8 Project Management Skills for Marketers

Many of us have experienced this early in our careers. You and your team are working hard on the project at hand. You’re being creative and putting in the time and effort needed, but the project is teetering on the brink of disaster. Deadlines are slipping, communication is breaking down, and the campaign’s vision seems chaotic. Then, you suddenly realize that your team’s struggle wasn’t due to a lack of effort or creativity but because of poor project management.?

To avoid this happening (or happening again), learn these essential project management skills for marketers.

1) Communication

This should be obvious, especially for marketing and communications professionals, but we often need to remember it. Clear communication about each team member's roles and responsibilities is essential. Everyone needs to understand the project's goals, individual expectations, and any updates or changes. In other words, the whole team must always be on the same page.

2) Delegation

"You can do anything, but not everything." — David Allen.

As a project manager, you can’t do everything yourself. Your role would mainly be supervising project tasks rather than being deeply involved in production. For example, you’d be delegating the creation of designs for marketing materials or researching trends in the market and others while ensuring these tasks are being done per the standard, budget, and time.?

3) Organization

A well-organized project manager creates a detailed timeline, assigns clear tasks, sets specific deadlines, tracks progress, and holds regular check-in meetings to address issues. Without solid organization, even the best marketing ideas can fall apart due to chaos and missed opportunities.?

4) Time Management

Marketing projects often have tight deadlines that can only be met by completing each task on time. Learn to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance and utilize calendars and project management software to keep track of deadlines.

5) Problem-solving

Challenges can arise in almost any project, and the obstacles are not always external. Sometimes, there can be team conflicts or misunderstandings, so you need to be prepared to deal with these types of problems, too. Practice root cause analysis to get to the root of the problem, and be ready with contingency plans for potential issues that may arise during a project.

6) Budgeting

As a project manager, you need to be able to create accurate budgets, keep an eye on spending, and make sure money and resources are used wisely to keep projects on track and within budget.

7) Documentation and Reporting

I can't recall a single project on which I didn't have to share status updates regularly with management, my team, or other stakeholders. Reporting helps you manage others’ expectations and makes it easier to spot any hazards early on and take measures to mitigate them.

8) Attention to detail

As marketing project managers, we often have to consider many details at once that apply to different tasks. You need to pay attention to branding and spelling mistakes, provide up-to-date information, and ensure the text doesn’t get cut off once designed in a brochure, etc. These are just a few examples of the many little details that require our attention in every task. Each detail contributes to the overall success of the project and ensures that our marketing efforts are effective and professional.

As a PMP for almost 20 years, I know first-hand the importance of adapting traditional project management skills to marketing and communication projects. The specifics change, but the principles remain the same. My last piece of advice is to use a project management tool like ClickUp, Monday.com, Asana or Trello. Believe me, it’s worth it, especially if you work with a team.?