Where Should You Focus Your Social Media Campaign - and Why?
Running a social media campaign is one of the best ways to reach new customers and grow your brand. But it is easy to waste time and energy if you do not know where to focus. In addition, you are likely spreading yourself too thin by establishing a presence everywhere you can think of. As a result, you have less time to engage with followers or post consistent updates. Instead, by identifying exactly which platform is best for your audience, offerings, and budget, you can use social media to skyrocket your business.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Don't Blindly Choose a Social Media Platform
Social media is a crowded space. Avoid getting lost in the noise by learning where your audience hangs out. Focus your efforts there.
Do not choose a social media platform simply because it is popular. Instead, consider which platforms would be best for reaching your audience and growing your business. Having a plan in place will make you successful with social media marketing.
Do Determine Which Platform Is Best for Your Business
The power of social media is impressive, especially given that it is free to use! You can reach a large audience of potential customers with the right strategy.
Common social media platforms that businesses use for content marketing include:
- YouTube
- TikTok
While each platform has something unique to offer, not all businesses benefit from each one. For example, if you are a fashion brand trying to sell trendy clothes and accessories, you may have better luck on Instagram than on LinkedIn. This is because Instagram has built-in shopping features that make it easy for consumers to buy items as they see them on their newsfeeds. On the other hand, LinkedIn may be more suitable for freelance writers looking to connect with businesses that may need their service. At the end of the day, we are all selling something, but where we focus our social media campaign matters.
When determining which platform is best for your social media campaign, ask yourself:
- What are you selling?
- Who is my target audience? Where do they like to get information?
- What kind of content does my audience prefer? Short-form or long-form videos? Infographics or blog posts?
- How often do I need to post content?
- How does this content fit with my overall content marketing strategy for reaching customers?
- What is my budget? Is there one platform that may be more budget-friendly? (i.e., Let's say you feel video content is best for reaching new customers. But you don't have the skill set to create quality videos efficiently. You may need to spend extra money to outsource the work.)
- What are my long and short-term marketing goals and social media KPIs?
Be a Master of One... Or a Master of None
Having a presence on all popular mediums is great for letting people know you exist. But maintaining quality content on every platform is not sustainable for most businesses. If you spread yourself too thin, it will show in the quality of the work you put out. Your scattered efforts will be ineffective in delivering results.
Want to get people talking about your product or service? Don't try to be everywhere at once. Instead, focus on mastering one primary platform. Once you decide which to move forward with, think of creative ways to encourage discussion around your brand.
Reach New Heights With the Right Social Media Campaign Strategy
Social media is an excellent way to reach new customers. You can get your brand in front of them without investing a ton of money. But it is crucial not to jump on the latest social media bandwagon just because everyone is doing it. Every social media campaign needs a thoughtful strategy behind it to be effective.
Still not sure which platform is best for your business? Seven Oaks Consulting helps small and large companies execute successful social media campaigns. Contact us at 434-574-6253 - we would love to help get you on the right track.
How to Improve Email Metrics
Understanding email marketing metrics is more important than ever before, given that the email marketing industry is growing at a rapid pace. Today, around 90% of all adults have an email account. As a result, businesses of all sizes have the opportunity to reach this massive audience!
As you continue to learn more about content marketing KPIs, consider these email marketing metrics as part of your overall program to measure and monitor the effectiveness of your campaigns.
What Are Email Marketing Metrics?
So you’ve grown your email list and sent out emails as part of your business marketing efforts. But do you know how well they are performing?
Email marketing metrics help businesses understand how effective their email marketing is. Email opens, clicks, unsubscribes, and bounces are all examples of email metrics. Businesses use these metrics in Google Analytics (GA) or other analytics software packages to better understand how well your emails performed over time.
How to Elevate Your Emails
Here are some sure-fire ways to take your email marketing up a notch… or two.
Personalize Your Message
Personalization is a must in email marketing, and it’s an easy way to stand out. You can gain trust, get your message read and opened, and create positive experiences for your customers.
Provide Value to Your Potential Customers
The best way to improve email marketing metrics is to provide value for your potential customers. If you can present something helpful, entertaining, and informative, you will skyrocket your open and click-through rates!
Produce Compelling Copy
It would help if you made your audience feel something while telling a story with your landing pages and emails. Be mindful of your target audience’s tone, word choice, and headlines. This is crucial because different audiences prefer different things. For example, young adults will likely respond better to conversational language than senior citizens.
Write a Catchy Subject Line
When it comes to successful email marketing, the subject line is the first thing that people see, and it is what draws people in, so you want it to make an impression.
You need a good subject line that:
- Is relevant to the content of your email
- Is short and concise (no longer than 15 words)
- Personalizes each message sent for maximum engagement
- Factors in when your customer sees their email (e.g., don’t send emails during peak hours if possible)
Craft a Well-Designed Email
Your email should look good no matter the width of the screen. People viewing it on mobile or desktop should be able to enjoy the same aesthetic. Use a responsive design that works across all devices and browsers. This way, the email will resize according to its available space. If you use a service like MailChimp, you won’t have to worry about this—the platform does it for you!
Use Striking Images & Colors that Complement the Text
Images and colors can highlight important information, illustrate your message and break up the text. They also create a sense of urgency and add charisma to your email.
Images should have a purpose in helping you to deliver a point. If an image does not match the topic of your email, it will distract subscribers from what is most important.
Include a Call-to-Action
You should always include a call-to-action (CTA) and conversion triggers in your email marketing campaigns. A CTA is a request for action from the reader, while conversion triggers are actions the reader takes after reading your email. These can be as simple as clicking a link or as complicated as filling out a form. It can also be a purchase if you sell things online.
Clever Email Campaigns Get More Conversions
We have all seen generic email blasts go out to a large group of people, hoping that a few customers will respond. Unfortunately, this strategy is ineffective and can result in lost money and wasted marketing efforts. So, create personalized emails that are more likely to yield positive customer responses.
The first step in personalizing your email campaign is understanding your customer base and what makes them tick. Once you know their preferences, it’s time to create an email campaign with those preferences in mind.
The second step is making sure the content speaks directly to each recipient as if they were having an actual conversation with you. For example, use text like “Hi [name],” rather than “Hey there.” Studies and tests have shown that personalized emails can increase email open rates by 23% and click rates by 57%!
Measure Email Performance to Meet Your Business Goals
Email marketing is a strategic and effective way to reach customers, build relationships, and get people to buy more. Businesses that can effectively leverage email marketing find it easier to close deals with new customers while maintaining their existing base.
Today, many companies still struggle with getting the most out of their emails. They do not know what metrics are important or how to use them to measure their success. If this sounds like you, get in touch with Seven Oaks Consulting to discuss your business objectives and how we can help elevate your email marketing!
How To Use LinkedIn For Business Development
LinkedIn for business development is currently one of the most effective ways to stand out in your industry. Here’s why business owners should pay attention to using LinkedIn for business development and learn how to use LinkedIn to get clients.
LinkedIn Marketing Trends
LinkedIn is one of the fastest-growing and most trusted social media platforms for the global business community. Between 2019 and 2021 alone, the number of business organizations on LinkedIn almost doubled, growing from 30 million to 57 million. Here are some other compelling statistics for business owners to consider:
- LinkedIn accounts for over 50% of all social media traffic to B2B websites. Keep in mind that the platform has over 822 million registered members across more than 200 countries worldwide – helping to expand your reach and visibility.
- 6 out of 10 users seek industry insights on LinkedIn – allowing you to stand out amongst other business owners by posting relevant and educational content. Doing this will help drive user engagement, increase lead generation, and build trust in your brand.
- 4 out of 5 LinkedIn members help drive business decisions, including 65 million decision-makers and 61 million senior-level influencers on the platform. Engaging with LinkedIn decision-makers and influencers will help you establish your online presence.
Establishing and maintaining an online presence is one of the most effective marketing strategies in today’s global business market. These statistics also suggest LinkedIn’s considerable growth is not losing momentum anytime soon. Now that we’ve established why LinkedIn for business development is so important – how do you get started?
HOw to Use LinkedIn for Business Development
Getting started on LinkedIn can seem overwhelming, especially if you are not social media savvy. It is not as intuitive as Facebook Business Pages, for example. Fortunately, the platform is very user-friendly and allows you to develop your business’s online presence in a way that works best for you.
Let’s start by looking at how you can use LinkedIn for business development.
- Company Pages – A company page will help increase visibility, generate leads, and provide a home base to advertise your products and services. Before officially making your page live on the platform, check out HubSpot’s free guide to help maximize your results.
- LinkedIn Pulse – This allows you to create original content on LinkedIn and is helpful for people who are inexperienced with blogging. As with any aspect of content marketing, there are best practices you should follow to help you reach your target audience.
- Showcase Pages – These are extensions of your main business page and can be used to highlight promotions, initiatives, and achievements. Not sure what aspects you should be showcasing? Hootsuite offers examples and advice to help you use this feature effectively.
Now that you have created your Company Page and have become familiar with posting content on the platform, the next step is creating your LinkedIn marketing strategy. As with any social media platform, self-proclaimed gurus will often try to promote a “guaranteed formula,” so be sure to do what makes sense for your business.
LinkedIn advertising can provide an extra edge to your marketing strategy and help you achieve your goals, although this platform feature is fee-based. To create LinkedIn ads, you must set up a Campaign Manager account. Creating this account will allow you to choose your campaign objectives and help you manage your advertising budget.
Getting The Most Out of LinkedIn
Like any other social media network or website, your LinkedIn Company Page will have a search engine result page – or SERP – ranking. Incorporating SEO best practices such as posting original content, engaging with followers, and using keywords will help you to rank higher for online inquiries.
LinkedIn analytics is another powerful feature for monitoring the results of your business marketing strategy. Hootsuite offers a free, comprehensive guide to LinkedIn analytics for marketers. In a nutshell, LinkedIn analytics allows you to track and monitor data metrics, including:
- Follower analytics – Who is interacting with your content and updates.
- Visitor analytics – Who is coming to your page but hasn’t started engaging yet.
- Update analytics – How much user engagement your posts are receiving.
Data insights such as these help you gauge your marketing strategy’s effectiveness and identify areas that need improvement. Seven Oaks Consulting offers even more digital content strategy hacks to help you critique or create your marketing plan.
Besides providing a platform to engage with others, LinkedIn for business owners offers multiple services and tools to generate more leads by helping you connect with your target audience. Some helpful LinkedIn resources include The Business Owner’s Guide To LinkedIn and LinkedIn’s own Big Thinking digital magazine.
LinkedIn continues to evolve, and some may assert that it is becoming synonymous with social media marketing. How to use LinkedIn for business development may evolve over time.
With various free LinkedIn marketing and automation tools available, it is now easier and more cost-effective than ever to reap the platform’s benefits. Don’t wait to jump on the proverbial bandwagon as millions of business organizations around the globe are discovering the power of LinkedIn marketing. Knowing how to use LinkedIn for business development should be part of your skill set.
5 Habits Every Project Manager Should Develop
Successful project managers work hard to develop habits that will make them successful. They learn these habits and action steps through education and experience. Good work habits are important because they make projects run smoother and more efficiently. The following five habits will help project managers lead their teams by example.
Habits for Being a Successful Project Manager
1. Share project data with the client regularly.
Give the client access to your project management software through a personal dashboard login. You will still want to schedule regular meetings by phone or text with the client to advise them about the project’s progress.
These steps will help build a positive rapport with the client and build trust. They also keep you on top of any questions or concerns the client may have. With regular communication, you will be able to take action quickly if the client requests changes that require the team to pivot after the project has been launched. Make an appointment with yourself in your calendar for one hour every week for the review. Analyze spending on the project to date compared to the budget. You will also want to look at the work in progress to see any places where team members have become bogged down in their work.
2. Set aside time each week to review all open projects.
Make an appointment with yourself in your calendar for one hour every week for the review. Analyze spending on the project to date compared to the budget. You will also want to look at the work in progress to see any places where team members have become bogged down in their work.
3. Reach out to team members proactively.
Instead of asking team members, “Is everything all right?” (A Yes/No - type of question), you might get a better response by asking, “What can I do to help you?” (stay on track/complete your tasks, etc.). If a team member feels overwhelmed by their task, show them how to break it down into more manageable chunks. If they find that working in a room with several other people is too distracting while trying to focus on their task, try to find a quieter space for them to work or let them wear noise-canceling headphones. Remind your team members that they can always ask for advice and get support if they get stuck. Let them know that everyone is working together to complete the project on time, and no one will get called out because they need help. As their project manager, you are there to assist.
4. Dedicate some time to managing deadlines weekly.
Stay on top of deadlines by looking at messages and feedback received from your team weekly. Pay extra attention to anything that is causing task delays. Ask the team members involved what they need to get back on track to deal with the issue promptly and proactively.
Remind your team members that they can always ask for advice and get support if they get stuck. Let them know that everyone is working together to complete the project on time, and no one will get called out because they need help. As their project manager, you are there to assist.
5. Take time to do something new that will improve the quality of your work.
There is always something new to learn in the field of project management. Take time to invest in yourself by reading a book or taking a project management course. You will reap the benefit of encouraging higher productivity among your teams and become an even better project manager.
Outsource your Project Management Needs to Seven Oaks Consulting
Many successful companies prefer to hire the project management services they need on a contract basis. Our team will manage your editorial calendar, create custom style guides, edit your documents, and develop editorial processes for quality control of your written materials. You can count on the experts at Seven Oaks Consulting for all your content needs too. We will create original content to educate and motivate your readers to take action. Contact us today to learn more about our services or request a custom quote.
The Big Reason Why Marketing Campaigns Fail
What is the single biggest reason why marketing campaigns fail? There is no guaranteed equation for producing the most effective and longest-lasting results. Marketing campaigns are multi-faceted and require a high degree of effective collaboration from all marketing team members.
Creativity is another essential aspect - considering that no two marketing campaigns are the same. We will explore why lack of focus, which can lead to other problems, is often the single biggest reason marketing campaigns fail.
The Need for a Well-defined Set of Goals
A lack of focus can result in a poorly developed marketing campaign. It can also lead to other problems in marketing strategies, such as poorly executed research and misinterpretation of data analytics. Here are some insights to determine if you are on the right track:
- Effective collaboration is key to crafting a successful marketing campaign, as with any team-based project. Although working with a team can help to foster creativity and generate new ideas, it can also lead to a lack of focus. Establishing a well-defined set of goals is critical to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
- Marketing campaigns help establish a brand image and raise consumer awareness. A vital aspect of establishing a brand image is to provide valuable information, not just eye-catching advertisements. The desire to produce immediate results may negatively impact the marketing campaign's effectiveness due to lack of substance.
The Importance of Continuity
Once you have defined your goals and established your brand, it is important not to lose sight of your long-term marketing strategy - and this is where continuity comes in. Continuity helps establish trust with your target audience and stand out among competitors.
Remember, the first step to any successful marketing campaign is to create a well-defined set of short-term and long-term goals. Some helpful questions to ask include:
- How will your marketing campaign evolve based on your target audience and changing market trends?
- What is your brand's message, and how can you keep it consistent as your marketing campaign adapts to consumer demands?
In a world often obsessed with the latest trending topics and hashtags of the day, don't underestimate the power of continuity. A strong, clear, and consistent message can help establish the foundation for a successful, long-term marketing campaign.
Review: 3 Project Management Software Programs
Project management software programs help managers and their teams stay organized, and multi-phased projects stay on track. This review takes a look at three top project management software programs: Trello, Asana, and Monday. You’ll find out their advantages and disadvantages, along with the pricing packages offered.
Popular Project Management Software Reviews
Trello
Advantages
Trello is an excellent choice when looking for a simple project management software solution. It is user-friendly, and you can have it up and running for your team in minutes. This project management software option is straightforward enough that even new team members can use it quickly.
Automation Tools
Trello comes with an automation bot called Butler, making setting up your desired actions within a project easy. Butler asks a few questions and, based on your answers, configures the steps for you. These include setting up due dates, notifying your team members, and moving cards to the appropriate column.
Butler also looks after administrative tasks like moving a card from one list to another and automatically assigns it to a new team member when an action is marked complete. You don't have to worry about a task "falling through the cracks" because a team member forgot to tag the next person.
Collaboration Features
Trello gives you several collaboration tools, including document sharing, notifications, and @mentions to teammates. Users can comment on cards, tag each other, and keep their conversations about tasks in one location. Each user can configure Trello to receive notifications by e-mail or desktop.
Disadvantages
The disadvantage of choosing Trello is that it may not be the right option for running large projects. It doesn't allow users to attach tasks to subtasks or see how a delayed job will affect others down the line in a project.
Trello doesn't provide reporting and analytics to managers right out of the box. This feature is available with a Trello Power-Up. It is not the same as buying project management software with reports built-in.
Pricing
Trello is affordable. The company offers a US $0 plan with unlimited cards and up to 10 boards per workspace with unlimited storage (10MB/file). Some businesses find this plan meets their needs and never upgrade to the Standard plan.
The Standard plan costs US $5 per month per user. You get 1,000 Workspace command runs per month, single-board guests, and saved searches with this option. It includes unlimited boards, custom fields, and unlimited storage (250MB/file).
The Premium plan at US $10 per month per user is a good choice for teams of up to 100 users. It has all the features included in the Standard option. You also receive Timeline view, Calendar view, Map view, priority support, and more.
The Enterprise plan costs US $17.50 per month per user. It includes everything in the Premium plan, plus unlimited workspaces, public board management, organization visible boards, multi-board guests, and more.
Asana
Asana is an excellent project management software plan. It is easy to use, has multiple features, and takes very little time to get the software running. This software option is reasonably priced and offers a lot of flexibility.
Advantages
Automation Tools
Asana sets up repetitive tasks, processes, and workflows that impact other business tools. Its graphical workflow builder makes organizing customized rules and actions an easy process.
Use it to set up the following types of basic automation:
- Alerting the team in Slack when a task is completed
- Assigning a task to the next team member on the project
- Cascading due dates
- Checking a box
Asana can handle these automated tasks even with large teams using multiple tools and projects. Automating processes means team members get repetitive tasks accomplished more efficiently. Team members have more time to spend on more interesting and rewarding activities.
Collaboration Features
Asana really hits the mark with its collaboration features. This project management software allows users to share Google Docs, along with PDF and JPG files.
Users can:
- Assign specific tasks to team members (including priorities)
- Set specific due dates
- Adjust due dates
- Send messages to each other
These features can take place within one card to keep communications organized in one place.
In Asana's Calendar view, team members can plan due dates and other events around each other's availability. This feature allows the team to update each other on changes and the project's progress without relying on sending e-mail messages to the group. Project discussions and task lists can easily be managed directly in the software.
Disadvantages
This software doesn't allow for tasks to be assigned to multiple team members. To add more than one team member to a particular job, you would have to add a task collaborator or create subtasks. Another option would be to make copies of tasks for the other team members. This is a lot of extra work to track on a large project.
Asana offers a free app (Android and iOS) for each plan level. It can be challenging to use, and the software is much easier to use on a desktop computer screen. You can use the app to check something quickly. It is not meant for doing productive work, though.
Pricing
The Basic plan is free. It comes with three project views, basic workflows, and basic reporting for 15 users. This plan has a limit of 1,000 tasks per team. Customers who choose this option get unlimited essentials (projects, tasks, activity log, storage, and comments). It's possible to stay with the Basic option indefinitely.
The Premium plan costs $10.99 per user, per month. New customers can try it for free. It includes unlimited essentials (see above), four project views, automated workflows, and reporting. Timeline view is one of the Premium plan's most impressive tools. You can use it to see how specific tasks and deadlines are connected. Project managers can tell at a glance where potential problems are likely to come up and find solutions before they happen.
The Business plan is available for $24.99 per user per month. New users can also check it out for free. This option includes unlimited essentials, along with project and portfolio views, advanced workflows, and advanced reporting. This package comes with a workload management tool. It allows managers to determine which team members may be overwhelmed with work and have extra bandwidth to help.
The Enterprise option is available to customers who need more capacity. The company asks that customers contact the Sales Department to request a quote. Customers receive unlimited essentials, project and portfolio views, advanced workflows, and advanced reporting at this price point.
If you aren't sure which Asana plan is right for your business, you can sign up for the Basic plan and run it at no cost. This is a risk-free choice. You may never need to upgrade to a paid option if you have a small team. You also have the choice to sign up for a paid plan immediately; Asana offers a free, 30-day trial. This option gives you the chance to make sure the software is right for your team before you have to start paying.
Teams with 15 users or more will need to sign up for Asana Premium, Asana Business, or Enterprise. Suppose you have fewer than 15 users on your team. In that case, you may want to take advantage of the extra features and benefits you get with the Asana Premium plan. The Enterprise plan was developed for large companies requiring scalable project management software.
Monday
Monday.com comes equipped with several well-designed features. It is a flexible project management software option suitable for independent freelance contractors, large enterprise companies, and every type of business in between.
It's easy for your team to learn and use without investing in professional training sessions. You and your team can access hundreds of video tutorials to learn the software and troubleshoot any issues you may experience. Additionally, a support team is available 24/7 via chat.
Advantages
Automation Tools
Many businesses choose project management software to automate repetitive tasks and increase efficiency. Monday.com delivers in that respect and takes automation even further by allowing you to customize automation.
Here's one example:
- You move a task from the first step to the next one.
- Assign the job to the next team member.
- The next team member receives a notification by e-mail or through Slack.
These steps can be performed automatically without a team member manually performing them. The automation builder within the software is quite intuitive. This feature makes it user-friendly, even if this feature is new for you and your team.
Monday.com also comes with built-in time tracking. Users have the option of turning the time-tracking feature on or off with a simple click depending on whether they want to use it. They can keep track of their time using the mobile app as well.
Collaboration Features
This project management software option gives you several customizable templates, which saves you from setting them up personally. They save you time and the headaches that come from determining the content of a template for the following:
- Campaign planning
- Contact management
- Customer onboarding
- Event planning
- Help desk tickets
- Portfolio tracking
- Product roadmaps
- Project planning
- Team tasks
Monday.com's numerous free templates are available to meet your needs, no matter what type of project you want to launch.
This project management software also has customizable dashboards that allow managers to view essential data, such as budgets and project statuses. There are several pre-built widgets to build dashboards, such as managing workloads and capacity planning. Users can also create public and private dashboards.
Disadvantages
Monday.com requires that all tasks include dates, and this dependency limits the software's functionality somewhat. A dependent task won't start until the first task is finished, and this feature ensures that tasks are completed correctly. Still, it doesn't leave any room for customization within a project. Dependencies are not available to customers who choose one of the lower-priced options.
To take advantage of features such as calendar views and Gantt charts, customers have to commit to one of the more expensive packages. These are not available until a customer upgrades to the third-level price point.
Pricing
The Basic plan is for small teams that may not be familiar with project management software. Pricing starts at US $8 per user per month (billed annually). Users can create a dashboard based on one board, embedded documents, whiteboard collaboration, custom notifications, and shareable forms at this price point. Customers get unlimited boards, unlimited free viewers, and more than 200 templates.
The Standard plan is the most popular option. You can create a dashboard with the data pulled from five boards with this option. The Standard plan supports guest (Read-Only) access. Four guests are billed as a single seat, which allows you to bring users from outside your company on board to manage projects. This option costs US $10 per user per month (billed annually).
For larger teams that want to access all the features and benefits of Monday.com, the 250 actions per month available with the Standard plan may not be enough.
The Pro plan is the right option for large teams and those that need to manage complex projects. It gives you 25,000 actions per month, which most organizations won't need. The Pro plan also gives you a chart view, team workload with real-time data about your team's bandwidth, private boards, and unlimited guests. This option costs US $16 per user per month (billed annually).
Get Expert Project Management Advice from Seven Oaks Consulting
Many successful companies prefer to hire the project management services they need on a contract basis. Our team will manage your editorial calendar, create style guides, and edit your documents. We will develop editorial processes for quality control of all your written materials. You can count on the experts at Seven Oaks Consulting for all your content needs too. We will create original content to educate and motivate your audience to take action. Contact us today to learn more or request a custom quote.
Project Managers Responsibilities
5 Things Successful Project Managers Do Differently
Project managers' responsibilities include communication, deadline management, and more. Successful ones do several things to effectively manage their teams and keep projects on track.
Project Managers' responsibilities - what successful project managers do differently
1. They communicate clearly.
Good project managers are comfortable speaking with their team members and clients about difficult topics. Project managers understand that it’s essential to keep lines of communication open constantly but that not all team members prefer to communicate the same way. Some people like to send text or e-mail messages, while others prefer to use the phone. The manager needs to be honest, clear, and concise when dealing with all team members.
2. They manage the project’s deadlines.
A successful project manager holds regular status meetings to keep track of the project’s progress over time. These meetings help the manager understand the next steps, action items, and project risks.
The client will also appreciate regular reports about the project details. These reports can be in writing or by phone to reassure the client that the project is progressing as agreed. It’s also an excellent way to build a relationship with the client.
3. They schedule enough time for tasks.
Every project should have a well-defined scope of work. If the guidelines are clear, the team has guidelines and expectations about what it needs to deliver.
The project manager should sit down with the team and the client at the start of the project to review its scope. During this meeting, the manager will review the time required for the different tasks to ensure enough time is devoted to each scheduled task. If necessary, deadlines can be adjusted to reflect the time required to complete the tasks.
4. They know when to contact an expert.
There will be times when the team has questions, and the project manager should check whether the answer is in the project brief. If it is not covered there, it’s time to pull in a subject matter expert to get some guidance.
Good managers ask their team members to clarify their questions. They take detailed notes and find someone with the right expertise to help.
5. They support their team members.
To be successful, a team needs someone who supports their efforts and encourages them to keep working toward completing the project. The manager keeps everyone in sync and motivated. They are responsible for meeting deadlines while inspiring the team members to give each task their best effort throughout the process.
A successful project manager offers praise for good work when appropriate. They are not afraid to ask a team member whether they have considered something that the employee should have included in their work. When requesting additions or revisions, a good project manager focuses on the task and never attacks the team member’s dignity.
Seven Oaks Consulting Offers Marketing Project Management Services You Can Count On
We know that many successful businesses prefer to hire the services they need on a contract basis, and that includes project managers' responsibilities. We’ll manage your editorial calendar, create style guides, edit your documents, and develop editorial processes for quality control of all your written materials. You can count on the experts at Seven Oaks Consulting for all your content needs too. We create original content to educate and motivate your audience to take action. Contact us today to learn more or request a detailed quote.
An Introduction to Marketing Project Management
Marketing project management encompasses the tasks required to organize, develop, and administer a marketing campaign. It increases productivity in your business by ensuring each team member can focus on their specific tasks. The team meets the requirements for a successful marketing campaign as it finishes the tasks correctly and on schedule.
1. What Is a Marketing Project Manager?
The marketing project manager is the person who ensures that all the people and elements involved with completing a project are working in sync. They are part juggler, part coach, and part diplomat in their work. A marketing project manager ensures that all tasks are completed on time, under budget, and by the appropriate people, often coordinating multiple timelines to ensure that deliverables are met.
These managers often work with various departments to complete projects. This can be challenging as each team has different, sometimes competing, demands on their time. The marketing project manager may need to be very diplomatic as they negotiate for other departments’ time to work on a project.
An example of this could be a customer relationship management (CRM) software to be selected, chosen, installed, and set up at a company. While marketing may lead the project, the IT department has to be intimately involved in the selection and installation portion of the project. This may lead to competing demands on the implementation team’s time. A marketing PM may need to work with an IT PM or others to ensure sufficient time is allocated and schedules are reasonable.
2. What is the marketing project manager's role in the company?
It is not always easy to define the marketing project manager's role. In basic terms, it involves managing projects involving customer experience. The marketing project manager works with the business owner and technical experts to understand the requirements for success in a campaign.
Marketing project managers may work on specific marketing campaigns involving a company's product or service offered to customers. They may also ensure that the company's customer service department is communicating with callers effectively. Marketing project managers may also work with outside agencies as required to promote the company's products and services.
Anyone working as a marketing project manager needs to have specific skills to succeed in this role. The following list includes the most important ones.
3. What skills do marketing project managers need?
Time Management
This skill is arguably the most important since the projects they are working on have deadlines. The team must complete several tasks on a specific schedule. A project manager in marketing must see the big picture and track the smaller tasks that make up the marketing campaign.
Organizational Skills
A marketing campaign comprises many tasks, and team members can work on them simultaneously. Other jobs depend on task completion before they start, much like you can't start painting the interior of a house before wall construction. In a marketing project, the manager would be responsible for tracking deadlines, managing schedules, and ensuring the project stays on budget.
Outstanding Communication Ability
Communication is not just about sharing information with others. It’s also (and possibly more importantly) about listening effectively. The marketing project manager will need to lead a meeting with their team. They need to keep the marketing director updated on the project's status.
Part of the marketing project manager's duties may include being the contact point for the client on the project. In this role, they need to understand the client's needs and then convey them to the team transparently. Suppose a team member is having difficulty with part of the project. In that case, the manager must listen empathetically and then work with the team member to find a solution.
Goal Management Skills
When talking about goal management skills, we refer to several abilities connected to goals. These include:
- Setting goals
- Identifying objectives that can help in meeting goals
- Developing plans for meeting goals
Goal management skills are valuable to someone working as a marketing project manager. There will be several opportunities to set goals during the project to ensure the campaign is successful.
For example, a marketing campaign goal might be to attract a certain number of new customers to sign up for the company's e-mailing list during a set period.
Task Delegation
Task delegation is when tasks are defined and divided among team members. The project manager must give the team clear deadlines and a delivery method.
The marketing project manager will need to choose the best team member for each task. Their decision will affect the project's outcome.
Problem Solving Abilities
Unfortunately, no project ever runs smoothly. There are always some bumps in the road, which means the manager should have good problem-solving abilities.
When these issues arise, the project manager in charge of marketing stays calm. They need to focus on understanding the problem thoroughly and then deciding on a solution.
4. Responsibilities and Talents
What types of responsibilities does a marketing project manager take on in their career? What talents would they draw on in their work? Continue reading to learn more.
Negotiation Skills
All marketing project managers deal with deadlines and work with their teams. The project manager also needs to be mindful of deadlines when communicating with the client and external vendors. If the scope of the project changes, deadlines are adjusted accordingly and communicated to the team members.
Relationship Building
The marketing project manager works with people from many different backgrounds. They act as the client lead and the advocate for the internal team. It takes special relationship-building skills to work with creative and talented team members and clients who want to see their vision translated into a successful marketing campaign.
Familiarity with marketing Project Management Software
Marketing project management software is a valuable tool to manage projects through their entire lifecycle. Each project is unique in its exact needs and complexity. A software package like Trello or Basecamp helps all team members keep track of their tasks and deadlines.
The software tracks the tasks assigned to each team member and their deadlines, and the software also registers task completion. The software also allows the team members to communicate with each other and the project manager if they have questions or need help.
Positive Outlook
The marketing project manager plays a crucial role in their successful marketing campaigns. They are the person in charge of keeping everything on track, after all.
When things go well, the project manager can share the accolades for a job well done with the rest of their team. If a campaign does not go as expected, it is their job to analyze how to do things better next time.
Give Your Team Members Clear Objectives
When giving your team members instructions, be clear about how they need to perform the task. If another team member's work depends on the first task's completion, let the first person know so that the work continues to flow smoothly.
Make Materials Accessible to Your Team
Create a folder with photos, videos, and other documents your team can access readily. Mark the folder and upload it to your project management software.
Set Up Automated Notifications
Program your project management software to let team members know when someone completes a task. This option keeps the entire team in the loop about the project's status.
5. Marketing Project Manager Success Tips
Consider the following tips to help you be successful as a project manager for marketing.
When giving your team members instructions, be clear about how they need to perform the task. If another team member's work depends on the first task's completion, let the first person know so that the work continues to flow smoothly.
project management from seven oaks consulting: quality, customized, affordable
Your business may not have a full-time marketing project manager, or your project managers may have their hands full already. That’s where Seven Oaks Consulting comes in.
When you work with the team from Seven Oaks Consulting, you are hiring experts in content marketing management. We will prepare a customized plan for your business that fits your vision, your voice, and works with your budget. Our content is designed to attract your audience’s attention and encourage them to take action.
Contact us today to learn more about our marketing project management services or to request a detailed quote.
Marketing Education Without a Degree
Nothing substitutes for a marketing education or a marketing degree. It’s invaluable, especially when seeking full-time employment as a marketing manager.
However, I became a marketing manager without a formal marketing education. Here are the steps I took to learn to be a marketing professional without a marketing degree.
My Story - from Executive Assistant to Marketing Manager
I majored in English literature at Molloy College, a small Catholic college in New York state. My goal was to be a novelist. I wanted to write classic works of literature, including science fiction and fantasy.
Yet I had to make a living. The occasional magazine stories I sold didn’t pay for much! I worked first as an advertising copywriter, then took a job as an Executive Assistant to the president of a nursery and landscaping company on Long Island’s North Shore.
His company included both a bustling garden center that catered to the rich, famous and wealthy, as well as a landscape design firm. It was one of the few large garden center businesses to have its own marketing manager, and I worked with her extensively. When she was let go in July 1995, the president asked me to take over the role since I wrote well and had worked alongside her.
It was my first marketing gig and I knew nothing! I messed up so many things it’s amazing I lasted the next two years. But last I did, and I ended up creating some fantastic advertising that one customer actually scrawled a message on and brought in to show his appreciation for the ad. I still have a copy of that ad.
After leaving the nursery in 1997, I went on to lead marketing for a financial services company and then for a series of education testing, professional development, and publishing companies before founding my own content marketing agency. Along the way, I did return to school, and completed a master of science in direct and digital marketing at New York University, earning not only a degree “with distinction”, the university’s highest honor, but also two national direct marketing awards.
5 Ways to Learn Marketing Without a Marketing Education
Here’s how I ensured my own marketing education despite starting in the profession without a marketing degree.
- Learn from a colleague.
One of the first things I did when working at the nursery was study what the current marketing manager was doing. I followed her original blueprint for my first year in my new role as marketing manager, using her example to maintain marketing continuity. At each job, I was able to observe either what the previous marketing manager had done by reviewing her plans or by working alongside a more seasoned marketer. You can learn a lot from your colleagues. Here at Seven Oaks Consulting, we feature an unusual model of taking on a lot of college students and recent graduates as part of our content team. It’s not that we prefer junior marketers on the team, but we love to help them grow. It’s paying the profession forward -- helping to build the stellar marketers we hope to see someday in the field. To do that, they need to learn from seasoned professionals as I was able to do so long ago.
- Read books by the experts.
In every field or endeavor, there are known experts. In content marketing, Joe Pulizzi comes to mind, along with Ann Handley. Both are true experts in content marketing. My former NYU professor of direct marketing finances, Heidi Cohen, is also known as a content marketing and digital marketing expert. Read their books and learn marketing from people who don’t just talk about it but actually do it!
- Keep up with the news.
Another way in which I learned the marketing profession as a junior marketing manager was to read industry news. I’d take along Direct Marketing News to read on the train during my commute or I’d read Advertising Age the Wall Street Journal. This continued my education by exposing me to current marketing trends and campaign examples.
- Attend conferences.
I learned so much at the old Direct Marketing Days New York and the New York City Direct Marketing Club meetings. The guest speakers, the trade show booths, the small group sessions....I’d leave with copious notes and ideas about what to incorporate into my own marketing plans. Some of the contacts I made at those trade shows remain good friends. If you can, attend marketing conferences live or online as much as possible.
- Ask a lot of questions.
Vendors want to share their knowledge with you. Ask questions of everyone! I went on press with my printing vendor to learn more about catalog production and eventually became a known expert in the field of traditional direct marketing thanks to my deep understanding of both mailing houses and printing. Marketing vendors were keen to help me understand new techniques and ideas. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions.
Now...If I Had to Learn Marketing Without a Degree
How things have changed since I was a young college graduate studying marketing on my own!
The internet has opened up tremendous potential learning opportunities for marketing managers. You can watch YouTube videos, subscribe to podcasts, download tons of books thanks to Amazon Kindle and Google Play, and so much more.
Hubspot free marketing courses enable any junior marketing manager to learn from the comfort of their own homes. Need to learn marketing software such as MailChimp or ConvertKit? The software vendors themselves provide training!
Many of the old newspapers like Direct Marketing News have gone digital. Gone are the days when the only way to learn about new techniques and marketing research was by attending a conference or seminar. But the opportunities unfolding daily on the internet have made it easier than ever for someone motivated to learn to find the information they need.
A marketing education remains, to me, a priority for anyone interested in a full-time career in marketing. I wouldn’t trade my New York University degree for anything. It was an amazing experience to learn in a workshop environment, to go to the offices of some of the best creative agencies in the world and watch as they planned campaigns, to learn marketing finances and accounting from people who were actually working in the profession.
But if you aren’t blessed or lucky enough to be able to earn a marketing degree, you can still ensure your marketing education with these ideas.
How Brand Storytelling Increased ROI by 2,700%
Brand storytelling or content marketing engages the imagination, encourages buyer curiosity, and brings customers into your brand story like no other marketing technique I know.
Case in point: the right story increases ROI by 2,700%.
And no, that’s not a typo.
Here’s the story behind this dramatic increase in ROI and how you can grab your own share of that incredible profit potential.
A Tale of Two Brand Stories
Ancient Quartz Crystal Unearthed
Do you see this crystal?
It was unearthed during an excavation in Virginia. As dawn’s rosy fingers touched the sky, a ray of sunlight fell upon the earth, illuminating the crystal with inner fire. Legend has it that the land where the crystal was found was once a sacred hunting ground. Many flint and stone arrowheads have been found nearby, and evidence of old forests of oak and poplar, inhabited by abundant herds of deer, point to a time long gone when Indians roamed the quiet mossy woods. Perhaps Mother Earth, hearing the cries of her children, gave this healing crystal from her generous supply to restore harmony to the finder. Who knows?
My New Paperweight
Do you see this chunk of quartz crystal?
One morning as I walked my dog across the lawn, I stubbed my toe on a rock. I kicked at the point of muddy rock a bit more until I realized it was part of a bigger rock. My dog started digging and soon handed me what at first looked like a chunk of mud. But I saw a little glimmer so I rinsed it off under the garden hose. It was a beautiful hunk of almost pure quartz. I liked it so I kept it on my desk as a paperweight.
Stories That Sell – The Power of Brand Stories
Both stories are true. I just spun them differently. Which one did you find more appealing?
The second story is, of course, the true story. I stubbed my toe on what I thought was a plain old rock sticking out of the ground while I was walking my dog one morning. I noticed a little glimmer, though, and washed off the rock. Much to my delight, I had a huge chunk of almost perfect quartz. It seems as if my house is actually built on a large quartz deposit. We continually find the most beautiful quartz under the lawn, pure, white, and rose.
But some people who love using crystals for healing might be more attracted to the story of the ancient ground expelling a quartz with healing properties. I wrote this story with a lot of flamboyance and hyperbole, which isn’t my typical style, and not something I might find appealing.
Many copywriters have used such a style to successfully sell products. The most famous example is an advertisement written by the legendary John Caples. “They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano” is a long form ad, or advertorial, used to sell an online course. And it is famous for good reason: not only is it immediately compelling, but it uses the story of an imaginary customer, one who purchased and used the course successfully, to sell the home study music course. It engages the imagination, the emotions, and weaves a net of desire in the prospect’s mind to encourage them to buy the course.
Good content marketing does the same. It uses brand storytelling to sell, and engages the emotions before engaging logic to encourage customers to take the desired action. It builds awareness, interest, desire, and action (AIDA), the proven formula for increasing sales.
The Significant Object Project
Stories sell. Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn conducted an anthropological experiment that has had significant ramifications for marketing professionals. Walker and Glenn’s experiment “demonstrated that the effect of narrative on any given object’s subjective value can be measured objectively.”
To conduct their experiment, the duo purchased $129 worth of tchotchkes, or low value objects from dollar stores. (You know what I mean. C’mon, your house is probably full of them. Mine is.) They hired creative writers to weave compelling narratives around the objects. Then, they placed each object on eBay and measured the final sales value of objects enhanced with stories.
The results: $129 worth of objects generated $3.6 million in net profits, an increase of 2,700%.
This experiment, dubbed the Significant Objects Social Experiment, illustrated what many in marketing had known all along – stories sell more products and enhance their perceived value.
Why Do Stories Increase Perceived Value?
Humans evolved with both logic and emotion. In fact, our emotional brains tend to overrule our logical brains. This is why many marketing and sales techniques play on feelings of scarcity, love, hunger, and desire. Sex sells. So does inadequacy, comfort, longing, status, and a hundred other emotional nuances inherent in the human condition.
Stories tap into the emotional aspect of the buying process and serve as a shortcut directly into the customers’ minds.
Many companies bombard their customers with logic; facts, figures, and features galore. But it is the stories about the products that actually help them sell; the case studies, success stories, and benefits to the end customer. These are what harnesses the emotions of customers and transforms browsers into buyers, looky-lous into loyal fans.
The Bottom Line: Key Takeaways for Marketers
The bottom line is that stories sell. Brand stories are especially powerful as they engage customers in the overall company narrative like nothing else can. But product stories, service stories, and success stories are also powerful motivators.
Your Digital Marketing Action Steps
- Don’t flood your audience with facts and figures. Even if you sell a highly technical product, start with the story first and support it with facts and figures.
- Use plain, creative, and natural language in your written materials. Avoid corporate and industry jargon. I always have a tough time convincing my clients in engineering and manufacturing that this is so because they love their jargon (marketers do, too). But at the end of the day, engineers and manufacturers are people, with brains hardwired to love stories. Their stories may resonate with numbers but they still love a good story!
- Show, show, and show – then tell. Demonstrate the value of your products. Paint colorful pictures about your products with words, photos, and videos. Collect testimonials and success stories among your customers and get their permission to share them. But above all, show – don’t tell – your customers what value they’ll receive from your brand, your business, your products and services.
Strengthen your content. Strengthen your business. If you’re ready to build a content marketing program that actually supports sales, improves brand trust, and drives long‑term results, Seven Oaks Consulting can help. We specialize in strategic, high‑quality B2B content that reflects your expertise and speaks directly to your customers’ needs.
Contact Seven Oaks Consulting to start building a smarter content marketing strategy.