By Haylin Belay
The Brief
They say content is king. It’s also a hell of a lot of work. As such, the role of CMO seems to get more and more complex with every passing year and every new social media platform. But there is one way the CMO can stay ahead of each change: by surrounding him or her self with three key groups. These relationships will keep the CMO in the winning seat.
They say content is king. It’s also a hell of a lot of work. As such, the role of CMO seems to get more and more complex with every passing year and every new social media platform. But there is one way the CMO can stay ahead of each change: by surrounding him or her self with three key groups. These relationships will keep the CMO in the winning seat.
To stay not only out of the weeds but also ahead of the game, a CMO must surround herself with, and then leverage, a network of diverse but effective (not to mention hyper-competent) individuals. Here are the three groups that every CMO needs for success, and how to gain their loyalty:
1. Your internal team
It goes without saying that without your core team, your marketing strategy is doomed to fail. But how do you strike the balance between being loved, and being feared? Aim for the middle: Establish yourself as someone who is receptive to new ideas and takes decisive action. That way, your team will feel confident coming to you with new ideas and innovative collaborations—no micro-managing required.
2. Your external consultants
Finding consultants and content producers to aid your marketing strategy can be tricky business. There’s a glut of options out there, so it’s critical to separate out the high-quality individuals. That’s where referrals are critical. Seek out your most-connected contacts and ask for referrals from their networks. With a few expert relationship capitalists in your back pocket, you’ll never come up short.
3. Your brand partners
Better market reach starts with smarter brand partnerships. Do your brand partners reside exclusively in your industry? Bad news: you’re seriously limiting your own success. Seek out new cross-sector opportunities by building relationships outside of your industry network, and watch your bottom line reap the benefits.
For more tips on strengthening your internal, external and cross-sector relationships to boost your marketing edge, download RelSci’s latest whitepaper, “The Three Groups Every CMO Must Leverage.”
Haylin Belay is a freelance writer and blogger based in New York City. She is a frequent contributor to the RelSci blog.
RelSci is a technology solutions company that helps create competitive advantage for organizations through a crucial yet vastly underutilized asset: relationship capital with influential decision makers. Download the full white paper on the three groups every CMO must leverage to save their job.
