The Changing Role of Marketing & What to Do About It

Over the past decade, the role of marketing has certainly changed--for the better. No longer is the department solely responsible for advertising and branding, but rather it’s an intricate part of an organization’s operations and business strategy. The role of a Marketing Manager, or CMO, is certainly taken far more seriously today than it was 20 years ago. The demand for marketers to be on their feet at all times equipped to tackle a changing economic environment, political turmoil, or technology advancements is just one small piece to the larger puzzle. The biggest change of all? Marketers are now responsible for ROI, they are profit drivers to the business.

A 360 Approach

When it comes to b2b, marketing is no longer held accountable for just the first part of the funnel. In addition to brand awareness--sales leads, customer conversions, churn, loyalty, and client satisfaction have made marketing accountable at all stages of the customer lifecycle. Your CMO plays a critical role in how the business performs.

So, what skills are you exactly looking for?

• A firm understanding of the company business plan and dynamics of your industry
• Ability to bring a national, or international, perspective on marketing strategies
• Knowledge of when to spend dollars and when to step back
• Ability to bring your brand to life at every touch point in your organization
• A strong hold on your digital presence and the changing environment technology brings
• Ability to generate leads that result in sales

Building the New Marketing Team

The marketing department can look different for every organization. Depending on your size, your reach, and your goals it can range from one single person, to a team of 50+. While evaluating, the most important question to ask yourself is: has your business changed with your marketing needs, or are you still challenged to find the right mix? Without a marketing leader and/or strategy, most small businesses say they feel lost.

Start with a Fractional CMO

If you are still struggling to get marketing right, one answer is to start at the top. Hire a fractional CMO to solve your strategic marketing needs before you start hiring multiple team members. Why fractional? The right fractional CMO comes with all the experience you need, at half the cost of a full-time employee. Once you have a strategy in place, your CMO can help determine any additional resources you need--most of which probably makes sense to outsource too!

Just as the role of marketing has changed, the picture of what a physical marketing team looks like is evolving too. With a fractional team you can hire the right mix of skill-sets, and only pay for the work you need. If you’re interested in learning more about hiring a fractional marketing team, reach out to us at donna.gliha@salesgroup-global.com.