Without much in the way of internal resources and relying mostly on outsourced resources, marketing departments face a unique challenge. 

Note that the above statement doesn’t only apply to small businesses or legacy companies. They can be software companies or all sorts of firms, too.

All types of companies employ the new-team model. These leaner teams can be a one-person unit, if not a small handful of talents.

So, how is it possible to execute with a lean team, especially when faced with a growing list of tasks and initiatives?

Don’t Look For A One-Size-Fits-All Answer

We wish the solutions for smaller marketing teams were templated and one-size-fits-all. However, small marketing teams (especially teams of one) can’t rely on a copy and paste approach, despite the time it would seem to save upfront. 

The best strategies and approaches depend on your industry, its current climate, your audience, the challenges you’re facing, and various other nuances. 

Maximizing Internal Skill Sets

Look within your minimalist team of marketers and maximize their skill sets. 

For example, let’s say your marketing director is a savvy product marketer. In this instance, allow that individual to key into their area of expertise–product marketing–while delegating the other marketing facets.

Specifically, figuring out what your department does well gives you a clear picture and the tasks requiring augmentation. This way, your small (or one-person) team doesn’t spend their time chasing their tails, trying to learn new approaches from scratch.

Instead, team members commit to leveraging their strengths, generating the most return for hours worked. Thus, if your marketing director is a content specialist, don’t bother augmenting content-related tasks because it won’t hamper their productivity. 

Different Types Of Companies Face Unique Issues

For sales-led companies, it’s typical to have multiple salespeople working off of individual sales funnels. 

The marketing lead tries to pull that group together. In this case, it’s vital to manage the sales-to-marketing funnel to make sense for everyone.  There’s a strategic organizational setup required to create the utmost cohesiveness.

Other companies might have the sales and marketing departments working more cohesively. This environment could include a CRM, marketing automation, and a semblance of a technical foundation for moving forward with execution. 

The challenge of the above scenario is determining the flow and setup. There’s a need to understand factors such as closing cycles, costs, and where gaps might be.

These companies want to determine areas where augmenting marketing tasks will be the most efficient and generate the most return. Examples are shortening the sales cycle or improving conversion rates.

Spending Time Wisely

A small or one-person marketing team needs to economize their time because there are only so many hours in the day.

What happens to many one-person (or smaller) teams is they try to do too much. In doing so, they only scratch the surface of each facet instead of delving deeply into and maximizing the results of any given task.

As a leader, your focus must be high level, revolving around factors such as:

  • Understanding the industry
  • Sales cycles
  • The kinds of prospects you need to generate

These are the big-picture components integral to any marketing strategy and lend direction to tasks that can be outsourced accordingly. Whether an agency or freelancer, they can use the fine-tuned brief to focus intensely on a specific task and maximize results. 

On the other hand, the marketing lead doesn’t spread themselves too thin by focusing on lower-value tasks. Instead, the leader’s efforts go into the elements that guarantee the company the highest return. 

Are you looking for an agency that can help you augment your marketing tasks insightfully to generate the most return based on your marketing budget? Then contact Goose Digital. We specialize in maximizing the initiatives and strategies of marketing teams of one.