10 tips to becoming a great marketer

Last month, I was asked to speak to a group of liberal arts students at a local university for an “Advanced Marketing Concepts” class.  After meeting with the professor ahead of time to discuss the lesson, we spent almost no time talking about textbook marketing practices.  Instead, he wanted me to focus on “being in the trenches” and what it was like to gain experience both working as a marketer at a credit union and now in an agency.

In order to prepare these nearly graduating students for their entry into marketing, we discussed what it takes to be a great marketer, and here are some things I have learned over the years:

1. Start by focusing inward.  Like the legendary story of David and Goliath, determine your strengths and use those instead of sizing up the competition and competing against an opponent on theirs.  If you operate from your competitor’s strengths – not your own, you are playing defense, which leaves no room for proactive innovation and forward thinking.

2. Follow Your Instincts.  Marketing is an art and a delicate balance of “why” and “how,” but there is no silver bullet.  The most powerful tool at your disposal when you have your planning done is to do the things you know in your gut will be good for your institution.  Following your instincts is the closest thing to a silver bullet you will have as a marketer, and the most successful marketers I know rely heavily on their instincts as well as the numbers.

3. Read, read, read!  Blog posts, industry publications, personal development books, professional development books, marketing books, non-marketing books…everything you read helps you become a better thinker, innovator, leader, marketer, and helps you in all areas of life.  The phrase “readers are leaders” is so true.

4. Be careful with the shiny things.  As marketers, we tend to get REALLY excited about new ways to market.  New audiences, new technologies, splashy ads, etc.  But, if it isn’t part of your plan and, more importantly, if it doesn’t lead to growth in the areas you have in your strategic plan, then don’t do it.  It’s only diverting precious resources away from reaching those goals.  Patience is a virtue when it comes to marketing.

5. Learn to talk like a CEO.  Executing a campaign is only a small part of being a marketer.   If you have clear objectives for your marketing efforts, do ROI projections before campaigns, track progress and make modifications during campaigns, and measure ROI (Return on Investment) afterward, you have all of the information you need to show the CEO that an investment in marketing is the best use of your credit union’s dollars because it has the largest return.

6. Never stop selling your ideas.  This doesn’t mean on eBay.  This means that, like it or not, one of the most important parts of your job is selling your great ideas  to your team.  And then to the rest of the credit union.  And to the members.  And then to the rest of the credit union again and again and again.  The more time you invest in talking to your team members and getting their input and buy-in, the more successful your marketing efforts will be.

7. Know the answer to “who is your target market?”  Any answer starting with “anyone who…” is not specific enough.  If you don’t have a select group of people you know you are best-suited to serve who you know loves your credit union, then all of your members will just “kinda like” you.  You want raving fans!  Answering this question requires some tough decision-making, but the end result is a group of brand ambassadors who will share the credit union with everyone they know, which is the most powerful and successful kind of marketing you can do.

8. Remember that the people you work with – in every capacity at the credit union – are the most important part of your job.  They are all marketers – even the non-member facing staff members.  From the CEO to the back office employees, and the tellers to the HR department, everyone in your credit union is a marketer.  Spend time with them talking about their ideas and how their efforts affect the overall success of the credit union’s marketing efforts.

9. Ask for a seat at the table (if you don’t already have one).  Regardless of job title – manager, director, or VP – the marketing person should absolutely have a seat at the senior management table .  Whether it is current financial statistics, processes, strategic plans, or operational matters that are discussed, the marketing department/person needs to have their finger on the pulse of the credit union in order to be successful in reaching their goals.  If they aren’t involved in those important conversations, you are asking them to steer the ship without a map.

10. Surround yourself with talented people.  You can’t do EVERYTHING yourself.  And if you learn to speak like a CEO, you can prove in dollars and cents the resources you need to effectively do your job and meet your goals.  Just like successful business owners have a team around them of lawyers, CPAs, financial advisors and so on, managers in any capacity need the exact same thing to create the kind of organizational success that distinguishes a great company (or department) from a good one.