Mastering the Art of Being a One-Person Marketing Department

It's tough to be a one-person band.

Can you imagine what it's like to be a one-person marketing department?

You're the go-to resource. Well, the only resource.

Talk about pressure to perform!

As the "lone wolf" marketer at a few companies, Dock's Eric Doty has great insight into what's involved and the key to success.During a recent podcast, Eric and I discussed how to start with a bang, including:

Make Yourself Known:

• Seize the excitement of your arrival to create attention within the organization: When you join a new company as a one-person marketing department, take advantage of the initial excitement surrounding your arrival. Use this opportunity to make a memorable impression and generate attention within the organization. This can be achieved by introducing yourself to key stakeholders, attending team meetings to introduce your role, and sharing your enthusiasm for the company's goals and vision.

• Build relationships early, connect with colleagues, and showcase your expertise: As the sole marketing resource, it's crucial to establish strong relationships with your colleagues across different departments.

Collaborate with them to understand their needs, challenges, and goals. Actively seek opportunities to share your expertise and contribute value to their projects. By showcasing your knowledge and skills, you can earn their trust and support, which will be essential for long-run success.

Information Gathering:

• Strike a balance between absorbing new information and taking action: In the early stages of your tenure, it's important to gather as much information as possible about the company, its target customers, and its internal processes.

Take the time to study existing marketing strategies, research the competition, and familiarize yourself with industry trends. However, be mindful not to get overwhelmed by analysis paralysis. Find the right balance between learning and taking action, as implementing your marketing initiatives is crucial for making an impact.

• Understand your target customer, processes, and company culture: To effectively market a product or service, it's essential to have a deep understanding of the target customer base. Conduct market research, analyze customer demographics, and identify their pain points and motivations.

Additionally, familiarize yourself with the company's internal processes, such as sales funnels, lead generation, and customer relationship management. Lastly, immerse yourself in the company's culture, values, and brand identity to ensure your marketing efforts align with the overall vision and messaging.

Identify Quick Wins:

• Leverage your expertise to tackle company-specific low-hanging fruits: As the lone marketer, you have the advantage of being able to identify and prioritize quick wins—areas where you can make immediate and meaningful impact. Leverage your expertise to identify low-hanging fruits within the company's marketing strategy or processes. These could be optimizing underperforming campaigns, refining messaging on key landing pages, or implementing conversion rate optimization tactics. By focusing on these quick wins, you can demonstrate your value early on and gain credibility within the organization.

• Be careful about changes to the homepage or key product pages until you deeply understand the customer and product: While it's tempting to make immediate changes to high-visibility assets like the homepage or key product pages, exercise caution. Without a deep understanding of the customer and the product, you risk making ill-informed decisions that may have negative consequences.

Take the time to gather data, conduct user testing, and gather feedback before making significant changes to these critical touchpoints. Understanding the customer's needs and preferences will ensure that any modifications you make align with their expectations and yield positive results.

Strategic Planning:

• Allocate time for immediate action and long-term planning: As a one-person marketing department, your role requires a balance between executing immediate actions and strategizing for the long term. Allocate time to address pressing marketing needs, such as launching campaigns or optimizing existing initiatives.

At the same time, focus on strategic planning, where you can develop comprehensive marketing strategies, establish objectives, and outline the tactics required to achieve them. This holistic approach will enable you to deliver short-term results while building a strong foundation for long-term success.

• Set clear goals and expectations for the first 3 and 6 months of your tenure: To establish a sense of direction and measure your progress, it's crucial to set clear goals and expectations for your first few months on the job.

Here's where you can listen to my podcast with Eric.