Welcome to another episode of “Blame it on Marketing”! Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s all too familiar in many organizations: handing over the reins of your marketing department to interns or junior team members. If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “Let’s just give marketing to the intern,” this post is for you.
First things first, why does this even happen? Lewis, our guest and sales director for Star Circle, sheds some light on this:
"In more corporate, less educated companies when they don't know much about marketing, they often hire someone cheap like a $35k marketing manager or even hand it over to an intern because the kids know the social media stuff nowadays."
In essence, it often boils down to cost-saving measures and a misunderstanding of what marketing truly entails. Marketing isn’t just about posting a few tweets or handling Instagram accounts; it’s a multifaceted discipline that requires strategic thinking and specialized skills.
Handing over marketing tasks to interns might seem like a quick fix, but it comes with several risks:
One of the biggest issues is the absence of a coherent marketing strategy. Marketing isn’t a one-person show, especially in growing businesses. Lewis points out:
"Marketing has a lot of different components like PPC, keywords, content, product marketing. It’s not too dissimilar to the rest of the business where you need different roles for different functions."
Without a structured approach, your marketing efforts can become scattered and ineffective, relying too much on reactive tasks rather than proactive strategy.
Interns and junior marketers are often eager to prove themselves, which can lead to them taking on more than they can handle. As Lewis puts it:
"They end up doing lots of activities and tasks but can’t step outside of the task themselves to do strategy or even say to their managers that things need to change for growth."
This not only caps potential growth but also leads to burnout among your junior staff.
Effective marketing should align closely with sales goals. However, junior marketers might focus solely on lead generation without understanding the bigger picture. Lewis explains:
"If you go into a junior marketer and say 'generate 50 meetings a month,' they might do that without understanding what happens to those leads afterward."
This siloed approach can lead to misaligned goals and wasted efforts.
So, what’s the solution? It’s all about building a balanced and well-structured marketing team.
Before bringing in junior staff or interns, ensure you have experienced marketers who can create and execute a solid strategy. These senior roles are crucial for guiding the team and making informed decisions, especially in areas like PPC where mistakes can be costly.
Interns thrive in environments where they can learn and grow. As Lewis emphasizes:
"The primary reason for having interns is to grow your talent pool. They need to be in teams where they can learn from more experienced members."
Without proper mentorship, junior staff may not develop the necessary skills to advance, leading to stagnation and potential errors.
Sales and marketing should work hand-in-hand towards common revenue-based targets. This alignment ensures that both departments are contributing effectively to the business’s growth. Lewis notes:
"Marketing and sales need to work off revenue-based targets so they’re both working towards the same goal."
When these departments are in sync, the entire funnel operates more smoothly, from lead generation to closing deals.
If you do decide to bring in interns, clear guidelines and roles are essential. Here’s what they should focus on:
As Lewis suggests:
"If you’re a marketing intern, decide what craft you want to master and focus on that, whether it’s SEO or another specialty. Surround yourself with successful people in that area."
Encouraging interns to find their niche not only benefits their personal growth but also strengthens your marketing efforts with specialized skills.
Timing is everything. Bringing in junior staff too early can strain your existing resources and negatively impact your marketing strategy. Here’s how to gauge when it’s the right time:
Ensure that your marketing plan is well-established and delivering consistent results. This foundational stability allows new team members to integrate smoothly without disrupting existing workflows.
Before hiring juniors, confirm that your team has the capacity to mentor and support them. Without adequate support, interns may become isolated and underutilized, hindering their growth and your marketing goals.
Bring in junior marketers when your business is ready to scale. They can help execute tasks that free up senior team members to focus on strategy and high-level initiatives.
Handing over marketing tasks to interns or junior staff can seem like a cost-effective solution, but it often leads to more problems than it solves. A well-structured marketing team, led by experienced professionals, sets the foundation for sustainable growth and success.
Remember, investing in the right people and providing them with the necessary support and mentorship is crucial. Interns can be a valuable asset when integrated thoughtfully into a robust marketing strategy.
So next time you’re tempted to “blame it on marketing” by delegating everything to your intern, think twice and consider the long-term impacts on your business.
Have you experienced the challenges of assigning marketing to interns? Or maybe you’ve successfully integrated junior staff into your marketing team? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you, Lewis, for sharing your insights and inspiring the clever name of our podcast. Until next time, keep blaming it on marketing!