Digital Growth Team Blog

Building A High-Performing Marketing Team

May 9, 2023

The importance of having a strong marketing team for ecommerce businesses cannot be overstated. In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for the success of any business, and particularly so for ecommerce companies. A well-developed marketing strategy can help to drive traffic to your website, increase conversions, and ultimately drive sales.

However, building a high-performing marketing team is no easy feat. It requires careful planning, strategy, and execution. In this article, we will delve into the key considerations for building a strong marketing team for ecommerce businesses, including the roles and responsibilities of team members, how to effectively delegate tasks, and tips for optimizing team performance.

By the end of this article, you will have the knowledge and tools you need to build a marketing team that is poised for success.

 

Common Challenges for Building a Marketing Team

Building a strong marketing team is crucial for ecommerce businesses, as it helps drive traffic to the website and increase sales. However, there are several challenges that ecommerce businesses often face when it comes to building a marketing team. One challenge is finding the right people with the necessary skills and expertise. Ecommerce businesses may struggle to find marketing professionals with a background in ecommerce, as well as those who are familiar with the specific tools and platforms used in the industry.

Another challenge is the cost of building an in-house marketing team. Hiring, training, and retaining top talent can be expensive, especially for smaller ecommerce businesses with limited resources. Additionally, ecommerce businesses may struggle with managing and coordinating a marketing team, as they may have multiple campaigns and projects running simultaneously.

At the end of this article, we will discuss the power of utilizing Digital Growth Teams and what those look like for ecommerce brands.

 

Defining Your Marketing Needs

The first step in building a high-performing marketing team for your ecommerce business is to define your marketing needs, business goals and objectives, as well as understanding the resources you have available to invest in marketing. It’s important to be realistic about what you can achieve with your current resources, as well as being open to exploring new opportunities that may help you reach your goals. Once you have a clear understanding of your marketing needs, you can begin to build a team that is tailored to your specific needs and goals.

Target Audience

In order to build a high-performing marketing team, it’s crucial to first understand your target audience. This means identifying the demographics, interests, and needs of the people you want to reach. Are you selling high-end fashion or specialized coffee? What does your target audience enjoy doing outside of buying fashion and coffee? What are their interests? Do they attend a lot of concerts? Do they like sporting events? By understanding your audience, you can create targeted marketing campaigns that are more likely to resonate and convert.

To find your target audience, consider conducting market research, analyzing your current customer base, and utilizing tools like buyer personas. One simple way to conduct research is by utilizing social media platforms such as Instagram or TikTok. Find hashtags that your customer might use and see what other types of content they are engaging with. It’s also important to regularly review and update your understanding of your target audience, as it can change over time.

Marketing Goals

In order to effectively build a high-performing marketing team for your ecommerce business, it’s important to first establish your marketing goals. What do you hope to achieve through your marketing efforts? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, drive more sales, or improve customer retention?

Clearly defining your marketing goals will help guide your strategy and ensure that your team is working towards a common objective. It’s also important to keep in mind that your marketing goals should align with your overall business goals and objectives. This will help ensure that your marketing efforts are driving the right results for your business.

Tactics and Channels

The tactics and channels you choose for your marketing efforts will depend on your target audience, marketing goals, and budget. Some popular tactics and channels for ecommerce businesses include:

  • Email marketing: Sending newsletters, promotional offers, and other content to subscribers through email
  • Social media marketing: Promoting your brand and products on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
  • Paid advertising: Running paid ads on platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads to reach a wider audience
  • Content marketing: Creating and sharing educational, informative, and entertaining content to attract and retain customers
  • Influencer marketing: Partnering with influencers in your industry to promote your products to their followers
  • Search engine optimization (SEO): Optimizing your website and content to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs)
  • Affiliate marketing: Partnering with other businesses or individuals to promote your products and earn a commission on sales
  • Referral marketing: Encouraging your customers to refer friends and family to your business in exchange for rewards or discounts.

It’s important to remember that no single tactic or channel will be the perfect fit for every business. It’s up to you to determine the best mix of tactics and channels to achieve your marketing goals and reach your target audience.

 

Hiring and Building Your Team

Hiring and building a marketing team can be a daunting task, especially for ecommerce businesses. It’s important to take the time to carefully consider what roles and skills you need in order to achieve your marketing goals and reach your target audience. In this section, we will go over the steps to take in order to find and hire the right team members, as well as how to effectively build and manage your team.

Determine Your Budget and Resources for Building your Marketing Team

When it comes to building your marketing team, it’s important to first determine your budget and resources. This will help you make informed decisions about what positions you can afford to fill and what skills and expertise you should prioritize when hiring. Generally speaking, ecommerce brands should be spending 5%-10% of their budget on marketing.

Some things to consider when determining your budget and resources for building your marketing team include:

  • The size of your business and the scope of your marketing efforts
  • Your projected revenue and profit margins
  • The availability of in-house resources (such as a designer or copywriter) versus the need to outsource certain tasks
  • The cost of hiring and training new team members versus the cost of outsourcing or using freelancers
  • Any industry-specific regulations or compliance issues that may impact your budget

By carefully considering these factors, you can create a realistic budget and resource plan that will allow you to build a high-performing marketing team that meets the needs of your ecommerce business.

Identifying the Specific Skills Needed for your Marketing Team

The next step in building your marketing team is to identify the specific roles and skills needed to achieve your marketing goals. This will involve conducting a thorough analysis of your current marketing efforts, as well as your future plans and objectives.

Some common roles in an ecommerce marketing team include:

  • Email Marketing Specialist – responsible for creating and executing email marketing campaigns to target and engage specific audiences through email communication.
  • Social Media Manager – responsible for creating and executing social media strategies to increase brand awareness, engagement, and sales.
  • Paid Advertising Specialist – responsible for planning and executing paid advertising campaigns to drive targeted traffic and conversions.
  • SEO Manager – responsible for optimizing website content and technical infrastructure to increase organic search visibility and drive qualified traffic.
  • Graphic Designer – responsible for creating visual assets such as logos, banners, and marketing materials that effectively communicate brand messages and goals.
  • Copywriter – responsible for creating engaging and persuasive written content for websites, emails, social media, and other marketing channels.
  • Data Analyst – responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting large sets of data to inform marketing strategy and identify trends and opportunities.
  • Conversion Rate Optimization Specialist – responsible for improving the conversion rate of a website through optimization techniques such as A/B testing, usability testing, and data analysis.

It’s important to consider not only the specific skills needed for each role, but also the overall balance and diversity of skills within your team. By carefully considering the roles and skills needed for your marketing team, you can ensure that you have the resources and expertise to effectively reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals.

Consider In-House or Outsourcing Options for Each Role

When building a marketing team for an ecommerce business, it’s important to consider both in-house and outsourcing options for each role. In-house hiring can be beneficial for building a cohesive team culture and having direct control over the work being done, but it can also be more expensive due to salaries and benefits. Outsourcing can be more cost-effective, but it can also be more difficult to manage and may not offer the same level of integration with the rest of the team. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each option and determine which is the best fit for your business.

If your business is small and has limited resources, outsourcing may be the more cost-effective option. On the other hand, if you have a larger business and are looking for specialized expertise, hiring in-house may be the better choice. In the early stages of an ecommerce business, it generally makes the most sense to outsource marketing efforts because you will get more bang for your buck.

You can either spend $5,000/month on a marketing agency or you can spend $5,000 on an in-house digital marketer.

The problem with hiring only one in-house digital marketer is that they will have to have knowledge of all aspects of digital marketing and their time and attention will be pulled in many different directions: email marketing, social media, paid advertising, seo, graphic design, copywriting, and more An agency usually has a wide range of services that are managed by individuals, allowing for specialization. The downside is that agencies are usually disconnected from the overall business goals of the client and aren’t always moving in the same direction as the client owners.

One solution for ecommerce brands is a combination of the two options: hiring an in- house marketing manager to coordinate with outside agencies to manage all of the marketing efforts. This gives you the benefit of an in-house marketer who is close to the business goals and communicates those goals with the agencies who are specialized in performing the marketing.

Onboard and Train New Team Members

The onboarding process is crucial for the success of new team members. It helps them understand their role, the company culture, and how to perform their job effectively. In this section, we will discuss how to effectively onboard and train new team members.

Some steps to include in the onboarding process are:

  • Schedule an introduction to the team and company
  • Provide necessary tools and resources, such as a computer and any necessary software
  • Assign a mentor or point of contact for any questions or support
  • Review company policies and procedures
  • Set clear expectations and goals for the new team member
  • Provide ongoing training and development opportunities to support their growth within the company

Set Clear Expectations and Goals for Each Team Member

In order to ensure that your marketing team is working efficiently and effectively, it is important to set clear expectations and goals for each team member. This includes outlining their specific responsibilities and the targets that they need to achieve in order to meet the overall goals of the marketing team. Setting clear expectations will help team members understand their role within the team, and will provide them with the motivation and direction needed to succeed. Additionally, regularly reviewing and adjusting these expectations and goals can help to ensure that the team is constantly improving and aligning with the overall strategy of the business.

Foster A Collaborative and Supportive Team Culture

Having a strong team culture is essential for any successful marketing team. It can help to create a positive work environment, boost morale, and improve team performance. Here are a few key ways to foster a collaborative and supportive team culture:

  1. Encourage open communication and transparency: Encourage team members to openly share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns. This helps to create a culture of trust and transparency.
  2. Provide ongoing support and development: Offer ongoing training and development opportunities for team members to help them grow and improve their skills.
  3. Celebrate successes: Recognize and celebrate the achievements of team members. This helps to create a positive and supportive work environment.
  4. Encourage teamwork: Encourage team members to work collaboratively and support one another. This can help to build strong relationships and improve team performance.

Continuously Review and Assess the Performance of Your Marketing Team

In order to ensure that your marketing team is consistently meeting your business goals, it is important to regularly review and assess their performance. This can be done through various methods such as setting up regular check-ins, conducting performance evaluations, and gathering feedback from team members and clients. It is recommended to at least have monthly check-ins with your team to understand what they are working on and where they may need support. By staying informed on how well your team is functioning, you can identify any areas that need improvement and make adjustments to better support the success of your business.

 

Building the Dream Team

So far, we have discussed the different marketing roles and whether or not to outsource your talent or hire in-house. Now, we are going to discuss at which stage does an ecommerce business make their hires and when do they outsource?

Startups

If you are a new ecommerce company or making less than $250k in annual revenue, you will most likely need to outsource your marketing efforts. It can be difficult to find the talent you need within the budget of a Startup. The primary roles you need for marketing a startup are paid advertising and email. Some people may say that social media marketing should be a key role but if we are being honest, social media will not drive revenue in the early stages of an ecommerce business, not unless you are cranking out some great content.

If you are partnering with an agency for paid advertising and email, make sure that they are able to make great creatives – designs for email and paid advertising are vital to the success of a brand.

Also, it’s important to note that in the early stages, you may not be sending out a ton of emails, however, you will need someone to set up your automated trigger emails for Abandon Cart, Welcome Series, Post-Purchase, etc.

Roles needed for this stage:

Digital Marketing Manager (to manage outside agencies)

Or

Paid Advertising Specialist

Email Marketing Specialist

Or

A well-rounded agency that understands startup brands

Early Growth

Once you get between $500k – $1M in annual revenue, your marketing will need to become more advanced. By this point, you should be sending out at least one email marketing campaign per week (depending on list size) and you should be involved in posting frequently on social media.

Roles needed for this stage:

Digital Marketing Manager (to manage outside agencies)

Or

Paid Advertising Specialist

Email Marketing Specialist

Or

A well-rounded agency

Stagnant Growth

Between $1M and $25M, most ecommerce brands have reach stagnant growth. They are able to maintain their revenue but growth isn’t happening as rapidly as it did previously. This is normal and should not alarm you. However, this does mean you need to be more aggressive with your marketing. At this point, you should be utilizing a wide range of marketing strategies including email, social, paid advertising, and SEO.

SEO is actually one of those things that should be started sooner rather than later and should actually be started as early as possible to build your domain authority. However, most brands can’t afford SEO in the early stages and paid advertising will be the primary revenue driver anyway.

Hopefully the agencies you are working with have copywriters on staff who can write the content for email, blog posts, and guest posts. If they do not, you will want to source a copywriter. The same goes for a graphic designer. Most agencies have graphic designers on staff, but as your grow, you may want to bring that in-house so that brand consistency can be better managed.

You may also consider a CRO Specialist to help you get more out of your website – make the customer journey smooth and increase the website conversion rate and/or AOV.

Roles needed for this stage:

Digital Marketing Manager (to manage outside agencies)

Or

Paid Advertising Specialist

Email Marketing Specialist

Social Media Manager

SEO Specialist

Copywriter

Graphic Designer

Conversion Rate Optimization Specialist

OR

A full-service agency

Scale Up

Once you can get your business to $25M in annual revenue, there is usually a new season of growth. At this point, you have probably built partnerships with retail stores and online affiliates to drive additional revenue. This stage is where it is recommended that you have a complete in-house team that can truly own your marketing efforts and drive meaningful growth. Most agencies just don’t have the ability to support ecommerce brands of this size effectively. It requires a dedicated team.

Roles needed for this stage:

Director of Growth

Paid Advertising Specialist

Email Marketing Specialist

Social Media Manager

SEO Specialist

Copywriter

Graphic Designer

Conversion Rate Optimization Specialist

Data Analyst

 

Digital Growth Teams

There is an option outside of the traditional agency and in-house teams that is proving to drive significant growth while being able to save ecommerce brands a ton of money from hiring in-house. This option is called Digital Growth Teams. Digital Growth Teams are a new approach to agencies that offers the benefits of both in-house and agency models without the drawbacks. A Digital Growth Team is a team of high-performing marketing professionals who are dedicated to working with a single client, providing the same level of expertise and attention as an in-house team but with the added benefits of cost savings and access to a wider range of skills and resources.

Unlike traditional agencies, a Digital Growth Team works exclusively with no more than 3 clients at a time, allowing for a more personalized and tailored approach to marketing. And unlike an in-house team, a Digital Growth Team does not require the overhead costs of salaries and benefits, making it a more cost-effective solution for businesses.

In addition, a Digital Growth Team is able to offer a wider range of skills and expertise, as it can bring in specialists for specific areas of marketing such as social media, email marketing, and paid advertising as needed. This allows businesses to have access to a team of professionals with a range of skills and expertise, all focused on helping the business achieve its marketing goals.

Overall, a Digital Growth Team is a flexible and cost-effective solution for ecommerce businesses looking to build a strong and effective marketing team at any stage of growth.

You can learn more about Digital Growth Teams by visiting www.blueburstmedia.com

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, building a high-performing marketing team is essential for the success of any ecommerce business. By defining your marketing needs, identifying the specific roles and skills needed, and carefully considering in-house or outsourcing options, you can assemble a team that will effectively reach your target audience and achieve your marketing goals.

Here is what you should have learned from this article:

  • The importance of having a strong marketing team for ecommerce businesses
  • The common challenges faced by ecommerce businesses when it comes to building a marketing team
  • How to define your marketing needs and identify your target audience
  • How to conduct market research and set marketing goals
  • The specific roles and skills needed for a successful marketing team
  • The pros and cons of outsourcing vs in-house for each role
  • How to create job descriptions
  • How to onboard and train new team members and set clear expectations and goals
  • The importance of fostering a collaborative and supportive team culture How to continuously review and assess the performance of your marketing team and make adjustments as needed
  • It’s important to set clear expectations and goals, foster a collaborative and supportive team culture, and continuously review and assess team performance in order to make adjustments and improvements as needed.