my gut is a good place to start, but using data to support my ideas inevitably yields a better process.

The second step to becoming an effective marketer is regularly engaging yourself in workshops, webinars, conferences or forums where best practices are shared and discussed. Reading articles, and blogs or following the top marketers globally will also help you gain a perspective. You may also consider signing up for online or offline courses which you may feel will help you to strengthen your work contribution.

I'd suggest engaging directly with emerging technologies, especially those in the Web3 and blockchain domains. These areas are swiftly becoming integral to innovative marketing strategies. Engaging with these technologies not only broadens our skill set but also provides a competitive edge in understanding and leveraging new marketing platforms and tools.

The good news is that there are so many "new" channels and methods coming on stream at the moment, everyone can become an "expert." The opportunity to be the office "goto" in these new channels exists, so some study and hard work can achieve much. You may even be the 1st in your team to gain insights and see new opportunities.

Knowing that there is so much you do not know and having a passion for learning is tantamount to success in marketing. I would also add that equally important is knowing where we’ve been in terms of the history of marketing and advertising both your brand and your industry. If we are constantly future focused we miss out on the historical context and might skip some tried and true performance drivers and instead be chasing trends endlessly.

In my experience, relationship building has helped cement my place in a team. Building strong, mutually beneficial relationships adds the family element that companies try to cultivate; and creates an environment marketers are excited to work in everyday.

Effective collaboration across teams is crucial in today's dynamic work environment. My experience transitioning across different departments— from sales to marketing to finance—has shown me firsthand the value of empathy and understanding diverse perspectives. Each role provided unique insights that contributed to my ability to connect with colleagues from various backgrounds. Empathy isn't just a soft skill; it's a catalyst for building stronger teams. By understanding different roles and challenges, we can better appreciate the contributions each team member makes. This understanding fosters a culture where diverse ideas thrive, ultimately enhancing our collective ability to innovate and deliver exceptional results for our customers.

Working in silos can provide to be detrimental to the team and your growth. Clear, concise and regular communication is the golden key to success. Being a patient and good listener and taking feedback as positive criticism is an attribute which all people should develop irrespective of their profession or professional stature.

To be a great marketer, you need to collaborate and communicate well with your team and other departments. Marketing is a team effort, and you need to add value to your customers and your colleagues. You can collaborate by sharing and supporting, and communicate by listening and expressing. This will create trust, rapport, and synergy.

El marketing es un esfuerzo de equipo. Trabaja de cerca con tus colegas y otros departamentos para impulsar resultados excepcionales. Comparte ideas, escucha activamente y comunica tus pensamientos de manera clara y efectiva.

To become a critical resource, seek out niches within your domain and your role. Bring in ideas from outside and demonstrate their effectiveness. Become an expert in this niche. Become a resource who can teach others about this niche methodology or tools. Another solid method is to add solutions towards other domains and departments like sales.

In the dynamic landscape of marketing, rather than passively awaiting instructions, an effective marketer seizes the initiative and takes ownership of tasks and projects. Proactivity entails anticipating challenges and opportunities, actively seeking solutions, and demonstrating a keen sense of responsibility. Proactive marketers are forward-thinking visionaries, staying one step ahead of industry trends and consumer behaviors. They don't merely respond to directives but anticipate needs, making them invaluable assets to their teams. By cultivating a proactive stance, marketers position themselves as drivers of innovation, contributing to strategic discussions and shaping the trajectory of campaigns.

As in any role, there is no substitute for hard work. Being proactive and solution-oriented is always a positive asset. People want to share with you and collaborate with people who are positive in outlook. If you only offer solutions or suggestions of solutions then it is only natural that you would be called on regularly.

Being proactive and customer-centric further solidify your role in marketing teams. Proactivity involves anticipating challenges, identifying opportunities, and taking initiative to address them. Meanwhile, a customer-centric approach emphasizes understanding and prioritizing the needs and preferences of your target audience. Combining these qualities with data analytics creates a potent skill set, allowing you to not only react to market changes but also to shape strategies that resonate with customers. This approach not only enhances campaign effectiveness but also fosters long-term customer loyalty, a key metric for success in marketing.

In my experience, the best marketing campaigns come from those who are up-to-date. For instance, Stanley did a campaign where they gifted a new car to a girl. This happened after the girl’s TikTok went viral for her car lighting on fire but only her Stanley cup remaining; Stanley was proactive and responded swiftly. If Stanley had waited months to respond to the video, chances are that it wouldn’t have gained as much popularity as it did. Another example is with Jacquemus’ London bus bag campaign, they utilised AI early on to create an advert which struck the world by storm! In a day and age where technological developments and news stories are happening everyday, being responsive and proactive will get you virality!

Understanding and prioritizing the needs of the target audience is paramount. In a world saturated with information, an efficient marketer leverages comprehensive data analysis to glean insights into consumer behaviour, preferences, and trends. This fusion of customer-centricity and data-driven approaches enables marketers to craft tailored strategies, ensuring relevance and resonance with their audience. By interpreting data, an efficient marketer can gain a nuanced understanding of what resonates, optimizing campaigns for maximum impact.

Recently, I read a book called “Moments of Truth” by Jan Carlzon. In this book, Carlzon explains how marketing brought SAS back to profitability. Carlzon expressed the importance of listening to stakeholders who have experience: your customers & front-line staff. When making a marketing decision, consulting these two people should be first on your list. By speaking to them, you understand exactly what they would like to have. If you are to make decisions in your office without doing in-person research, don’t expect to have a revolutionary marketing campaign.

A great marketer is proactive and solution-oriented. You don't wait or complain, you act and solve. You anticipate, plan, and execute. You analyze, generate, and implement. This shows your leadership, confidence, and resilience.

Los clientes son la piedra angular de cualquier estrategia de marketing. Empatiza con sus necesidades y utiliza datos para respaldar tus decisiones. Escucha lo que dicen los números y ajusta tus tácticas en consecuencia.

Conoce a tu audiencia como si fueran tus mejores amigos y toma decisiones basadas en datos para respaldar tus estrategias. Utiliza la información recopilada para personalizar tus mensajes y ofrecer experiencias que satisfagan las necesidades y deseos de tus clientes.

Seeking feedback is critical but one has to be carefully selective in taking the feedback from the right authorities and experts in the domain and not hearsay else things can turn the other way round. It's not always true that the direct supervisors would know better as is generally felt and idealized but instead the keen observers of the field could be a colleague or even the top director of the company and one should break the barriers of mind to approach them with humility to get constructive criticism

To be an indispensable marketer, you must always seek feedback and improvement. Know your strengths and weaknesses, and welcome constructive feedback and suggestions. Set realistic and challenging goals, and track and evaluate your progress and results. Seek feedback from your manager, peers, customers, or mentors, and listen and act on it. Seek improvement by reflecting on your experiences, learning from your mistakes, and celebrating your achievements. This will show your humility, growth, and ambition.

El crecimiento personal es clave para el éxito a largo plazo. Busca activamente comentarios y busca constantemente formas de mejorar. Reconoce tus fortalezas, pero también sé lo suficientemente valiente como para enfrentar tus áreas de mejora.

La retroalimentación es tu mejor amiga en el mundo del marketing. Está abierto a recibir críticas constructivas y utiliza estas oportunidades para crecer y mejorar continuamente. Establece metas desafiantes y monitorea tu progreso, celebrando tus éxitos y aprendiendo de tus fracasos.

“Being a safe pair of hands”consistently deliver on time and proactively communicate project updates and results without being asked. Initiate activities like 'lunch and learn' to share insights from projects or campaigns, fostering a learning culture. Stay ahead of industry trends and contribute innovative ideas. Build strong relationships and demonstrate dependability within your team and with stakeholders. Synthesize and share key research takeaways, making complex information accessible for busy teammates. Align your efforts with business goals to not just be a team member, but a driving force for success

Marketing is a toddler - it keeps growing and changing constantly. There's always a new problem to solve. So be the 'experienced parent' for your team - here's how: - Follow global marketing newsletters on LinkedIn - Pre-empt new trends, skills or tools and learn them - Teach them to your team members or encourage them to teach you their new learnings - Understand your company's core business problems and create 3 solutions via marketing - Communicate and align for these business goals with your team every quarter - Have weekly ideation / brainstorming sessions where you debate and discuss over competitor pages and social media Plan ahead, be flexible to change and have fun!

We as marketers deal with a lot of information on hand, what we know and what we need to know. Besides, making meaningful outcomes as your individual contribution requires you as an individual to be highly organised. Being organised helps get you clarity of mind, filter useful communication/ news, funnel ideas to strategise and act where an action is needed rather than being all over the place. Putting dates and deadlines to tasks helps you focus on THE desired outcome. Use smarter means to reduce your TAT through focussed delegation of tasks and having every team member on the same page.

You’re not indispensable, no one is, not even the CEO. Which is why companies carry on much after CEO and C suite exits. What you can do however, is be dependable. Being liked isn’t important but being the sort of person who instils faith in the team about getting a task done is. Put personal differences and biases aside and focus on getting the work done.

Marketing requires accessing global, national, and local markets and pivoting through clear communication with your team and stakeholders. Staying informed of industry trends and continuing education through reputable sources, and communicating that information to your fellow team members and leadership will increase your value.