Marketers are being asked to do more than ever before. Over the past five years, the prevailing narrative has been that marketing roles have changed, marketers are being asked to do more, and marketing leaders are being held accountable for more bottom-line business results.
It’s all discussed in a survey conducted by Target Marketing. Some of the top insights discussed in the article relate to the how marketers’ roles and responsibilities are changing; where marketers spend most of their time; what departments they interact with; and their strategy being ahead or behind where it should be.
One other question of import relates to satisfaction with marketing performance and the acquisition of new customers.
Respondents were asked to rate their satisfaction on a scale of one (not satisfied); three (satisfied); to five (extremely satisfied). It’s interesting to note that not one aspect in the chart above averaged three or higher. The highest satisfaction was in customer retention, which is intriguing since that activity typically has the fewest resources allocated to it.
I’d like to focus for a moment on the lowest satisfaction score (2.5) which relates to customer acquisition. While marketers are less satisfied with their efforts to attract new customers we all know that’s the lifeblood of any business; particularly a business that wants to experience continued growth.
So, either marketers are not being allocated adequate resources for this activity or they don’t feel that they have a successful strategy in place to attract new customers.
This statistic caught my eye since my firm assists businesses in this area. From my experience I can share that many businesses focus on what they do best which is providing a quality product or service, having superior processes in place, or providing an excellent customer experience. Marketing isn’t something that they focus on because they may not have the knowledge, they can’t allocate the time, or set as a priority on a consistent basis. It remains back of mind. They know it’s important but get caught up in the day-to-day of running their business.
This is where my firm can help. We can shoulder the burden through ongoing action and accountability. Business owners explain that it is such a relief when they can focus on what they do best and what they enjoy with the assurance that a steady stream of new customers will be coming through the door.
To schedule a free, 15-minute consultation contact me here: john@applexmarketing.com
If you’d like to read the full article, follow this link: https://www.targetmarketingmag.com/longform/state-marketing-leadership-2018/
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