If you are looking to leave agency marketing behind and build an in-house team, you are not alone. Big-name brands like Sprint and Netflix have internalised their marketing projects and the benefits are clear. You have more control over your branding, a better connection to your customers, and a dedicated team of brand experts working on your creative content.
Unfortunately, you can?t flip a switch and have a fully functioning in-house marketing team. No two teams are alike and knowing what your needs are is a critical first step.
Here are some tips on how to make a successful transition to managing marketing projects in-house.
In-house marketing teams are set up just like an agency. To get started, make a list of essential roles you need to fill. Most marketing project management teams require employees that specialise in art direction, design, editing, and copywriting. After doing an audit of your current team?s skills and availability, you may find that you also need digital advertising specialists or a social media manager. If opening this many roles seems unlikely, try starting with just one area of marketing such as digital media.
Taking on all the tasks of an agency may not be doable for all businesses. Be realistic about what your business and marketing team can handle. If you find yourself overwhelmed, consider an in-house/agency hybrid approach. Verizon?s in-house marketing agency, 140, is a perfect example of how to integrate both in-house and agency-based management. Rather than separating from all agency partners, it internalised specific marketing projects, such as device branding photography.
Since your team is now internal, you should distinguish them from other areas of your business. Major brands like AB InBev, who own brands like Budweiser and Busch, named their in-house team draftLine. Giving your in-house marketing agency a name helps build a culture that matches the quality expected from big-name agencies.
Managing marketing projects involves creating a streamlined workflow between many people. With each team member assigned a different task, facilitating effortless communication between everyone is critical. Standard email communication is unreliable and hard to track. Projects can easily get off track and important details are lost - which, if you know anything about managing teams, is the last thing you want to happen.
Fortunately, there are tech innovations that can easily manage the workflow of your marketing team. Marketing project management software, such as admation, offers key benefits that will help you transition to in-house project management. Some features include:
Managing marketing projects in-house is a steady trend that makes sense for most brands. Even if your business isn?t ready to take on all marketing projects, there are hybrid options and software solutions that can help ease the transition.