Virtual Marketing Directors: A Day in the Life
By Cheryl Salazar, The Partner Marketing Group
Are you using a virtual marketing directors to help with your marketing efforts? Software and technology partners and ISVs come to us seeking marketing assistance, but are often unclear as to what exactly they need. What they do know is they want to improve their marketing, build an effective marketing plan, establish a regular cadence and create powerful content they can stand behind. Getting there is the challenge.
How does a Virtual Marketing Director (VMD) help?
Having acted as a VMD with many different clients for the past seven years, my experience always takes on different forms depending on the individual goals, resources, target markets, etc. of the business.
Ultimately, what our VMD program is designed to do is assist software and technology partners and ISVs with:
- Ongoing strategic direction of their marketing
- Developing a cadence using internal or contract personnel
- Ensuring marketing tactics are implemented and executed on a regular basis
- Best practices and recommendations to improve results across channels
How does a VMD program work?
Marketing Assessment
The VMD engagement kicks off with an assessment which allows the VMD and the partner/ISV to dive deep into identifying opportunities and holes in current marketing initiatives.
30/60/90 Plan
One of the outputs of the assessment is a 30/60/90 plan to rectify issues such as aligning social properties, establishing messaging frameworks, identifying personas, uncovering content gaps and documenting areas for improvement and growth. This 30/60/90 day plan is co-owned by the VMD and the people accountable for executing against it.
Getting to Work
We don’t wait for the 30/60/90 plan to get started on other important marketing elements. If we find content is lacking, we will guide the process of creating new content and/or contacting the publisher to identify existing content available for nurture campaigns, newsletters, blogs and so on. A VMD often works closely with external vendors such as web developers, writers, designers, SEO specialists, etc. and coordinates all of these projects and initiatives for you. We ensure this is all optimized for you and, if not, will seek alternate solutions to get your marketing back on track.
If a partner organization has no internal resources to manage or execute against the marketing plan tactics and cadence, your VMD also has access to what we fondly refer to as a VMM—Virtual Marketing Manager. The VMM works under the direction of the VMD to ensure your plan is properly and promptly executed.
Consistent Communication
The most successful VMD engagements are ones where the business owner is fully invested in the process. You know your business best and you should consider your VMD as your partner. Expect to check in regularly with your VMD and provide the salient information and knowledge they need to help your business succeed.
Many of our VMD engagements run over multiple years. The partner showcased in this customer story, OTT, Inc., has been a VMD client of The Partner Marketing Group since 2011. Year over year we’ve grown the business together, expanded the product line, optimized websites, worked with publishers, and lots more to deliver measurable marketing improvements. We’ve also weathered the departure of internal resources and vendors to ensure we are always in market with a consistent presence and message.
Our VMD program isn’t for every business, but it is the perfect solution for partners and ISVs who want to improve their marketing and add industry expertise without hiring a full-time marketing director or manager. Give us a call anytime to learn more about it.
