In the latest of our popular What Makes a Great Series, we focus on the role of the Marketing Manager.
"Marketing is a race without a finish line," was the famous quote from Philip Kotler, which implies the role of a Marketing Manager within any organisation is a tough one!
Marketing managers are responsible for bridging the gap between you, your customer and increased revenue. They handle the day to day activities that give your business a recognised brand presence in the marketplace and draw new leads towards your sales team.
A marketing manager is a crucial addition to your growing team in our current economy where marketing is essential to make you stand out from the crowd.
The question is, what do you need to look for in your new candidate?
With over 26 years of experience, Lucy Walker Recruitment knows how to find and place business-critical employees like marketing managers.
There's more to hiring this kind of an employee than looking for a degree in marketing.
Let's cover the basics with 6 key findings:-
1. They Understand Your Industry
Marketers are responsible for communicating the benefits of your business to your customers. To do this, they need to understand your sector, and what your target customers are looking for. A talented marketer uses their knowledge of your niche to both communicate their message more clearly, and sell your organisation, product, or service.
When a marketer can combine the expectations of an industry with the needs of a client, they can present your company as something your audience needs. Great marketing managers are able to empathise with the customer and are able to offer suggestions on how to market your product or service to achieve even greater success.
2. They Create Goal-Focused Strategies
Every marketing campaign has a unique goal. Some are designed to generate more leads for your sales team; others are intended to spread awareness for a new service. Excellent marketing managers are effective at developing marketing strategies that align with both the current goal and the overall business strategy.
Through consistent strategic thinking, marketing managers can use their understanding of the market trends, their knowledge of your business and their expertise to build maps to your goals. They ensure they're always up-to-date with your company's mission, and they study the marketing campaigns used in the past to guide their decisions in the future.
3. They're Passionate and Creative
Great marketing managers know when to blend the traditional with the innovative. Their ability to analyse your organisation, its customers and its competitors will help them to suggest a customised marketing strategy that's built just for you. That doesn't mean just jumping on the latest advertising trend when it emerges. It also means dipping into more traditional strategies like trade shows and direct mail or radio advertising.
When a new marketing methodology appears that might benefit your business, marketing managers explore the concept in depth. They'll find out whether it aligns with your company goals, before acting. However, though they're cautious, they're not afraid of taking risks. These individuals are passionate about what they do, so they're always keen to explore new opportunities when possible.
4. They're Curious
Curiosity is a crucial characteristic of a marketing manager. These professionals know how to observe the habits and behaviour of customers. After all, they can only make people fall in love with your products if they understand your audience first.
Obsessed with learning the latest information about marketing trends, consumer behaviour and more, marketing managers never stop evaluating and learning. You'll often find them gathering useful information about:
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The latest trends in marketing and how they relate to your business.
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Your customer and their path to purchase.
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Your competitors and how you can differentiate yourself from them.
5. They're Adaptable
In today's highly agile world, marketers need to be incredibly adaptable. Digital strategies and search algorithms are constantly changing. Consumer behaviour often evolves at a rapid rate. Marketing managers can't afford to stay in the same place for too long.
As well as doing their research to make sure that they're always ahead of the curve, marketing managers are also ready to adapt and pivot when necessary. When a campaign isn't going according to plan, they can strategically assess the situation and make changes to achieve the right results. They know when it's important to stick with a strategy, and when change is crucial.
6. They're Modest Team Players
Finally, an amazing marketing manager will always take responsibility for their actions. They know that they have to continually improve their skills and learn new things to stay ahead of the competition, and they're willing to take the initiative. However, these people aren't glory seekers. They generally don't brag about their achievements, but instead quietly look for ways to solve the problems faced by your business, customers, and even other employees.
A strong marketing manager is responsible for leading and collaborating with other members of staff. As such, they're excellent team players who know how to reward employees for their creative thinking and nurture innovation in your company. The right marketing manager will motivate and inspire the rest of your team, helping them to achieve more each day.
Can We Help?
If you're looking for a marketing manager, or you'd like to pursue a career in marketing, Lucy Walker Recruitment is here to help.
We have placed and filled over 100,000 temp and permanent assignments over the last 30 years so have a range of techniques, ideas and platforms which could help you. Why not call us on 0113 367 2880 to have a conversation with one of our team.
Why not Schedule a Call with us.
