Winning in Digital Marketing
Companies that learn to expertly leverage digital marketing will survive and prosper through the challenging times ahead. The best way to accomplish this is by hiring the right digital marketing quarterback.
Winning in digital marketing is not so different from winning on the football field. Your most important person in digital marketing is the one who gets the ball down the field and into the end zone. This person can carry the title of Chief Digital Officer, Vice President of Digital Marketing, or Director of Digital Marketing. We will call this person the digital marketing quarterback.
Here are the top four things you need your digital marketing quarterback to do:
1. Know the game and develop an offensive plan.
A good quarterback understands both offense and defense. In the same way, your digital marketing quarterback should have a strong and broad knowledge of digital marketing. They don’t have to be good at everything. A football quarterback isn’t expected to pass, run, block, tackle, sack, defend the run, defend the pass, punt, and kick. However, your digital marketing quarterback should be able to develop the digital strategy necessary to support the company’s goals as well as outline the tactics necessary to deliver on that strategy. In order to develop an effective offensive plan, separate the “posers” from the “players”. Many can talk a big game, but few can actually deliver.
2. Execute the offensive plan.
Once the digital strategy is developed, then it is game time. Ensure that your digital marketing quarterback is a pragmatic leader. A good quarterback is willing to get their uniform dirty while getting the ball in the end zone. In order to align the entire team with the plan, your quarterback needs strong evangelism and communication skills. Additionally, project coordination and stewardship skills are critical to ensure that everyone plays their part in executing the offensive plan.
3. Change the plays at the line of scrimmage.
As military strategist Helmuth von Moltke once said, “No plan survives contact with the enemy.” This is especially true in the fast-changing landscape of digital marketing. Your digital marketing quarterback must respect and understand the vast amount of data analysis that is available in digital marketing. We don’t have to guess about the efficacy of the digital strategy. Instead, we can consistently (and accurately) measure and optimize. Your quarterback must be able to examine the defense and make the necessary adjustments based on what is happening on the field.
4. Get the right players in the game at the right time.
Football quarterbacks need to get the right players on and off the field. Similarly, your digital marketing quarterback has to get the right people involved at the right time. This may require developing an internal team or utilizing external consultants or agencies. It is your quarterback’s responsibility to get the right players in the game, or to at least have them waiting on the bench. For this reason, select a digital marketing quarterback who has experience building a team and/or working with outside experts. Contact us for more information on hiring your digital marketing quarterback.
