Marketing Team Structure and Finding Talent: 2022 Small Business Hiring Guide
Maurice Byrdsong
Digital & Content Strategy | Client Relations | Team Builder & Management | Data-Driven Marketing | SEO/ SEM
How hard can it be, right?
If you want to build a marketing team structure, then all you need to do is look for the most talented individuals,
Wave your hands using some Jedi mind trick and convince them to join the dark side.
Could it really be that simple?
Well, it’s not.
And you're not Darth Vader
If it were that simple, your startup would be wreaking havoc on the galaxy and there would be nowhere to hide.
But let's be honest, that is not the case.
There used to be a time when you could make magic happen with one marketing professional, a room of sale letters, and an army of salespersons.
The script has flipped since whenever that time mattered.
And your business must bend to the will of SEO and the consumer to get what you want.
The power has shifted, but an effective marketing team structure will help you balance the scales once again.
Why having a marketing team structure is the better option.
When you find yourself just starting, wearing multiple hats is expected, but it is not a? solution.
Maybe you have one hire or two hires that are taking care of:
In 2021, this should be a crime to have one or even two people taking care of this stress ball we have placed just above us.
But to be fair there are certain individuals who can handle this workload and that would be Darth Vader. (Star Wars is my thing; don’t judge me)
Let's get serious though, if these “do it all marketers” did exist, why wouldn’t they be a good solution?
1. Human limitation
That “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” attitude is outdated and primal.
So, stop living by it.
Don’t look at it as having 23hr 55min in a day.
Look at it as having 15hr 55min in a day.
Those remaining 8 hours are for the health of the body and the sharpness of the mind.
If you have 1 or 2 professionals handling such a large amount of work, mistakes will happen….often
And it won’t be too long until you realize that you're paying zombies to market your solution.?
2. Lack of a vertical with no marketing team structure
Despite what you hear, multitasking is a very unhealthy activity.?
So take this for an example, your eyes move left to right together, that's how it usually works.?
If you tried to have your right eye look right and your left eye look left, then you would seriously impair your vision and that action might hurt a little as well because that's not what you're used to doing.
Your brain is going through that same pain, and getting used to the pain doesn't improve performance, it just splits your focus and productivity.
Splitting your focus is not a benefit to the task itself either.
Having a marketer do everything may help your initial budget but the ROI won’t reflect positively because each marketing piece didn’t get its full attention.
3. It's hard to hit your marketing goal
One person to manage all of your content creation, distribution and analytics is one thing but to keep track of marketing goals is another
Hitting your marketing goals takes a more comprehensive approach and demands your full attention
Asking one individual to now stack keeping an eye on your marketing goals has failure written all over it
The market can change daily and having a dedicated person who can make sure your marketing efforts are well planned, supported by the best practices, and are executed on schedule, is the best route to succes
Marketing Team Structure, The Triangle Offense!?
As you grow your team, you will need to invest in 3 aspects of building your marketing structure
You don't need a specific number of marketing professionals but I would suggest that you start with at least one hire for each department listed above.
This way you have somebody accountable for each department.
Great marketing team building will help both your sales and marketing team structure
The Creators and Playmaker
This part of the team is responsible for managing and creating the content
From:
To
This includes all inbound and outbound content.
Your creators will use research to curate and create original content as well as layout a strategy.
Examples of this are
Eyes open, Ear to the ground
So before I sat down and wrote this post, I took a blog post and a case study that I finished and put it in the toilet and flushed it down the drain just so I could have some empathy for those who don’t have a Watchman department
This team is responsible for the analytics.
These ladies and gents pay attention to how well your content is performing/engaging with the audience
They analyze what’s working and what's not. And they give you daily, weekly and monthly reports.
This allows you to make effective and efficient adjustments to the content you're creating and the platforms you're promoting it on.
They are also responsible for creating graphics that include data that would pair nicely with content.
Scream for The Money Team
Now, this is a pretty dope team I must say
I’m calling bullshit if you think the money team isn’t the coolest team of the group.
The other teams are just mad corny, just as important, but corny and that's okay because I’m corny (but we can talk about how corny I am later.)
This team cares about conversions and generating money out of every corner of what the market will allow
They will take a long- term view of your business and help you measure success over longevity.??
The big picture will help you look at your losses and gains and make decisions more strategically from a financial perspective.?
You can't go without these guys.?
NOTE: As you grow and continue to scale up, your structure will change and become more diverse.?
But a good starting point is to fill out these marketing team members first before you spend more on the labor.
Don’t blame the inefficiency on your marketing team members. How's Your Picker?
You can’t blame the product if you're the one making the decision.?
Know what you want.?
Have a vision of the business you want to create and move toward that direction.?
Second-guessing only works when there is new information presented and inferring with yourself after you have already weighed in on what you know is a habit you would benefit from losing.
It really helps to be clear with yourself and whoever is making the hiring decision when your creating the marketing team job description.
Marketing team for hire, So where is all the good talent at?
So before you go out there and put a big stamp on your forehead saying “marketing team for hire”
You need to ask yourself….
What environment do you want to create within your workplace, whether that is physical or virtual?
Understand that YOU are the environment.
Who you are, will attract people that are comfortable working with you.?
Look in the mirror and ask yourself
Find people that will be an asset to who you are and the environment you want to create.
How to add value to your marketing team structure and weaken your opponents
So the weirdest thing, right?
In San Jose, California, they have a lot of tech giants that are basically, located right next to each other.
And I used to do Uber in San Jose where these kids would get in my car and we would be on our way to their interview at Google, but I distinctly remember picking them up at an Apple facility where they worked at…??
Riiigghht...
The first couple of times I picked them up I was really quiet in the car like I just witnessed the exchange of state secrets take place, as I bid them a good day.
Talking about stealing the hens out of the chicken house..
Anyway, look at who is doing well at other companies.
Pretty often you will find an employee that's been in a position for quite some time and there is no place for that individual to move up in the company.
At that point you should reach out, you know, have a conversion. (A little Marketing Humor)
Talent shouldn’t be shelved. Besides, you could be offering that person a dream job and I’m sure you will be rewarded with quality work in return.
The magic is all around us. So are potential marketing team members!?
Covid-19 has put things into overdrive.?
The world was already becoming a lot smaller because of technology and knowledge about things that are thousands of miles away.?
But now, a lot of businesses are forced into a corner,??
And to be honest, depending on what kind of businesses you have, it could force you to look globally for talent and in places you may have never looked before.?
A strange thing about humans, we are most resourceful when our backs are against the wall.?
And because of that mindset, you will start to see talent pop out of anywhere and everywhere.
You never know who would fit your marketing team job description.?
So keep your eyes peeled.
领英推荐
Go find your Karate Kids.
So this is my personal favorite.
I attribute this to children
because that's what students are in the businesses and the working world; their children
College is great, but it is a different animal from the environment within a business, and the sooner you could get your hands on a student, the better chance of them being a good fit for your business.?
Students are impressionable, so molding and asking them to do something a certain way will not be met with a challenge.
You may get a “why?”, because they may want to know how things work?
but it won't be in the form of resistance.
The Social machine
Your social media channels are gold!
Facebook alone has more than 2 billion users per month, not including LinkedIin, Instagram, and Twitter
And every user on a particular social media platform is a potential candidate for the position that you are looking to fill.
Social media just isn’t about sharing or promoting your product and service.There are real people, looking for opportunities to be an asset to your company.
These job boards are targeted.
If a particular skill set is something you're looking for in a new hire,
you may want to check sites like ProBlogger, freelancer and, Upwork.
This is a great option especially if you're looking to find remote employees to add to your marketing team structure.
Onboarding Your Marketing Team Members
First day of work at my first job right out of college, I stepped through the company doors and was met with a brief, essentially 8-minute rundown, on how the organization was structured.
Found my work station, and waited for somebody to inform me of what I should be doing.
If you consider this to be the right way of onboarding your new hire,
then there are only two relevant statements.
Quick stat
There is a natural excitement when starting a new job before you arrive.
And it is up to the company to keep that energy and arrow-pointing in the right direction.
Implementing a helpful onboarding program that could integrate new hires will reduce the turnout rate of employees coming in and going out.
NOTE: You don't have to do all the suggestions listed below,?
but a combination of what is relevant to your business would be highly recommended to ensure a positive beginning for your new hire.
1. Before They Show Up
Make sure all forms are signed that include w-4, I-9, direct deposit forms.?
And also instruct your new hire to read the company's handbook and sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement.?
Make sure that your new hire knows the marketing team job description.
Next, make sure your new hire, before he/she arrives, has a clean workstation. You want them to feel comfortable so they can envision how they will get things done.
This is also where you should prepare anything your new hire may need, such as a computer, or any software they may need to learn so they can do what's expected of them.
Make sure they have a company email; this will make it easier for them to separate business emails from personal and not miss anything important.
Lastly, make sure you send them an email including all their new team members and their role in the company.?
2.Their First Day Being One Of Many Marketing Team Memebrs
Information like what they need to bring every day when they arrive at work and the dress code, if any, would be helpful.
Here is a goody, make sure your team knows that they will have a new team member showing up today, so they could greet them at their workspace.
Make sure you give them a tour of the office and other amenities the building has.
Set the new hire up with a mentor if possible, to help get them up to speed on the day-to-day details.
3. During Week One
More in line with co-existing with each other, it's recommended that the manager and new hire take the DISC so the respective parties know what personality type they are working with.
Don't take too long to assign a project to your new hire. You want them to feel as though they are a valuable asset to the company and are not just breathing up all the good air.
And if there is any software the new hire must learn, try to make sure that is the first-week priority.
4. For the First Month
Try to set up weekly meetings to critique the new hires’ work, it's imperative that they know what they're doing wrong earlier rather than later.
Providing any reading that would help your new hire’s progress as a growing asset in your company.
Ask for feedback from the new hire as an opportunity to improve your onboarding process. Find out if there was anything you could have done better welcoming a new hire to the team.
Letter to my past self: Things I wish somebody would have told me before building both a marketing and sales team structure.
Book it right now.
You are going to make some mistakes, it's a natural part of growth.
Scaling up is very scary.?
You're moving into a new realm of revenue that's expected, of content created regularly, of responsibility and accountability, for not just you but for those around you.
The air only gets thinner as you go up.?
Get over it.?
It's a law that affects everybody.
But that doesn't mean you have to do it completely blind and alone.
What’s great about the journey you're about to take, is that others have already been through a lot of that fire for you.?
Whether you believe that directly or indirectly, it's still your job to listen and learn from those before you so you can meet them at the top.?
I'm here to help you NOT make the same mistakes that those brave men and women did.?
Don't forget to say ‘thank you’ on your way up.
Pop the bubble already
Great marketing strategies do a tremendous job of integrating all the departments
Bad marketing strategies do a bad job at that very same thing.
And that's the difference between long term success and burning out.?
When you’re building a marketing team, it's easy to think of it as its own entity, as in “they’re doing their own thing over there”?
And that is the moment it all goes off the track.
Most businesses think of marketing as your blog, your website events, or content marketing. These things are seen as requiring very little collaboration from other departments.
And most fairly, new marketing departments are relatively small so this line of thinking is fairly common and accepted.
However, bigger companies that view their marketing department as accessories all run into similar problems:
“Growth hacking”? has become a popular term that the sales team, engineering, and leadership with businesses have put their arms around. (Marketing is not a cool word, who knew.)
Growth Hacking …… I guess it sounds catchy enough
The term is working positively for businesses, they’re understanding that including your marketing team from the very beginning has its advantages.
Building relationships with other departments makes it easier for information to be shared throughout the company.
Don't do too much too early
This is what I would say is the most common mistake.
Trying to use every marketing tactic in the book is an excellent way to stunt your growth.
And I don’t think that's your goal, but I'm only assuming.
Combining a survey and market research is a good place to start understanding and gaining knowledge about your ideal customer.
Following and tracking where they spend their time will help you understand where you need to fish and what bait to use.
And once you understand where the audience likes to gather and communicate, you can then create messaging and language that would appeal to them.?
Put the customer research on repeat
No matter how much research you do in the beginning, there will always be details that would be missed.
Not to mention the market’s ability to change without a moment's notice.
And with that, the market change will also affect what your customers’ current needs are.
Regular research allows you to adapt and get better on the go.
You know what they say, “build it while we fly it, baby”, “build it while we fly it”
Marketing automation ain't no easy task
A strong marketing team structure matters ladies and gents.
Don’t be so quick to get automated, there is a lot of testing and proper segmenting you need to do before you take your hands off the wheel.
Because once you let go and the car isn’t ready to drive itself, off a cliff will be your next option.
Designing a system that entails sorting and following up new leads based on how you segment that one particular prospect is complex, especially when you're using a customer relationship management tool (CRM) or marketing software that you can weaponize as an automation tool.
There is very little, if no, magic that's involved in creating marketing departments, it takes work.
But you will find it exciting and overwhelming at the same damn time.
And hopefully, these tips will help you with the overwhelming part.??
How to create a marketing team structure. Do I have to say anymore????
Yea I know, it's a lot to think about.?
But if you choose to go through this process of making your new hires, you will thank yourself later. (and maybe me)
Having a marketing team structure isn’t just a good ornament,?
the audience demands you to keep creating content after content to help them make the right choice. And with that, come a lot of moving parts,
that if ignored, will drown your business.
Will you take the right path?
?
?