Picture it: You’ve got a major conference to advertise, a shiny new service to announce, or urgently need a brand refresh. Bursting with excitement (and a little panic), you rush over to your marketing colleague and exclaim: “We need something amazing. Please make it happen!”
Sound familiar? If you’re nodding along, we can offer advice on partnering with your marketing teams to create results that make everyone do a happy dance.
Be a Strategic Partner
Whether your marketing team is a one-person shop or a full team, they want to knock your socks off. They’re creative problem-solvers who live for those “aha!” moments when a campaign clicks perfectly with your audience. But partnership is what they need to make that happen.
Magic happens when you become a strategic partner, not just a project manager. Set them up for success by giving them the timeline, tools, and clarity they need to work their magic.
Provide Context
Start by painting the full picture. Share your business goals, not just your marketing goals. If you’re rolling out a new program because of declining interest, tell them that story. If your campaign needs to drive leads, let them know. When your marketing team understands the “why” behind the “what,” they can craft strategies that move the needle.
Say “I Don’t Know”
Here’s something that might surprise you: admitting when you don’t know something is a superpower. Unsure about your competitive landscape? Speak up. Not certain about your brand voice? That’s valuable intel.
When you’re transparent about knowledge gaps, you give your colleagues permission to dig deep, ask better questions, and create effective strategies. Then they can help you fill those gaps—it’s what they do best.
Give Realistic Timelines
Want to see your marketing team’s eyes light up? Provide realistic timelines. That “quick project” that needs to be done by end of the week? It’s probably not going to produce the results you’re hoping for.
Great marketing takes time to research, strategize, create, test, and refine. When you build adequate timelines into your projects, you drive quality outcomes. Rush jobs might check boxes, but strategic marketing drives results.
Lean into the Data
Your marketing colleagues love data almost as much as they love creativity. Share what you know about your community, your peak seasons, and your most successful campaigns. But don’t stop there: give them access to results.
When your marketing team can see how their campaigns translate into leads, sales, or what success looks like, they can adjust tactics in real-time and apply those takeaways to future projects.
Partner Up and Power Results
Great marketing isn’t magic; it’s the result of solid partnerships between organizations and their marketing teams. When you help your marketing colleagues help you, everyone wins!
Have you found strategies that work well when communicating with your marketing colleagues? We’d love to hear about your experiences. After all, the best insights often come from real-world collaboration stories. Tell us more!
