Danny Asling

Delegating tasks is essential for your own personal growth as a content marketer. No doubt about it. But don’t give it all up. Never fall out of love with the work. You should always be stepping back into those (crucial) tasks from time-to-time. – Running research calls with buyers. – Connecting the first dots. – Writing the first draft. – Editing for clarity. – Validating and iterating on V1. And so on. Because true learning = doing.

Most of the time it’s down to the CULTURE. Does the company create an environment with psychological safety? A place where you can highlight and discuss (inevitable) failure. Without the fear of having your budget (and authority, and job!) cut as a result. This is one of the BIG differences between the high-growth companies and everyone else. The mindset of: Ship > Make better > Ship again. This is how companies grow. But it’s on LEADERSHIP to create this environment. Not the marketing head.

Never scrimp on the creative. The best targeting in the world won't save a terrible ad. Yes, media can give you reach & access. But it’s your content & design that drives action. When it’s a tie, the creative is often the difference between winning and losing the deal. The smallest change in the creative can make all the difference. - The font - The CTA - The headline - The subheader - The photography - The colour palette All this stuff matters and you should never underestimate its true impact in marketing. Don't fall down the targeting rabbit hole. The creative matters more than the ad spend.

Get close to the team. If you're the marketing head, then it's going to be your team that defines any success you have. A tough lesson to learn first time around. Getting to know them is critical. On day one it's about playing to their strengths and figuring out what already works. Then, as a leader, you get to help the team develop over time. New skills, new experimentation, and new members. The same principle goes with the leadership team that you're working with. Does the CEO *get* marketing? What areas do they care deeply about? Where do they want to be involved? You must get close here. And whatever you do... don’t forget sales. You and the sales team will live and die together.

If the goal is to drive action (to consume, take a trial, buy something)… Then, the email should be PERSONAL. This is different to "personalised". It’s not about first name, job title, and place of work. Personal is: – Making it about them. – Meeting them where they are today. – Appealing to their fears, hopes, & dreams. – Sharing relevant, new insight to help them move forward. – Providing a step-by-step plan on how to get there. – Providing sufficient proof that resonates. – Using their language. Not yours. That’s an email worth engaging with.

Most marketers suffer from meeting paralysis. They’re dragged into every meeting across the organisation. Forced to sit through repetitive stand-up meetings that last for hours and have no real impact on the business. So much (valuable) time is wasted and it prevents them from doing their best work. Truth is, no one can be (truly) productive for 8+ hours per day. It’s not possible. We’re not wired this way. It results in mediocre execution. Our best work shines through when… – We have a healthy work-life balance. – We believe in the vision. – We say “NO”, often. – We execute meaningful work. – We’re given resources and time to develop. – We have the authority to lead and do marketing.