If you want your business to succeed, good marketing is important. But marketing doesn't happen in a vacuum - the CEO or owner of the company must have an appropriate role.
Generally, the best use of the leader's time is not executing the marketing strategy themselves. Instead, when it comes to marketing, leaders should fulfill three roles.
Role 1 - Set direction
The first role of leaders in marketing is to set direction. This means having a clear vision for what marketing should accomplish and ensuring that everyone is working towards the same goals. Your marketing will be pointless if you don't know what you're trying to achieve.
Role 2 - Set speed
The second role of leaders in marketing is to set speed. This means being able to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of marketing and making sure that your team is always moving forward. It's important to stay ahead of the curve and be willing to experiment with new ideas.
The speed of marketing is determined by what resources you're willing and able to invest. Who on your team will be involved? Will you hire an outside agency? What will your budget be?
Role 3 - Help maintain focus
The third role of leaders in marketing is to help maintain focus. This means staying focused on the goals that you've set and making sure that everyone is working towards them. It's important to keep your team motivated and on track so that you can achieve your objectives.
The best way to keep your team on track is by having a marketing plan that includes goals and milestones. It also includes an ongoing system for accountability.
Marketing is ultimately the responsibility of leadership, regardless of who is executing the marketing plan. Leaders need to be able to set direction, set speed, and help maintain focus in order for their marketing to succeed. If they're not doing that, it's a leadership problem, not a marketing problem.
