Over the last few years, it’s become obvious that Marketing and IT departments have to work together more effectively to create the engaging, personalized and valuable customer experiences in the digital space.
If you’re still not convinced, then here’s a stat to consider from a recent Gartner blog:
In 2016, CMOs allocated 3.24% of revenue to technology spending, which is close to the 3.4% of revenue CIOs earmark for IT
Gartner goes on to say that marketing technology was once narrow and specialized compared to enterprise IT. However, digital marketing platforms are now considered as “equals” to these core systems.
Customer preferences and behaviors have changed and buying journeys are increasingly self-directed and digitally led…multi-channel marketing is among the most critical customer-facing, revenue generating functions.
As CMOs gain equal footing with IT leadership, it also means that the two departments have to break down the “wall” that’s existed between them for so long.
How can marketing leaders effectively lead their teams, break down the silos with IT, and ultimately achieve the marketing goals that drive business growth?
Here are ten tips from a recent blog by MarketingProfs.com:
- Show your team why data matters – Quality data matters for successful execution of marketing campaigns. Actionable analytics are equally as important for measuring customer retention/loyalty and campaign effectiveness.
- Foster collaborative CMO-CIO relationships – Forty-six percent of marketing leaders and 51% of technology leaders have shared views with how customers should be engaging with the company across multiple channels. However, only half of CMOs and CIOs collaborate on joint projects.
- Avoid silos at all costs – Start by reviewing existing processes in marketing and IT, and find opportunities for these teams to collaborate, elevating the importance of this initiative within the company.
- Establish goals that every team can support – With goals that benefit both marketing and IT and framing objectives that support the business as a whole, it will be easier for the teams (and respective leadership) to see eye to eye.
- Measure progress incrementally – At the start of new projects, establish benchmarks at each step – for both teams – to prove value along the way.
- Make sure marketers know how to speak IT – As you spend time with IT, it’s important to learn about technical challenges and requirements to gain that perspective when presenting digital marketing initiatives that involve IT buy-in.
- Keep in touch – Even after a joint project wraps, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open for assessing the outcomes, whether that’s through weekly stand-up meetings or monthly brainstorming sessions.
- Celebrate group wins – When joint projects lead to marketing wins, broadcast the news, recognizing specific team members that were key to the project’s success.
- Keep the rest of the C-suite in the loop – Make sure the executive leadership is aware of these big wins to the highlight the value your respective teams bring to the organization.
- Don’t lose track of your original goal – Data is an enabler for marketing and IT. By working towards mutual goals around applying insights from data, you’ll be on your way to driving growth and success for your company.
The leading companies in your respective industries have likely set themselves apart because of the digital experience. It’s time to break down that wall, and move your business forward!
