Ever felt the rush of excitement to scale your startup to the moon, only to find yourself tripping over foundational issues? Welcome to the club. In the latest episode of Blame It On Marketing, Emma, Ruta, and guest Lottie dive deep into the often overlooked but crucial aspects of building solid marketing foundations before sprinting towards growth.
Join our Reddit Community 🥰
Marketing missteps can occur at two critical stages of a startup's journey:
Lottie puts it best, "Trying to build Nike and actually, you know, you're doing like 50 K or 500 K a year of revenue and you're like, you know, I don't have integrated campaign planning and I don't have a big idea. It's like, no shit, you don't."
Ambition and the allure of rapid growth often drive startups to skip the necessary groundwork. Lottie explains, "Because they're ambitious and because they're dreamers. And you don't start a business because you want to get to the bit where it feels really hard."
This impatience can lead to prolonging the tough phases by trying to shortcut through them. The result? A shaky marketing structure that's more reactive than strategic.
Hiring the right marketer is more than just ticking boxes on a resume. It's about aligning their mindset with your company's current needs. Lottie emphasizes, "Often brands hire the skills they need for three years' time... Otherwise, you're actually just hiring like a different person for a different business."
It's crucial to hire based on immediate requirements rather than long-term projections to ensure that your marketing efforts are grounded and effective from the get-go.
Join our Reddit Community 🥰
Clear direction from the leadership team is paramount. Without it, even the best marketers can find themselves pulled in multiple directions. Lottie advises, "A great leader at that time in a business's growth would say, the only thing that matters is our relationship with trade... and I'm going to give you the confidence in that decision to enable you to focus."
Empowering your marketing team with clear, concise goals ensures that everyone is moving in the same direction, minimizing confusion and maximizing impact.
One of the standout strategies discussed is zero-based budgeting. Lottie shares, "I do a process called zero-based budgeting where I am actually, don't know how... where you get very clear on the one thing you need to do first."
This method involves prioritizing marketing activities based on necessity and ROI, ensuring that every dollar spent is accounted for and justified. It’s about making tough decisions and saying, "No, I can't do this," to focus on what truly matters.
Without proper measurement, marketing efforts can become aimless. Ruta highlights, "Make sure you can fucking measure shit that you need to measure before you start working."
Establishing clear metrics from the outset allows marketers to track progress, assess the effectiveness of campaigns, and make informed decisions moving forward.
Misalignment between marketers and leadership not only hampers business growth but also takes a toll on the wellbeing of marketing professionals. Lottie remarks, "Being in an environment that gives you no choice, you feel like you're failing as a human."
It's essential for organizations to recognize the human element in marketing. Providing support, celebrating small wins, and fostering a positive work environment can make a significant difference in a marketer's job satisfaction and overall mental health.
So, what can organizations do right?
Lottie advises, "Provide a support network, recognize that individuals are gonna be quite lonely. So give them the budget to take a colleague out for lunch once a month."
Creating a culture that values both strategic planning and the personal wellbeing of marketers can set the stage for long-term success.
Join our Reddit Community 🥰
Building solid marketing foundations isn't just a nice-to-have—it's essential for sustainable growth. By taking the time to align strategies, hire the right talent, set clear metrics, and support your team, you ensure that when it's time to scale, your marketing efforts can keep up with your ambitions.
As Lottie aptly puts it, "It's always my counterpoint to... having a clear direction of what is right for your brand and business and a bit of belligerence to make it work."
So, next time you're tempted to sprint before you've walked, remember the importance of laying down a strong foundation. Your future self—and your startup—will thank you.