How to move your marketing organization from “arts and crafts” to “a seat at the table”.

1. Structure For Success – Build a strong team with modern marketing capabilities; find good vendor partners
2. Be a Thought Leader – Research, incorporate and advocate the voice of your customer in your content
3. Create a Cohesive Content Marketing Program – Be there with relevant content when your clients and prospects are looking for it (see my previous blogs)
4. Think Omni-channel – Build lead generation programs with multi-channel integration to push content and pull response (see my previous blogs)
5. Remember, It’s About Revenue – At the end of the day, it has to make money
6. Implement a MAS – Marketing automation systems are critical for enabling communication, measuring productivity, and demonstrating value
7. Integrate with the Sales Process – Your MAS must be linked to your CRM and other sales tools – and your sales force must understand how it all works together
8. Measure, Test, Analyze, Rinse and Repeat – learn from experience, and share the lessons
9. Sing Your Own Praises – Sell your programs internally for continued support
10. Be an Agent For Change – Be the one learning, and leaning forward.

Want to know more? This cover story from CMO.com contains lengthy interviews with a number of marketing executives (including myself – page 2) about how the CMO must also be a CCO (Chief Change Operator). Study up and start changing!