If you’re not seeing results from your marketing department, you’re not alone. Many businesses struggle to generate leads and revenue from their marketing activities. There are several reasons for this, but the most common pitfall is a lack of strategy and/or failure to properly align this with your business objectives.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the most common problems that marketing departments encounter and how to solve them.
Lack of direction
One of the most common problems with marketing departments is that they lack direction and focus. Without a clear strategy, it can be difficult for any marketing team to know what they should be working on and how their efforts will contribute to the overall goals of the business. This often leads to spinning too many plates at once, which can be overwhelming and ultimately fruitless. How many times have your marketing team said, “we just can’t take on any more work, we’re swamped”. Yet you’re scratching your head wondering how they can be so busy when you’re seeing no results. The answer: strategy and direction!
Tracking marketing metrics
Consistent measurement is key. Without it, marketing activities are uninformed, and it becomes impossible to know what is and isn’t working. This can lead to wasted time, money and resources on ineffective output. Similarly, without sufficient measurement in place, it’s also difficult to make necessary adjustments to your marketing strategy. Having measurable results gives you something to build on, allowing you to refine your activities and navigate your next steps. What’s the first thing you do when a baby is born? (No, not wet the baby’s head!) You weigh them. Why? Because you want to measure their health and be able to track this over the coming weeks and months. Marketing is no different. It’s impossible to measure the overall health and performance of your marketing efforts without tracking your results.
Aligning with your business ethos
It’s crucial that your team understand the brand, mission, vision and values of the business. Without this understanding, marketing materials produced may be misaligned with the company’s overall goals. It’s essential that everyone on the team is clear on these fundamentals from the get-go so that they can create impactful messaging and engaging campaigns that are in line with the company’s identity. Your marketing team should all be brand guardians who champion the values and vision of the business. Hiring anyone that doesn’t understand and believe in these core fundamentals, is hugely detrimental to your marketing strategy.
Getting the most out of your marketing team
The final common pitfall to be aware of is the possibility that you may have the wrong people in the wrong seats. It could be that you have talented people with excellent skills but you’re not using these in the right way or, it may be that the business itself may not be right for some of the people on the team. This can happen when a company is going through a lot of change or is in a state of growth. In these cases, it can be necessary to revisit roles and responsibilities, ensuring you’re getting the most out of your teams talent and that everyone is suited to the current needs of the business.
If any of the above issues sound familiar, don’t despair. There are solutions to all of these common problems that you may be encountering. By taking a closer look at your strategy and ensuring it’s aligned with your business objectives, you can clearly see the results you’re looking for. Additionally, implementing consistent measurement and tracking will help you to identify what’s flying and what’s failing, so that you can make necessary adjustments that will lead to a higher success rate. And finally, making sure that everyone on the team embodies the brand, mission, vision and values of the company will lead to the creation of materials that are fully synchronised with the company’s overall goals.
The good news? All of these issues can be resolved! Many businesses find it beneficial to bring in a consultant to help identify the sticking points and create a plan to implement a new roadmap for you. With the right guidance, you can build a high-performing marketing team that delivers exceptional results, time and time again.
Need some help to perform an MOT on your marketing department? Get in touch today for a no-obligations chat and we’d be more than happy to help.
