- November 2, 2023
- Posted by: Featured
- Category: Expert Roundups
How to Empower Marketing Teams and Unleash Potential for Success
To help you discover effective methods to motivate and empower your marketing team, we asked twelve industry leaders, including CEOs and Marketing Managers, to share their best practices. From communicating and collaborating for client goals to empowering teams through decision involvement, these insights offer a range of strategies to boost team performance and morale.
- Communicate and Collaborate for Client Goals
- Tailor Motivation to Unique Team Roles
- Adopt Lean Methodologies in Marketing
- Foster Trust through Full Responsibility
- Empower Gen Z with Continuous Learning
- Implement the Synergy Sprint Method
- Motivate with Clear Goals and Objectives
- Boost Morale with the “Pass the Baton” Approach
- Spark Creativity through Independent Operation
- Onboard with a 90-Day Plans for Success
- Tap Potential through Job Crafting
- Empower Teams through Decision Involvement
Communicate and Collaborate for Client Goals
Proper communication and collaboration are the most effective methods I have used to motivate and empower my marketing team to reach their full potential. We had a client who was so focused on getting improved SERPs and organic website traffic, along with a steady improvement in quarter-on-quarter sales.
I communicated with the team about the client’s demands and set the expectations straight. The team rolled up their sleeves and came up with ideas to reach the desired outcome. We held multiple brainstorming sessions, along with a SWOT analysis. We then split up tasks and built separate teams to target the client’s goals.
We had weekly review meetings to ensure the teams were on track and we were focused on the client’s goals. We were able to deliver the client’s goals and surpass the client’s expectations. The amazing results on the first project encouraged the client to hand over multiple projects to our team.
Cijo Abraham Mani
Digital Marketing Manager, IntBrains
Tailor Motivation to Unique Team Roles
I have worked at several marketing and ad agencies, and have also had the pleasure of being the Director of Marketing for several brands and companies.
Within each marketing team, there are several key pivotal roles that, when combined, lead to the success of all marketing efforts. Each role requires a different approach in motivating, encouraging, and training for that team member to feel a true impact. Their activities outperform and are acknowledged, while also reaching beyond their potential.
Those are the types of teams I enjoy working with. Nothing is too big or too small if all efforts are aligned properly, and each member of the team feels that their input matters, is important, and always encouraged.
Joshua Brownfeld
Director of Marketing, Garrison Flood Control Systems, LLC.
Adopt Lean Methodologies in Marketing
The application of lean methodologies, often applied in efficient manufacturing settings, within marketing empowers teams to perform at their highest level. By employing standardized processes and adopting a mindset of continuous improvement, lean marketing practices serve to communicate expectations, effectively manage timelines, and enable teams to execute with efficacy. In practice, this looks like:
- Integrated project management systems that house all tasks, informed by
- Tested SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), step-by-step instructions for all recurring tasks to ensure repeatable, high-quality work, which is monitored by
- Weekly productivity metrics that measure team productivity, errors, and weekly goals.
In a time when marketing budgets are being cut, it is critical that departments become efficient, lean, and demonstrate efficacy.
Aubrey Ibele
Director of Marketing, Ronin
Foster Trust through Full Responsibility
Once properly trained, I give them full responsibility in managing their specific area. I trust them to perform at a high level until they’ve proven they can’t be trusted. Employees at every level are always clamoring to do more than the normal tasks associated with their role, in a desire to grow their experience and career. As a manager, it is my job to help build them up to be my eventual replacement.
Tony Wagner
Email Marketing Manager, Strategic America
Empower Gen Z with Continuous Learning
One effective method I use to motivate my team, especially because most of them are from Gen Z, is by constantly introducing new learning opportunities. This generation thrives on continuous development and growth. They desire more than just a paycheck – they seek to be challenged, to learn, and to grow.
For instance, I introduced a weekly “Learning Corner” in our team where a member presents a new concept, strategy, or tool they’ve discovered. This not only allows them to learn something new but also to share knowledge with the team. The impact was quickly noticeable. We saw a boost in team morale, engagement, and even creative solutions.
Plus, the overtly vocal Gen Z appreciated this change, as they felt their needs were being heard and addressed. This is crucial today when they can easily compare their work life with their peers through social media.
Timothy Clarke
Sr. Reputation and Marketing Manager, Rize Reviews
Implement the Synergy Sprint Method
A highly effective method I use to motivate and empower my marketing team is what we call the Synergy Sprint Method. This approach integrates regular feedback loops, Agile-inspired short-term goal-setting, and a rewarding system that honors victories.
The Synergy Sprint Method fosters continuous idea exchange and open communication among team members. Transparency with our biweekly goals provides crystal-clear insights into our primary mission, eliminating potential drifts. Recognition guarantees everyone understands their role.
Since introducing this method, our team has transformed! Beyond solo efforts, we’ve ignited electric collaboration, relentless brainstorming, and a dynamic exchange of game-changing ideas. Knowledge sharing has become second nature, enriching every strategy. Our monthly visits have soared threefold, conversions have hit 10%, and new clients keep pouring in!
Natasa Mezej
CEO, Promise WD
Motivate with Clear Goals and Objectives
Providing your marketing team with clear goals and objectives not only gives them a sense of purpose but also helps them understand what is expected of them. This can motivate team members to work towards a common goal and feel a sense of accomplishment when the goal is reached.
An example of this approach in action would be setting monthly or quarterly targets for the team to achieve. These targets can be tied to specific metrics, such as lead generation, website traffic, or sales numbers. By providing a clear objective and timeline, team members can focus on their tasks and prioritize their efforts towards achieving these goals.
Making these goals visible and tracking progress also allows for transparency within the team, giving team members a sense of ownership and accountability for their actions. This can lead to increased motivation and drive to perform at their best.
Keith Sant
CMO, Eazy House Sale
Boost Morale with the “Pass the Baton” Approach
One method I employ in rallying my marketing team is the “Pass the Baton” approach. Here, I allot a day each week where one team member is highlighted, allowing them to drive the day’s agenda, lead meetings, brainstorm, and strategize. This practice instills a sense of autonomy and importance, giving them the chance to use their creativity and leadership skills.
One beneficial repercussion of this approach occurred when one of our writers, a quiet but brilliant mind on our team, was given the baton. It emerged that she had a wealth of unique strategies for our current project and led us to a breakthrough.
Subsequently, not only was the project a success, but we also witnessed a substantial uplift in her confidence and overall team morale. Short, sweet, and decidedly effective!
Precious Abacan
Content Marketer, Softlist
Spark Creativity through Independent Operation
Letting our marketing team members operate independently has been a super-effective way to motivate and empower them. When people are free to make decisions and do their tasks without someone constantly looking over their shoulders, they step up and take ownership of their work. It sparks their creativity and problem-solving skills, which takes the team’s performance to a new level.
For instance, our recent campaign to launch a new product saw remarkable success when team members were given the space to brainstorm and implement their ideas autonomously. It not only resulted in a more diverse range of marketing strategies but also significantly boosted team morale as each member could see the direct impact of their contributions on the campaign’s success.
Travis Willis
Director of Customer Success, Aspire
Onboard with a 90-Day Plan for Success
Setting your team members up for success starts on day one. Every new team member experiences an in-depth, two-week onboarding process that covers the ins and outs of our business, product offerings, the markets we serve, and specific job responsibilities.
The culmination of onboarding is creating a 90-day plan, which defines objectives, metrics, and reinforces how a new hire’s role aligns with the company’s strategic plan. This provides them with clear actions to take and gives them some initial big wins that create momentum in the role.
We review the plan every 30 days to reinforce accountability and track relative performance. These check-ins aren’t just about ticking boxes; they’re about keeping the conversation flowing and sharing ideas between new folks and their managers. This process helps us figure out pretty quickly who is a culture fit for our startup, which drives down turnover rates and ups employee satisfaction, meaning we hang on to the good people.
Carlos Antequera
CEO and Co-Founder, Novel Capital
Tap Potential through Job Crafting
Job crafting is a collaborative exercise that can help marketers tap into their full potential. It’s all about clarifying job roles, aligning personal interests with company goals, and making work more engaging.
During a job-crafting session, usually done around annual reviews or promotions, a manager works with a marketing team member to understand their interests, career goals, and more. They also assess the organization’s needs and strategic plans to find where the two align.
This collaboration results in a proposed new job description or development plan. Job crafting works because it encourages open communication between managers and employees, asking questions like, “What really motivates you?” It focuses on internal motivations, which are more empowering than external ones.
By using job crafting to harness these internal motivations, you can boost employee engagement, plan for the future, and foster learning and development all in one go.
William Sipling, SHRM-PMQ
Director of Workforce Transformation, Hubstaff
Empower Teams through Decision Involvement
In our journey at ZenMaid, we found something powerful: letting the marketing team be part of decisions. It isn’t about tasks. It’s about trust. When team members feel they matter, everything changes. They dig deeper. The output? Impressive.
But here’s what makes it click: marketing growth is visible. When our team sees their work grow and how it pushes ZenMaid forward, it boosts their spirit. They’re not just doing tasks; they’re shaping our story. They see results. They get motivated. The takeaway? Let them in. Let them see their impact. Trust me, it transforms everything. They won’t just work; they’ll excel.
Amar Ghose
CEO, ZenMaid
Submit Your Answer
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