One of the best ways to increase your chances of marketing success is to designate a marketing point person, someone who can ensure that projects are completed and deadlines are met. The person you appoint to lead your marketing efforts will probably depend on the size of your firm. While large firms may be able to afford to hire full-time marketing managers—or outsource their marketing efforts to an agency—smaller firms typically rely on current employees to take on new responsibilities such as website updates, newsletter production and social media management.
However, marketing, like any other area of expertise, requires that people possess a certain skill set in order to be successful. Whether you’re hiring an outside consultant or hoping that an existing employee can manage your marketing needs, ask yourself these six questions before assigning responsibility.
- Is this person organized and capable of meeting deadlines? When it comes to marketing, it’s essential to stay on schedule and be consistent. Therefore, it’s also essential to be organized. Whether you’re committing to a quarterly newsletter or a certain number of social media posts per week, make sure your marketing point person can deliver on time.
- Does this person have time? Be realistic about how much time your marketing efforts will take. Some financial advisors have the misconception that marketing is something that can be “squeezed in” during an employee’s down time, but successful marketing requires a serious investment of time. If you assign marketing duties to an employee with too many other tasks on their plate, your social media page or e-newsletter may wind up on the back burner.
- Is this person detail-oriented? When you’re creating marketing materials, you need to be at the top of your game—meaning no spelling errors or unchecked facts. Make sure the person in charge is detail-oriented so that your business is always showing its best side.
- Is this person self-motivated? The whole point of delegating marketing tasks is to save time. Make sure the employee you choose is a self-starter who can take the lead without requiring too much direction.
- Does this person have both the financial and marketing knowledge required to communicate with and coordinate outside vendors?Marketing for advisors requires knowledge of both the financial and marketing industries in order to be successful—which can be a tricky combination to find. Keep in mind that your marketing manager will need to possess enough knowledge to communicate with advisors, copywriters, web and graphic designers, and printers.
- Does this person understand the compliance issues related to financial services marketing? As an advisor, ensuring that your marketing materials stay within compliance guidelines is crucial. Be sure your marketing hire understands not just the regulations, but also the potential consequences for violating them.
Delegate for Success
If you want to increase your company’s chances of marketing success, it’s essential to delegate. Assigning responsibility for your firm’s marketing doesn’t mean that you’re forfeiting all control, though. You and other team members can—and should—have input in the firm’s overall marketing strategy. However, delegating routine tactics will keep your marketing consistent. And, if you’re thorough when selecting a marketing point person, your campaigns will be much more likely to deliver a valuable return on investment.
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Guest Contributor
Sarah Scorgie is a Copywriter at Wealth Management Marketing, Inc., a firm that provides outsourced marketing department services to Registered Investment Advisors and fee-only financial planning firms. For more information, visitwww.wealthmanagementmarketing.net.
