This week, our CEO Bret Smith and several of HIPB2B’s other leaders are attending The MarTech Conference in Boston – where they’re rubbing elbows with the industry’s top demand marketers.
It made us start thinking. Who are the types of marketers they’d meet there? Not what their specialties are but the approach they use to plan and executive their marketing strategies.
How would they appear in a card game? What would their strengths be? What about their weaknesses?
The Executive
Overview: They see the company at a higher level. In many cases, they may have even founded the company. This intimate knowledge of both the company and market make them give them the perfect platform to become thought leaders.
Strengths:
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They know the customers and the market
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They see the big picture
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They’re well-placed for thought leadership
Weaknesses:
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They get hung up on the details
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They’re obsessed with conversion (the bottom line)
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They always want to try something new
Strategy: This forward-thinking, all-knowing demand marketer is quick to act and react to the latest trend —both internally and externally. They see all and will often push something they’re inspired by without thinking about how that will be done. The advice for these leadership types is:
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Pick your battles
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Trust your specialists (managers, directors, etc.)
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Use your platform to talk about what’s important
The Instinctive
Overview: This type of demand marketer follows the trail of her instincts as she navigates the digital world. She spots trends and strategies naturally as she does her work and relentlessly follows those instincts.
Strengths:
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They’re aware of industry trends and they keep your brand current
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They innovate by adapting other’s ideas
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They are decisive
Weaknesses:
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They might get hung up on what competitors are doing and lose track of what her customers are interested in
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They can become over-invested in their own ideas and strategies
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They are prone to impulsive decision making
Strategy: These intuitive types should use their gut feelings to come up with hypotheses for tactics and strategies, then use data to prove if their hypotheses are true or false. If you’re the type who, “feels it in their bones,” we recommend you:
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Know that you have to convince others to follow your gut feelings with data
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Brainstorm ideas and keep a notebook of all the ideas you get as you work so you don’t lose them
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Set up a calendar to implement strategies so you can manipulate one tactic and see its effect
The Nerd
Overview: Two words. Data. Marketing. This type of marketer not only has taken countless marketing courses, but they’re also a master data manipulator. They can see and theorize about data trends quickly and easily.
Strengths:
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They keep up with the latest tools and technology.
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They know how to turn raw data into usable information
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They’re able to make data-based decisions and use data to inform strategy
Weaknesses:
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They have a hard time making decisions without data
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They might get so stuck on optimizing every detail that they lose sight of the big picture
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There is a large skill gap between them and many other marketers
Strategy: This type is detail and data focused. While this is good, their attention to detail can lead them to being caught up in the weeds:
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Sometimes let the insights of others guide what data trends you analyze
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Try to think of the big picture as you look at data trends
The Drama Queen
Overview: This is the Buzzfeed of the demand generation world. They know what kind of titles people are clicking Facebook and are trying to make their marketing just as wildly popular.
Strengths:
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They know what’s trendy beyond your industry
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They’re in-touch with younger demographics
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They know how to create interest around topics some would consider boring
Weaknesses:
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They often oversell in the headlines, causing the content to disappoint (clickbait)
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They might come off spammy
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They’re too worried about the click and less about the conversion
Strategy: As this type of demand marketer, you’ll find you have great impressions, likes, and click through rates, but can you keep them on the page. We advise you:
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Make sure your title is accurate and your content itself is valuable
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Don’t get too off your brand voice in your quest for clicks
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Be wary of spamming your audience
The Expert
Overview: This person is the ultra-knowledgeable, highly experienced and well-read industry expert. They know all the classic and trendy terms in marketing today.
Strengths:
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They’re able to use ultra-precise language
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They speak the language of their customers
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They sound official and authoritative
Weaknesses:
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Their content tends to be dense and difficult to read
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Their authoritative views lead to strong opinions, which can be off-putting
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Their level of detail can intimidate beginners
Strategy: This wordy authoritarian needs to focus on making sure they can be understood. We recommend:
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Ensureyour language is clear, not laden with expert lingo
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Have a newcomer to the industry or someone outside of the industry edit for clarity (in top-of-funnel content especially)
The Perfectionist
Overview: This marketer will not let any messaging be sent out unless it meets their standards of perfection. This can be both positive or negative.
Strengths:
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This detail-oriented sort has certain standards for quality content
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Their copy is clean
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They’re always putting out the best work they can
Weaknesses:
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They may take too long on certain content setting back deadlines
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They’re overly critical of their coworker’s work
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They might put in more effort than a piece of content is worth
Strategy: This marketer knows all the rules and enforces them. They might come off harsh, nitpicky or demanding to those they work with, but your content will always be top-quality. Some advice for this type includes:
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Block out a period for the project and stop when that time has elapsed (as long as the content is done)
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Consider whether a change needs to be made or not — sometimes just because you want the change doesn’t mean it’s necessary
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Don’t let your perfectionist tendencies keep you from trying new strategies
The Storyteller
Overview: This creator likely wants to be an author. They want to tell stories with compelling characters. They’re unafraid of trying new things and go for authentic communications wherever possible.
Strengths:
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They’re always looking for the most compelling parts of your branding
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They know the structures of a good story, including the hook and the main feature
Weaknesses:
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They might overexaggerate a story to make it more compelling
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They may decide the most compelling part o the content is not within your niche
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They’re true to themselves and your brand
Strategy: For this sort, make sure you remain true to your branding while you pursue its stories. We recommend:
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Interviewing employees and customers for true stories
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Make sure you don’t exaggerate or outright lie in order to be compelling
What kind of marketer are you? Are you any of these? Have you met any of these types at a recent trade show?
The best marketing teams have a variety of these types in their department. Sometimes, you’ll find your coworker or that guy you met a trade show is a blend of two different personality types. What can you do with that information? Let us know what you come up with.
