You are sitting in a meeting and are detailing out the marketing plan, only to be interrupted for the tenth time with another idea of how you should be marketing the product to said audience.
You smile and nod, taking down the ideas and politely saying ‘That’s great, I’ll see how we can include that but it may not be the right fit’.
‘Oh I’m not a Marketer’ they say but then continue to share further thoughts.
If you work in Marketing I hope the above brings a smile to your face. Sound familiar? We have it hard don’t we at times to get our voices heard.
It’s not surprising either with many CMOs barely making it to the boardroom, and some organisations opting to not have a CMO at all.
Marketing is often not found at the heart of an organisation where I believe it should be. It can be an after thought, as if a company’s branding (how it looks, feels and sounds) is not worth as much as the products it sells.
Marketing is a lot more than pretty pictures. Yes, I’ve heard it being called that by people I’ve worked with. We often are seen as the ‘fun’ part of the office as if Marketers don’t work as hard as the rest.
Marketing is so important. Ask a small business. The power in marketing can be found in the difference between it thriving or about to shut its doors.
You see Marketing for me encompasses every aspect of a business, and that’s why many colleagues think they can market too. It isn’t to say they are wrong, in fact, I love collaborating on ideas and I do feel everyone can be a Marketer. However I also know first-hand that the ideas are just one part of what we do.
I find it flattering that many people want to be a Marketer, often to the frustrating extent of throwing an idea into the mix and then not seeing it through to fruition. I also find it interesting that it is often the role that many small businesses don’t wish to pay for, with the view that they can watch a YouTube video and do it themselves.
You aren’t wrong at all.
Marketing can be done by you.
You can be a Marketer, of course.
However, just like with DIY around the house, sometimes you don’t want to learn how to tile a bathroom. You would rather get someone in who has the tools and knowledge to do it quicker than you can.
This in fact is the beauty of outsourcing, period. Why upskill when you can pay someone who has spent hours and hours of time learning about what makes a great campaign.
If you are working with a Marketer or wish to do some Marketing then why not learn and collaborate with them. You can then finally become a Marketer by right of passage.
Then and only then can you join us in making more pretty pictures!
Do you work in Marketing? Have you experienced something similar?