Keep your marketing team well fed!
By Nikki Dunbar, director, Nix Collective.
You know the drill – marketing teams are always the ones lurking about for content, nagging for news and photos, and constantly asking for company updates. But it’s for very good reason!
Marketing is the centre of your brand visibility, communication, customer engagement and lead generation.
At its heart, marketing is about telling your company’s story, letting customers and prospects into your world and communicating your USPs. In essence, how you convey your value to the world.
Yet your story needs to be detailed, accurate, and up to date – and that’s where every department plays a part. Whether your marketing is handled by your own team or by an external agency, offering valuable insights and having this collaborative approach is essential.
But just like any engine, it can’t run on empty. For marketing to flourish, it needs a steady stream of fuel, so tell your marketing people ‘everything’ – even if it’s not something you think is relevant, you never know, your team could create a story or even just a social post from it!
Without this consistent flow, marketing strategies can quickly become outdated. It’s also crucial to share this information promptly, waiting weeks or a month to relay news can make it stale and less impactful. Similarly, timely approvals are essential because the value of news diminishes rapidly. Keeping everything moving quickly and efficiently ensures that your marketing efforts remain relevant and powerful.
Creating connections
For marketing and other departments to collaborate together, strong internal communication is essential, and should even be considered when working with an agency.
Here’s a few tips on how you can build those bridges:
- Regular updates: Set up a system for sharing frequent updates with your marketing team, whether through weekly emails, a WhatsApp group, or regular meetings.
- Early involvement in product development: Bring marketing into the product development process early. This helps them grasp the benefits of the product firsthand, which translates to clearer and more engaging marketing messages.
- Robust approval process: Whether it’s an internal team or an agency, having a robust approval process ensures that materials are reviewed and released in a timely manner. This helps maintain a steady marketing rhythm and avoids bottlenecks.
- Feedback loops: Encouraging feedback, not only from customers but also internally within the company, can lead to improvements in marketing strategies and content. It’s vital that marketing teams, whether in-house or outsourced, receive this feedback to continuously refine their approach.
Keep the engine running
A well-fed marketing team is a powerful asset. By consistently sharing updates, insights, and news, you ensure that your brand remains visible, relevant, and competitive. Whether it’s a small customer success story, a product tweak, or a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your business, every piece of information contributes.
Marketing thrives on collaboration, and when departments work together, the results speak for themselves – stronger engagement, clearer messaging, and ultimately, more business success. So, keep those updates coming and fuel your marketing team with the content it needs to drive your brand forward!