GMs of baseball teams always like to be strong up the middle when building a team: catcher, shortstop, second base and centerfield. Think early 80’s Phillies: Boone, Bowa, Trillo, Maddox. Here’s how I go “strong up the middle” when building a marketing team:
1. Marketing Ops Bulldog: My catcher and field general who puts the team in a good position to win. They manage projects, negotiate with vendors, push the team to hit deadlines, have a sixth sense of team stress and capacity.
2. Supreme Marketing Generalist: My shortstop, someone who be all things to all people. They can turn the double play, cover third on a bunt, coax runners back to second. They know how and why to use each medium, engage internal business leaders easily, are strategic, practical and tactical.
3. Social Media Demon: My second baseman. Wily, crafty, capable. They understand each platform and weave them into a collective plan that drives impressions, engagement and website transfers.
4. PPC and SEO Wizard: They’re have the intuition and instincts to know where the ball is going to be hit next. They spot, anticipate, act fast on rapidly shifting trends in the search engine marketing space.