June 7, 2024 by Emily Hauber, Vice President
Stop Isolating Marketing: Embrace a Fully Integrated Approach for Greater Impact
I often hear that people don’t quite understand what I do, which I find both fascinating and concerning.
In my mind, my role is simple: I connect dots. I integrate every aspect of the business back to marketing.
All too often, the lines between marketing efforts and business efforts become blurred. I frequently encounter individuals who believe that simply “doing” social media should automatically lead to an increase in sales. However, if the sales team is delivering a message that contradicts the marketing message, that’s a significant issue. Internal alignment is crucial; without it, how can you expect the outside world to grasp what you’re trying to achieve?
This misalignment is just one aspect of the problem.
Over the years, I’ve shared my four-bucket analogy with many people. I believe there should be marketing connections to at least four different business areas: attracting new prospective clients, attracting new prospective employees, keeping current customers happy, and keeping current employees happy.
Focusing marketing efforts solely on attracting new prospects neglects three other critical areas of the business. Connecting the dots between marketing and these buckets starts with asking a lot of questions.
- What’s the goal?
- What’s the timeline?
- What resources are available?
- What does success look like?
- What lessons have been learned that should not be repeated?
This step is often overlooked by external marketing firms because they aren’t close enough to what really creates the right magic for a business. Once you have all of these questions answered then all of your marketing efforts should be tied back to what we are trying to accomplishment.
For example, highlighting a positive customer testimonial that came from a Google review is great, but imagine getting a testimonial from one of your most ideal clients who answers how you were able to overcome one of the most common pain points in your industry. That type of testimonial could lead to attracting more of the same type of clientele. Both testimonials are good PR, but one has the potential to move the business forward significantly.
Asking the right questions also fosters a partnership focused on overall success. I’ve read scenarios where sales and marketing teams bicker over who contributed more to a win..
Instead of creating a culture of competition, it’s crucial to foster a culture of overall winning. When everyone wins, it’s amazing how much the company culture improves.
There are also scenarios where it’s believed that marketing doesn’t need to be involved with customers because that’s the service department’s job. However, just as sales appreciates marketing support, spreading the love to the service department can amplify customer satisfaction.
For example, regularly asking customers for feedback about their satisfaction can help identify and address issues sooner, potentially saving accounts. Promoting ways to upsell to existing clients can have a significant financial impact if you can increase revenue from each customer.
I’ve seen so many scenarios where customers have said, I didn’t know you offered that and I would have rather purchased it from you. It is important to make sure customers are receiving fresh ongoing communications because things change all the time and just because they didn’t rent floor mats or get soap products from you during the last contract, that may have changed for their next contract term. The same principle applies to attracting and retaining top employees.
In conclusion, if you feel your current marketing efforts are falling short, it’s time to reflect.
- Does your marketing team understand your endgame goals?
- Are those goals clearly established and communicated?
- Are other department heads aligned with marketing to achieve their goals?
- Is your marketing person fully invested in the company’s direction?
Not every business needs this level of elaborate marketing efforts, but if you are actively trying to grow strategically, it’s time to find a marketing person who doesn’t just want to hang out in the kiddy pool but is ready to dive into the deep end.
If you are able to find someone who embraces this marketing mindset for your company, you’ll be surprised by the positive ripple effect this approach can have on your overall business.
