8 Traits of Effective SMB Marketers

All of us come across some great, mediocre and (I'm sorry to say) terrible marketers as colleagues, associates or competitors. I am always on the look-out for marketers who have overcome challenges and set their brands apart to see what I can learn from them. Based on my observations, these are the eight qualities needed to be an effective marketing manager for an SMB company.

 

1.       Time management

Working in marketing for an SMB means being constantly pulled in different directions. Salespeople want prospect presentations; whereas HR wants video shoots for recruiting purposes. Social media require monitoring and contributions daily because they are direct channels of communication with customers. Activities have to be measured, analyzed and reported on. And the list goes on. Successful marketers need to be masters of time management to keep the entire range of internal and external customers happy, while demonstrating ROI for their work. Make the most of every minute!{C}

2.       Get-it-done attitude

Marketing professionals have to tackle challenges at work head-on. The best solutions to problems often mean getting their hands dirty (but they usually enjoy every minute of it!). At SMBs, where there are always shortages of budgets, resources and time, only those marketers who take the lead can survive. They look for free applications, research and tools that help them get things done and drive results. They also look for data that will help them make good decisions quickly. Basically, if you can't go over, go around!

3.       Listening skills

Good marketers listen to social media, monitor leads and sales; track their industries, watch out for legislation or policies that will affect their businesses; talk to customers about their experiences (especially complaints) and much more on any given day. Insatiable curiosity comes in handy for marketing people as this is a means to get information that might not be available through traditional sources. You have to listen before you are ready to talk about your brand!