Digital Marketing is relevant to every type of business because it has become the norm of advertising campaigns. However, the demand for digital marketing professionals has particularly boomed within the IT industry. This is good news for anybody aiming to make a career in this field because it opens a plethora of jobs, given the colossal amount of tech firms worldwide. Most of them are willing to pay good money to someone who knows his/her way around words and can boost their sales.
Despite having its perks, tech-based environments can be the opposite of supportive, especially if you’re working for a startup or small team. Perhaps you’re the sole person for the job and nobody else understands your marketing jargon. Another possible scenario is where the digital marketing team only consists of a few members who are outnumbered by a substantial margin. The boss or managers usually don’t know the basics of digital marketing and their technical way of thinking is a strong barrier. More than often they will dismiss your ideas if executing them requires a raise in budget.
IT firms that are new to digital marketing will take their time to overcome their conventional plan of action. Convincing them is no piece of cake and pretty much comparable to communicating with aliens from planet Jupiter. There’s no way to impose your ideas as you don’t have the upper hand. Fitting in or getting them to accept you as one of their own is uphill work. If you’re determined to make a place for yourself then the first thing to do is draft a well thought out digital marketing plan. Without a solid plan, you cannot make a valid argument and shall fail to tackle the questioning.
Miscommunication is the root of all problems when you’re trying to showcase your plan in front of an audience that speaks a different language. Programmers or developers have their own technical lingo which you might barely make sense of. Similarly, many terms commonly used among digital marketers can be equally confusing for them. Individuals from both parties tend to use several acronyms that may overlap or simply be misinterpreted by the other. Therefore, it is feasible to spell out the acronyms like SEO, SEM, CRM etc.
Using elaborated and simplified expressions will avoid any misconceptions or misunderstandings that could be problematic in the future. Both the tech team and the digital marketing team should define terms deemed unclear by either party. You can only work in harmony when there’s transparency and cooperation from both sides. When your co-workers truly comprehend your strategies and figure out how they will work out, only then they will be willing to invest in the plan.
Do all the math before you pitch any idea. Design a presentation that highlights all the past losses due to absence of or inadequate digital marketing. Show them how your program can change the game and boom business. Use as many numerical figures as possible to stimulate their brain cells and aid in grasping the concepts. Make calculations of estimated profits or gains that the company can achieve while doing things your way. All the stakeholders must recognize the importance of what you’re trying to make happen, so that they can support the venture wholeheartedly.
If you get hired by an agency that relies on rather outdated marketing techniques, hold back from expressing any offensive judgement. You can start by asking why they are operating in the present way and what changes they are willing to make? Oblivious to the latest trends, it is unlikely that they will be psyched to move towards something completely untried. You won’t instantly get a generous grant or even a mere nod of approval. The only way is to go bit by bit; you will have to start small and gradually move towards bigger goals. Small successes will lead the way into wider opportunities and support.
Developing teams will always prioritize their own work and might consider digital marketing projects as “unnecessary”, or ‘a poor investment of resources’. Learning a couple of front-end development skills will liberate you from the dependency and help earn their respect. CSS and HTML are the go-to skills in this situation, and learning SQL won’t hurt either. Nonetheless, every now and then it will be inevitable to collaborate with a technical team. Marketing teams are accustomed to a stipulated workflow, unlike developers who usually follow an Agile approach. In order to make the project happen, you will have to try and temporarily adopt their system; if you’re lucky, they’ll meet you in the middle.
If the developing team does not cooperate in spite of your positive efforts, then you may request the upper management to intervene. However, try to keep it as civil as possible by blaming the impossible workload, instead of the people. Most of the time developers already have a lot on their plate and are forced to say ‘no’ to work that looks extra. Sometimes the only rational solution is hiring more team members in order to lighten the burden.
When working for a small-scale tech business or startup, it is probable that you won’t have anyone to give you guidance. There are chances that your boss doesn’t know the ABCs of digital marketing, so be prepared to shoulder a massive responsibility. In any case you will require some mentorship and will have to seek that elsewhere. The easiest way is to self-teach by referring to online material and another option is to network with other people in your field. Learn from the experience of others and see how you can build upon their strategies to further refine the outcome.
It is difficult to get through with people with a one track mind, so thorough research is compulsory before you make a proposal. Maybe you came up with a brilliant plan, but fail to explain it to its full potential. Don’t give up after the first rejection; spruce up the same content and try again. Don’t be afraid to make a deal or take up a challenge if you’re aiming high. Backup all your plans with facts and examples to make a strong impression. Sometimes taking risks pays off and sometimes it doesn’t; at least you won’t have any regrets!