As your organization scales and you navigate different growth levers, you may be forced to embrace a broader view of marketing. The marketing landscape is always changing and evolving. As new channels emerge, consumer habits shift and managing data becomes the lifeblood of success, harnessing these trends presents a unique opportunity.
If your vision includes growing revenue, building new categories, entering new markets, elevating your brand, or changing your business model, then you need a marketing point person leading the way. This is crucial because there needs to be someone on the inside who is responsible for meeting marketing goals and objectives. Your person running point should possess strong leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to build a high-performing team of the experts you need, including empowering them with outside expert help.
The key is to maximize your company’s relationship with your marketing partner. We have 5 best practices for working with an outside agency to manage your marketing effectively by leveraging their expertise. And, consequently, not burning out your internal marketing lead. 😊
Five Ways Your Marketing Team Can Work Best with an Agency
01. Your marketing person should run point.
This can be tackled in different ways from having a Marketing Strategist, CMO, Director of Sales or COO as the in-house marketing point person. Others utilize what’s called “marketing-adjacent roles” such as Chief Growth Officer or Chief Customer Officer. Don’t limit your organization to one of these roles managing the marketing process. The title is not the important thing. What is important is identifying a designated team member in charge of how marketing and branding are supporting the organization’s initiatives then working with a marketing agency on strategy and execution.
02. Identify what you’re good at and not good at.
If you are looking for a marketing candidate who is well versed, with deep knowledge and experience in graphic design, brand strategy, social media, lead gen, product marketing, PR, digital advertising, and web, you won’t find one. A single person who is truly an expert in all those things is a unicorn and they do not exist. Identify what you can do well in-house, and outsource the rest with your marketing person leading the way. (Click here for more details on how to hire an agency that’s a good fit for your needs.)
03. Trust your marketing partner and keep them in the loop.
One of the best things about working with an outside marketing partner is the creative ideas they bring you. But here’s the thing, we can’t do that unless you trust us and have real and honest conversations with us. We need to know all the things. Also, be open to new and innovative ways to market your brand. The marketing landscape is always in flux and is evolving every 18 months. Lean into the experience your agency partner brings to adapt quickly, experiment with new strategies, and jump on opportunities.
04. Keep an eye on the big picture.
Identify clear and measurable goals for marketing and then communicate those to your outside marketing firm. This allows them to see the big picture, aligning various marketing tactics to achieve overarching goals. Communicating the company vision and goals fosters collaboration and innovation with both your marketing partner and internal stakeholders.
05. Collaborate across departments
Marketing is not a tool for the sales or biz dev teams only. Your brand is felt at every customer touchpoint and throughout your organization. All of these are brand-building opportunities. It may start with sales and marketing, but it extends to legal, HR, product development, customer service, and beyond. Allow your marketing agency partner to help you manage the brand across all facets to maximize your brand’s potential..
Want to chat more about how working with a marketing and branding partner could look for your organization? Grab a spot on our calendar to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.
