marketing plan

Why you need a Marketing Director – no matter the size of your business

Every business needs a marketing director, whether they are a solopreneur, startup, big corporation or small family run enterprise, for-profit or not-for-profit. Why? Someone has to be responsible for planning and strategizing – creating and holding space for the big picture view of the organization. You know that person that wears the name tag that says: “The buck stops here”? That is the role of the Marketing Director.

Marketing Roles

There are certain things that must happen when promoting an organization. These activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Setting overall marketing goals and objectives
  • Tying sales goals to marketing plans
  • Creating and maintaining the brand
  • Doing competitive research
  • Tying customer experience to marketing efforts
  • Defining the style, tone, and voice of the organization
  • Identifying ideal client avatar (ICA)
  • Developing marketing campaigns
  • Creating content – graphics
  • Creating content – messaging
  • Creating customer loyalty programs
  • Creating referral programs
  • Buying media space and/or time
  • Monitoring online presence and reputation
  • Creating website or coordinating with website developer
  • Managing advertising budgets
  • Social Media strategy
  • Social Media management
  • Email marketing
  • List growth and management

To be honest, there are more activities and responsibilities, but I think you get the point. This list is not meant to scare or overwhelm you, but to bring awareness to the importance of marketing within an organization. Some of these tasks are one-time or seldom repeated activities, some are ongoing. The strategic items are just as important as the tactical items.

The reality in a small business is that the owner takes responsibility for all of these things. You most likely know what that feels like, don’t you? It can be overwhelming, and the truth is most of the time many things just can’t get done. When a company grows large enough to hire inside staff or outsourced help, it is usually for specific projects, such as a website, logo, or email campaign. This can be extremely helpful to the owner, but it doesn’t lessen the overall responsibility for strategy and direction.

Even in a company that outsources all their marketing or hires a Marketing Manager or Marketing Director, the business owner of a small business serves as the true Marketing Director. Understanding basic branding and marketing foundations is essential for successful marketing planning and execution. Allocating time, effort, and money for this education will help you make important branding and marketing decisions when you are a new business, as you grow, and even when you are consistently reaching your revenue goals. If you think of yourself as a life-long learner, as we all are, you will search for and invest in the opportunities to feel more comfortable in directing this part of your business.

 

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