Marketing leaders often have brilliant strategies, but putting those plans into action is a challenge of its own. This is where a well-structured marketing team comes in.

In our “CMOs Tell All” session about Marketing Organization Structure in 2024, marketing leaders from the Mavuus community tackled this crucial topic. They discussed the essential roles and strategies needed to start small, identified the must-have positions for different stages of growth, and shared insights on how to create a well-oiled marketing machine.

Spoiler alert: there's no one-size-fits-all approach, but with a roadmap and valuable tips from marketing experts, you can build a marketing team that drives real results. We sought to harness the collective wisdom of our community to guide marketing leaders in optimizing their teams for 2024 and beyond.

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The Building Blocks of a Marketing Team

Many of us have fantastic strategies but struggle with implementation because the team setup just isn't right. As one of our speakers pointed out, "Nailing the org structure is one of the biggest ways to succeed in marketing." There’s no one-size-fits-all playbook here. It’s all about learning from experience, experimenting, and, most importantly, sharing insights with peers.

To help organizations understand where they currently stand and what steps they need to take to grow, there is a five-stage framework that can be used to assess marketing team maturity. Knowing where you stand can help you map out your path forward and prioritize your next hires.

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Here’s a breakdown of the stages:

1. ‍‍‍Founder-led: At this stage, the marketing efforts are minimal and often handled by the founder. This is common in early startups where resources are tight, and the focus is on getting the product off the ground.‍
2. Sales-led: Marketing supports sales, typically found in B2B organizations. Here, marketing's primary role is to create sales collateral and generate some pipeline, acting as a support function to the sales team.‍
3. Small Investment: Organizations at this stage have a modest marketing team with a budget of less than $300,000. The team is small but starting to contribute more significantly to the pipeline, usually about 10-15%.‍
4. Maturing Team: As the company grows, so does the marketing investment. The team expands, and marketing starts to play a more substantial role, with increasing contributions to the company's revenue and strategic goals.‍
5. Sophisticated Team: In this stage, marketing is a well-oiled machine, often contributing to up to half of the bottom line. The team is large, with more than 10 members, and operates with a significant budget and advanced strategies.

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Strategic Hiring for Maximum Impact

So, who should be your first hires? Early-stage companies often benefit from versatile individuals who can juggle multiple roles, such as web development, PPC, and SEO. However, a Product Marketing Manager (PMM) is a critical early hire. 

One participant shared, "Without proper product marketing, no amount of demand generation will yield good outcomes." A PMM with domain expertise is indispensable for foundational messaging and positioning.

Other key roles discussed included:

• Generalists: Ideal for early stages when the team is small and needs multi-skilled individuals.
• Digital Marketing Directors: Crucial for driving web development, PPC, and SEO efforts.
• Marketing Managers and Specialists: To support various functions as the team grows.

Understanding these roles and their importance at different stages of team maturity helps organizations make informed hiring decisions. It ensures that as they scale, they have the right mix of skills and expertise to drive their marketing strategy forward effectively.

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Efficient Teams and Agile Methodologies

Aligning marketing and sales goals is essential for efficiency. This ensures coherent execution and optimal resource allocation. Clear communication and shared objectives between these departments can significantly enhance overall performance. Agile methodologies are a powerful way to keep teams adaptable and efficient. 

Agile practices, traditionally used in software development, are increasingly being adopted by marketing teams. This approach involves breaking projects into smaller tasks, continuous feedback loops, and regular check-ins, allowing teams to pivot quickly in response to new information or changing market conditions. As one speaker noted, “Agile practices allow us to adapt quickly to changing priorities, ensuring our team remains effective and engaged.”

By adopting agile principles, marketing teams can stay flexible, prioritize high-impact tasks, and deliver continuous value. To implement these methodologies effectively, tools like Jira and Asana were highlighted for their project management prowess.

• ‍Jira: Favored by some for its robust capabilities, especially in managing complex projects with many moving parts. It allows for detailed tracking of tasks, clear visibility into project progress, and facilitates agile workflows with features like sprint planning and backlog prioritization. However, it's often seen as more suited to technical teams due to its complexity.‍
• Asana: Loved for its visual interface and ease of use, making it a favorite among marketing teams. Asana provides a more intuitive way to manage projects, with boards and lists that help visualize work. It’s great for tracking the progress of tasks, setting deadlines, and ensuring team members are on the same page. The flexibility of Asana makes it ideal for marketing teams that need to manage creative workflows and coordinate between different team members.

Another strategy discussed was regularly assessing team skills and reallocating resources based on these assessments. This means recognizing the talents and expertise within your team and identifying any gaps that need filling. 

‍Periodic skills assessments ensure that everyone is utilized to their fullest potential and can also highlight areas for professional development. This proactive approach helps maintain a dynamic and efficient team capable of meeting the market's ever-evolving demands.

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Balancing Budgets and Maximizing ROI

Budget allocation sparked a lively discussion, and for good reason. How you divide your budget can dramatically impact your marketing outcomes. One common approach is to split the budget 50-50 between headcount and programs, though this can vary significantly based on an organization’s unique needs and goals.

Some argued for a heavier investment in programs, suggesting a 70/30 split favoring programs over headcount. The rationale is that without enough investment in distribution, even the best content won’t reach its audience.

Participants also shared that it’s not just about how much you spend but where you spend it. Balancing immediate results with long-term strategic investments is crucial. It's tempting to focus on quick wins, but sustainable growth requires careful planning and allocation. 

For instance, if you’re over-investing in content production without enough budget for distribution, you risk not getting enough eyes on your work. Ensuring your content reaches a wider audience is as crucial as the quality of the content itself. As one participant mentioned, "Investing in distribution ensures that all the great content we produce actually reaches our target audience."

Moreover, it is vital to adjust the budget based on ongoing performance and results. Regularly reviewing the return on investment (ROI) for different initiatives allows for agile reallocations, ensuring funds are directed towards the most effective strategies. For example, if a particular campaign is delivering high ROI, increasing its budget might yield even better results.

By being strategic and flexible with budget allocation, marketing leaders can optimize their spending to support both immediate and long-term objectives, ultimately driving greater success for their teams and organizations.

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Want to Build Your Dream Marketing Team?

The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, but with the right structure, skilled team members, and a commitment to learning and adaptation, you can build a marketing team that thrives in 2024 and beyond.

Join the Mavuus community to connect with fellow marketing leaders, share best practices, and build a marketing dream team that thrives in the ever-changing marketing landscape.

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Join Mavuus!

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