I’ve gone with something a little different for this week’s blog; reflecting on the best guidance I’ve benefited from over the past 15 years.
Here are the ones that stayed with me and I still use to this day.
Don’t shy away from the numbers
As someone who has always leant more towards the content and PR side of things than the technical end of the scale, it would have been easy to ignore the data.
And to a certain extent, I did. It wasn’t until I got to my second agency that I started using Search Console on a regular basis – something I’m actually a little embarrassed by. I subsequently had it drummed into me that data is the key to everything, and that it’s just as relevant for someone drafting web copy or planning a media campaign, as it is to someone running PPC ads or doing technical fixes.
I learnt to love the numbers, and now make them my starting point, so I’m grateful that I was encouraged to focus on something I might have otherwise avoided.
Ask ‘why’
Technically, this wasn’t a piece of advice, more something I picked up through osmosis, but it’s a fundamental one.
Asking ‘why’ can uncover what clients actually want, versus what they’re asking for. The classic example is a client who wants to be on page 1 of Google but what they really want is more traffic. It may be that there’s a better channel to focus on for them, or that the particular keyword in question doesn’t have the right intent behind it.
Asking ‘why?’ helps you dig a little deeper, whether that’s uncovering more context, or getting to the root of the problem or goal.
Be yourself
At my first agency, I was in a Head of Content role, when I was asked to take on clients from an account manager who was leaving. I panicked and said “but I’m not an account manager!” thinking I didn’t fit the stereotypical personality for the role. I got a surprised response from my manager who pointed out I’d been speaking to these clients regularly and unofficially doing the role anyway. When he shared the feedback they’d had from those clients, I realised that what I’d been thinking of as an ‘account manager’ type of character had nothing to do with what clients actually want or value.
It gave me a lot of confidence and from then on I really enjoyed managing accounts. There’s no point trying to be something you’re not. We all have different characters, or a slightly different way of doing things, but that doesn’t mean the other way is wrong. The permission to be yourself makes you feel more confident, happier and have stronger relationships with clients as a result.
Don’t be afraid to go beyond marketing
No department of a business can operate successfully in isolation, and that’s true of marketing in particular.
Sometimes a marketing campaign can work as well as possible, but there are other variables impacting success. An example that comes to mind is working with a phone insurance company. The data showed we were successfully driving traffic to the site, but people were dropping off at a specific point before conversion. My boss raised a conversation with them about how their Excess compared to the rest of the market, and their sales increased notably.
I’d say pick your cases carefully and consider how you put these points across so as not to overstep or undermine others in the business, but marketing data can provide valuable insights for other areas of the company. Plus, it shows you’re invested in the business as a whole, not just your own work.
The value of being a generalist
Digital marketing agencies can be known for quick growth or high turnover of staff, and this often leads to people jumping in to fill gaps that they may not have a lot of experience in. I remember someone telling me to embrace this as it makes you a more well-rounded marketer, and that people who are competent in various channels – whether that be PR, social and content, or email and ads – are actually rarer than you think.
Even if you’re not enjoying it, as long as you’re learning or gaining experience in something new, it’s likely to benefit you in the long run.
Here’s to the next five pieces of advice!