Will Wong’s Post

If you’re a #demandgeneration marketer, you can do customer marketing.  If you’re a field marketer, you can do product marketing.  If you’re a partner marketer, you can do sales enablement marketing.  If you’re a corporate marketer, you can do brand marketing. If you’re a SaaS marketer, you can do manufacturing marketing. If you’re a MarTech marketer, you can do HealthTech marketing (or FinTech, DataTech, SecurityTech, ConstructionTech, etc).  If you’re a B2B marketer, you can do B2C marketing. If you’re a DTC marketer, you can do e-commerce marketing. Marketers often have “flavors” they excel in, but experienced marketers slide in and out of different marketing roles (usually at the same time!) and are wildly successful. Stop letting the talking heads on #LinkedIn tell you what you can and can’t do with your career. Don’t put a box around what you’re capable of doing. If you’re a #hiring manager or recruiter, stop listening to the “experts” and give someone a chance to bring different ideas and experiences to the table. Look beyond the title and 3 highlights on their resume - most marketers run point on a little bit of everything - including sales, customer experience, marketing operations, and product! You might just bring on your next superstar. 

We've advised more than 150 B2C companies on how to structure their growth/marketing teams - and the same 5 issues keep coming up.... ⬇ Under investing in conversion - Your Meta CAC:LTV ratio is bad because of your conversion (and creative). Small changes to how a product is described, positioned or priced can pay huge dividends - Hire people who understand conversion and give them freedom to evolve the product 🔀 Siloing product and marketing - Performance marketing is commoditised - lasting growth comes from combining product improvements (conversion, LTV and new product areas) with marketing - However many companies have non-commercial product teams working on minor changes that don't move the needle, and marketing teams tweaking ads and expecting a different outcome 💪 Brand too strong - Brand is critically important to success, but that doesn't mean you need a brand-driven CMO/marketing leader - Marketing often owns the biggest budget in the company and you need a safe commercially-minded pair of hands to manage that responsibility 🖼 Missing the big picture - US expansion will remain a pipedream if the person tasked with it has a million other jobs to do. Where teams focus their time vs where they should are often very different - We've supported companies like Sweaty Betty to bring in a Chief of Staff/Product Owner who can own the big swings of the bat without being dragged into daily firefighting 🌘 Hiring too late - Fast growing businesses often have their growth capped as they underestimate the current and future workload, the time it takes to hire and the time to get someone up to speed - Have a view of the tasks required in the next 3, 6 and 12 months, and make sure the hiring matches the growth plans 🛌 Hiring too early - There is often too little due diligence on why a role exists. "Just get them in and they'll figure it out" is a great way to burn money FAST  - We advocate for hiring to support green shoots. Test an idea/channel/market internally, then bringing in support once you see positive signs Looking for some free and non-salesy advice on how to scale your marketing team? Drop me a note #hiring #growthmarketing

To add some balance to the brand vs performance chatter... I agree that brand certainly isn't TV campaigns or billboards. Brand isn't truly owned by marketers at all in fact - it is what forms and exists in consumers' minds, and all we can strive to do is influence the impressions and opinions they form based on the exposure to our communications and the myriad of other ways they learn about us. And there are some dangers of putting all your eggs in the performance basket. In fact, performance activities can sometimes work against the brand, crowding out brand-building activities. Here are some good insights into that and how the two can work together: https://lnkd.in/eZSj3D_Q I'll leave the image just for attention and to fight the brand corner :-)

Should a B2B SaaS company with $1 million in sales hire a fractional CMO? Yes, but it has to happen in a disciplined way. From a financial perspective, an FCMO costs $5K to $10K/month or $60K to $120/year. It's a big chunk of change for a strategic leader who likely will ask the client to invest $5K to $10K/month in tactical execution. Total spend/month: $10K to $20K. However, it is a worthwhile investment IF: • It's a growth-stage company that needs a marketing leader to drive positioning, messaging, acquisition and go-to-market strategy. • You hire someone with the right  experience and expertise who can make an impact in a short period of time. • If you want someone who can fill a strategic gap and still have the flexibility to move on to another fractional or full-time CMO. • You need someone to tackle high-impact projects like launching a new product, sales funnel optimization or developing a GTM plan and execution. From my experience as a FCMO, the keys to success for early-stage companies are: • Hiring someone whose skills align with the marketing you'll need for the next three to six months, whether it's brand strategy, sales funnel development, SEM, or content marketing. • Establish goals, KPIs, and objectives right away. Be clear about what success looks like in three, six and nine months. • Understand that hiring a FCMO doesn't mean they;ll have an immediate impact. It takes time to know your company, customers, and the competitive landscape. • Having in-house marketers who have tactical skills but need an experienced leader to guide, mentor, and lead them. Bottom line: Hiring a fractional CMO can be a game-changing step for a SaaS company poised for growth. But it's not an easy decision, especially as more people call themselves fractional CMOs. #fractionalCMO #fractional #SaaS #B2BSaaS #marketing   ----------------- What’s next? 1 - Hit the bell icon on my profile to be notified when I post. 2 - DM me to chat about my fractional CMO and strategic advisory services 3 - Get a copy of my "How to hire a fractional CMO" guide. (link in the comments)

I'm hiring for a growth/demand marketing lead.   But there's 1 big catch…   They must LOVE the early stage -- all the ambiguity, building systems from the ground-up, prioritizing a bazillion untapped opportunities, and working directly with a lunatic CEO/founder. 🤪   Do you know this rare person?   Please tell them about the Growth Lead role at Keyplay --> https://lnkd.in/gKpkYCy8 Hybrid in Seattle or Remote US.   Some of the specific initiatives…   * Figure out a product-led sales playbook. We've got signups and trials, but do nothing to drive adoption or conversion. We literally send 1 email.   * Build a creative ABM & outbound system. We have a lot of content and stories, but we do 0 outbound today. I'd like to start scrappy (using Keyplay, Clay, HubSpot, LinkedIn Ads) and learn.   * Content system. We have 18K subscribers over at PeerSignal, a founder who loves to play analyst, and unique research-driven content. Great energy, but no systems to scale or connect to revenue.   Find gold veins. We don't know what we don't know. Let's go digging.   Referrals very much appreciated! #hiring #marketing #growth #startups

Below are some Growth & Performance Marketing Leadership professionals I've recently engaged with. Rest assured, my network of growth, performance, and lifecycle marketing professionals is extensive and diverse, spanning the US. The profiles below are just a snapshot of the level and quality I engage with. Please do get in touch to discuss any of the profiles below or your needs at the Marketing Leadership level (Director to SVP). 📍 Austin, TX - Remote/Hybrid  💻 Head/VP of Growth Marketing (D2C Subscription / Food & Drink)  💡 Scaled direct marketing spend from $15m to $50m while maintaining strict LTV:CAC ratio guardrails. 💰 $250k-$280k 📍 NYC - Hybrid/Remote  💻 Director/Head of Performance/Growth Marketing (D2C Home/Health & Wellness) 💡 Reduced overall customer acquisition costs by 20% through channel optimization.  💰 $220k+ 📍 NYC (from July) - Hybrid  💻 Director of Performance Marketing (eCommerce/Telehealth/Homewear/Marketplace) 💡 Instrumental in overhauling the user journey at an earlier startup to enable effective performance marketing.  💰 $180-$200k 📍 NYC - Hybrid 💻 Senior Director/Head of Growth (D2C Subscription/Food & Drink) 💡 Built out the affiliate marketing program, which became a top acquisition channel.  💰 $190k-$200k E:Alex@AcquireDigitalTalent.com #growthmarketing #performancemarketing #usa #dtc #d2c

Don’t wait until you get to $15M in revenue to hire a CMO. Hiring a marketing leader will drive revenue growth and EV! They will elevate your strategy from the get-go, Craft compelling stories that resonate with the right buyers, Focus on the 20% that drives 80% of results, and Attract and mentor the next generation of marketing talent. But here's the catch: The right time to get that CMO varies. ✨ For SaaS start-ups, product excellence comes before lead gen tactics. ✨ When you're at $1-3M in revenue — Sales should be your next big investment. But, like I said, don’t wait too long before hiring an experienced marketing leader. And here’s why... Seamless Sales & Marketing alignment becomes your superpower. They’ll overhaul your website, perfect messaging, clarify funnel stages, set precise lead scoring, and enhance reporting. Product marketing gets the attention it truly deserves. Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) evolves. It's no longer about who Sales loves, but who brings profitability. Value propositions will be richer, transcending mere features. Customer marketing becomes a strategy. Budget and metrics = ROI because they will be tracked, analyzed, improved. 🤔 Founders, have you felt the pinch of not having a strategic marketing lead?Remember, skimping on this crucial role might save you now, but could cost you growth in the long run.

In my experience, B2B SaaS founders often misstep when it comes to hiring marketers. Aiming for £1m ARR? A former VP of Marketing from a tech giant is unlikely to get you there. The question you should be asking is not where they've been, but what journey they’ve taken. Have they steered a team from £0 to £1m ARR before? Do they know the steps to take, the corners to cut, and the hills to climb? Can they make decisive actions under resource constraints? Can they swivel on a sixpence every six weeks? Hiring a marketer from an enterprise you admire is understandable. But remember, they might not have the agility your start-up needs. The real value is in finding a marketer who understands your current situation, not your future aspiration. #B2BMarketing #StartUpHiring #SAAS #BusinessGrowth ******************************** I'm Steve, a former B2B SaaS CMO and the Co-Founder of Gripped | B2B Digital Marketing Agency for SaaS & Tech. If you enjoyed this, then 📤 Share, 🫶 Follow, 🫱🫲 Connect or ✉️ DM me.

Stepping into a marketing leadership role is challenging. The first 90 days are crucial and often mismanaged. A wrong start can mean misplaced resources, overlooked opportunities, and a disoriented team. 🛠️ Here's how to avoid falling into this trap. Focus on these pivotal aspects to course-correct early and make a lasting impact: 🌟 Phase 1: Deep Dive into Your Customers: Understand their behavior, how they found you, and what problems your product solves for them. 🌟 Phase 2: Decode the Sales Process: Examine lead collection methods, sales processes, and how leads are evaluated. 🌟 Phase 3: Audit & Optimize CRM: Keep your CRM in top shape, from workflows to conversion tracking. 📌 Prioritize the basics: • No major website redesign or brand updates • No ads and get leads quick schemes • No new marketing tools Lay a strong foundation! Know your customers, processes, and data. 🏆 What are your go-to strategies for the first 30-60 days in a marketing role? 💡Let's share insights! 💬 === 👋🏽 Hey, I’m Orrett! ↗ I help B2B health + tech companies drive qualified pipeline growth through demand generation and paid media #demandgeneration #b2bmarketing #b2bsaas #medtechmarketingoperations #healthtech

Marketing operations is a great field to work in, but if we're being realistic, there are some career path challenges. The prospects narrow considerably above the director level. This doesn’t mean I’m bearish on marketing ops (far from it—I think it’s more vital than ever). But I do think it’s important to have a clear-eyed perspective on what you want to do long-term and plan accordingly.  So, what are your options? 1) MARKETING OPS / MARTECH LEADERSHIP There are plenty of director-level MOPS roles, and this is a great place to be. (Note: there is no rule that you need to continually increase your title!) If you DO aspire to an executive position, the “VP of Marketing Operations” titles are relatively scarce and competition is high. So if you really want to climb the ladder AND stay focused purely on MOPS, it means getting lucky and quite often working at a bigger company. This could be great for you, but it’s not everyone’s happy place. 2) REVOPS LEADERSHIP RevOps exec titles are more common, and this can be a natural jump. But for most MOPS pros it will require significant upskilling on sales and CS. Keep in mind most RevOps execs still come from a sales ops background. So I think this may work best as an internal move, which allows you to grow your experience gradually. 2) BUSINESS SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP BizSys is a great field that plays to the technical strengths that many MOPS leaders have. But you may need to upskill in topics like security and APIs or gain knowledge of platforms outside the marketing comfort zone like ERP, HRIS, etc. 3) CONSULTING If you love the craft of MOPS, want to stay hands on, and don’t want to play the corporate game, consulting is an amazing career path. It lets you capitalize on your strengths, be recognized as an expert, and have more control over your destiny. The downside is a lack of long-term ownership over a single company’s MOPS function, which may be important for some people. 4) ANY OF THE ABOVE + SIDE HUSTLE You don’t need to make a drastic change to your day job to earn extra income and expand your experience. • Start a newsletter • Start a podcast • Take on some consulting clients • Do some coaching • Take up a completely unrelated craft and sell stuff on Etsy This can create a wonderful counterpoint to your more-structured FTE role—something that’s completely your own. The downside? It can be time-consuming and hard on your work-life balance. So you need to set clear boundaries. —---- Bottom line: there’s no one “right” way. It’s what works for you at a given time. I think this is an important discussion to have as a MOPS profession. Come be part of that discussion tomorrow (June 12th) at the next MOps Huddle with Crissy Saunders, M.H. Lines, Raja Walia, Darrell Alfonso, and Thao Ngo 💜. Between this crew, we've probably done it all! 😉 This is practitioners only, no recording, unscripted, all straight talk.