Step #4: Develop Your Strategic Action Plan
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Marketing departments are different among companies based on the business size and marketing strategy.
Some marketing departments are entirely in-house, others outsourced, and many have a unique combination usually centered around their customer value proposition.
Even so, every marketing department today must be agile and modern-thinking regardless of the chosen structure.
The marketing department is core to any company because it is marketing’s job to gain a customer and keep a customer. It is also the marketing department’s role to support the sales team while keeping the sales statistics accurate and advertising statistics accountable.
This expectation is primarily due to the growing recognition of a marketing department’s role in promoting business growth. For instance, a McKinsey survey found that 83% of CEO participants relied on marketing to meet their growth plan.
Regarding the marketing department structure, there are no right or wrong structures. And with the industry’s ever-changing nature, your design should always consider the customer first, the company size and the marketing strategy.
Marketing departments typically use the following structures:
Knowing your team’s functions is the best way to determine which structure is ideal for you. Consider asking the following questions.
How big is your company? How many employees do you have? If you are a small to medium sized business (SMB), your marketing department will likely have fewer workers carrying out multiple marketing responsibilities.
Ensure your marketing department has the following attributes, regardless of the marketing structure you select.
Structurally, your marketing department should consist of the following role categories.
This team will likely comprise the Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing Team Leader, and Director. Their roles are more of an overseeing nature to monitor the department’s progress. Other responsibilities include giving the final decision regarding the marketing strategy and conducting high-level meetings.
Here, you’ll have the project and marketing manager, plus the content marketing strategist. Their role is to coordinate and implement marketing projects and supervise members in supporting roles. They also monitor resources and report progress to the higher-level marketing team.
This team may comprise the SEO specialist, SEO writer, and PPC specialist. Their responsibilities include undertaking SEO analysis, performing audits for SEO website changes, and updating PPC bids.
Possible members include the copywriter and team content creator. This team is responsible for developing various content such as blogs and white papers. They may also double as editors and media researchers.
This team may comprise the graphic designer, photographer, and video editor. Their roles include creating illustrations and visual marketing content like infographics and videos.
The marketing data analysts are responsible for generating and interpreting data to guide decision-making. Their recommendations influence which marketing activities to go with and the marketing budget.
This list wouldn’t be complete if we failed to mention this team. Possible members include the media lead, social media manager, influencer marketer, and PR specialist. This team is responsible for managing public perception and maintaining good relationships with the target audience. It’s also their task to communicate changes, whether product-related or company matters, to the public.
Like the structure, the marketing department roles vary for each company. Even so, several functions are standard for all.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach for selecting an ideal marketing structure for your department. Establish what works for you based on your company’s current situation and marketing function. Most importantly, ensure you have the right team because these employees will determine your department’s success.