We’re all familiar with the humorous cliché “how many (fill in the blank) does it take to screw in a light bulb?” Obviously, most anyone can handle the mechanical task of inserting a light bulb into the appropriate receptacle. However, the light bulb itself has no value without a bevy of expertise from electricians, engineers and support personnel driving electricity to the socket. The same holds true for marketers in implementing online marketing strategies.
I recently wrote a post about the number of experts required to design a website that engages visitors and drives traffic through organic search results. Yet a website is just one platform of a successful online marketing strategy. Technology is driving more sophistication in search as well as social marketing.
So, how many experts does it take to drive an effective online marketing strategy?
More than you may realize. There is a big difference between being online and generating results that drive revenue opportunities. Marketers seeking maximum results from online marketing require a full team with diverse skill sets that include:
- Ad and PPC Manager – Online ad campaigns can be powerful lead generators. This entails the ongoing measuring, testing and refining of your keywords, ad copy, landing pages and lead conversions. Well-managed and targeted ad campaigns often pay for themselves in lower costs per lead.
- Analyst – Marketers that pay attention to metrics enjoy more successful online marketing results. Metrics tell you what is working. Moreover, they provide guidelines in how to improve your online marketing strategies. Even more important for a marketer, they provide ROI to justify your marketing projects.
- Communicator – Are some marketers working on offline campaigns? Are others focused on online marketing? Integrating offline and online marketing requires planning, strategy, coordination and collaboration.
- Content Manager – Content is King when it comes to online marketing. Most companies have a wealth of content that can be repurposed into valuable online content that has never yet crossed a marketer’s desk. A content manager coordinates between departments to repurpose a treasure trove of quality content that is shareable on the web.
- Designer – Good design is synonymous with quality. Most products and services will render far better results with a well-designed website, landing pages and blog.
- Editor – Even the best writer needs one. Have a second pair of eyes read all blog posts and content before publishing.
- IT Technician – Do not confuse the skill sets of an IT technician, a programmer and a webmaster. The ideal role of an IT technician in your online strategy is configuring the website’s servers. When an IT technician is familiar with the latest web technology or code optimization best practices, their role can be expanded.
- Programmer – Writing code is not always synonymous with understanding website technology. Not all programmers are webmasters, nor are all webmasters necessarily programmers.
- Project Manager – Offline marketing is comprised of several channels. The same is true in online marketing. Integrating offline and online marketing requires several layers of details. For successful execution of offline and online marketing strategies, a project manager is required.
- Publisher – Blogging is a powerful way to share valuable content with your target audiences. Marketers that think like a publisher are the new brand leaders.
- Public Relations – The role of public relations has changed dramatically with the advent of social marketing and online media. Social media and content search engine optimization are intricately interwoven in how online media gets found and shared on the web. Online media has become an intricate component of online marketing and public relations. Marketers that harness this powerful combination can achieve great results.
- SEO Specialist – Shareable content has become an important way for search engines to index and rank content. Optimizing your content for organic search has become more important than ever before. If you want to be found online…employ search engine optimization (SEO) best practices with shareable content strategies.
- Social Media Specialist – Engaging in social media through clear objectives is far different from “doing” social media. Social media revolves around content and relationships. Optimizing your social media efforts requires strategy, understanding your customer and where she spends time. It also requires social media etiquette which starts with listening. You can reduce the timeline between implementation and optimization by engaging a social media specialist or agency to engage with your target audiences and “share” your content.
- Story Teller – This overlaps with the content manager, but it may not be the same person. A story teller is usually someone with journalism experience. People engage with stories, not pitches. A good story teller will produce compelling content that tells stories and engages the audience.
- Marketing Strategist – The online connected world is evolving quickly. You need a marketing strategist that can develop your online marketing strategy and keep your marketing campaigns and initiatives moving forward as technological advances unfold.
- Webmaster – A webmaster’s expertise is focused on web related technology and how to apply them to your website for more search discoverability and visitor engagement. While some webmasters are programmers, not all programmers are webmasters. A talented webmaster has a blend of the technical skills needed along with a collaborative marketing attitude.
If you happen to look up from reading this post and notice your marketing department is a little shy on some of the aforementioned skills, do not despair. It is rare, even with large enterprises, to have such a comprehensive online marketing range of skills within a company’s marketing department. The good news is, marketers can hire specialists or get help from outside sources for the skills they need in order to implement the most effective online marketing strategies.
