Know your company
As a marketing professional, you must know the ins-and-outs of your company starting with the mission statement to the next product or service development. Make sure you’re aware of the entire business operation making note of each touchpoint in a customer journey. Be intentional about getting 15-30 minute conversations each month with other department managers to listen and learn what’s going on in the company. Look for unique opportunities to utilize what you learn in your next marketing campaign. Remember to collaborate and communicate with sales to get alignment with strategic revenue goals.
Understand your customers
This is one of the most important aspects of your job. You should not only know who your customers are, but also understand their needs. You need to find out why they buy your products. Use data to learn as much about your client base as you can. In collaboration with sales, you can conduct surveys and “voice of customer” interviews to discover their customer experiences. Ask questions like, “Are you loyal to our products or services?” and “What other similar items do you buy regularly?” With the intelligence you gather, you can then build personas for your customers and tailor your marketing strategy around these profiles.
Monitor your competition
Set aside time every week to check up on your key competitors. Also look for new businesses who may become a threat to your market share. Set up Google Alerts for the top competitors and follow industry news sites. Monitor what kind of information they post on social media. Did they redo their website or release a new product recently? The more you know about your competitors, the more intelligence you have for better marketing decisions and recommendations.
Always be marketing yourself
If you’ve been in marketing for a year or more, you’ve likely figured out that marketing means something different to each department with your company or organization. Sometimes upper-management can even lose sight of the need or purpose for marketing. You must be an advocate for the yourself and the rest of marketing team. Make sure you are regularly sharing your successes and progress toward strategic goals.
Include all four of these ways to improve your relationships and knowledge in your weekly activities. And then you’ll know the right people and have the insights to help your company stand out in a noisy world.
Let me know what other ways you’ve found to develop business relationships and leverage technology to improve your company’s marketing results. Contact me today if you’re feeling stuck with disappointing results and need some help.