Understatement of the year: CEOs are busy people.
It's impossible for a CEO to singlehandedly run every aspect of a business. That's what delegation is for!
But what should a CEO do when it comes to marketing, especially an external marketing team? Marketing is a crucial component of business; it enables lead acquisition, conversions, revenue growth, and more. It's how a business can communicate and engage with prospects and customers, and a marketing strategy can make or break a business.
So, if marketing impacts business so majorly (and it certainly does), how involved should CEOs be in choosing and working with a growth marketing agency? That's what we're here to share. Of course, a CEO's involvement will vary based on company size, but keep reading for some general rules on how much (and how little) CEOs should engage with their growth marketing agencies for optimal engagement success.
Choosing the right growth marketing agency starts with setting the right key performance indicators (KPIs). And who better to establish the overarching goals and metrics of a business than the CEO?
In other words, it might not be necessary for a CEO to interview a marketing agency and be engrossed in the day-to-day processes surrounding hiring an agency. A CMO or marketing executive can do that. Even so, the goals and KPIs set by a CEO will guide whoever is involved in hiring marketers, whether that's a marketing executive, an HR manager, or anyone else.
It's best if CEOs work with their existing marketing team or marketing executive to set the KPIs. Even when hiring a marketing agency, businesses usually still have an internal marketing presence, and they should get a say in setting their own KPIs to ensure system-wide alignment.
Of course, if a CEO has time, it might be worthwhile to talk to potential marketing agencies. CEOs can be eloquent about company goals and discerning about who might be equipped to achieve them, so arranging at least a brief conversation could help build a strong marketing team.
It's worth mentioning that for smaller companies and start-ups that don't have an internal marketing team yet, the CEO will likely be much more involved in hiring and working with an agency.
You can find practical tips for choosing the right growth marketing agency in the Complete Guide to Hiring and Working with a Growth Marketing Agency (Without Growing Broke).
Once a growth marketing agency is hired, keeping them looped in on company goals is important in ensuring continuous success. This means making sure that marketing is aware of their client's smart goals, especially if these goals are evolving.
When a CEO sets company-wide SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound), these goals naturally trickle down to the rest of the company, including marketing and sales. This keeps everyone on the same page, working towards the same goals and metrics.
It's also up to the CEO to promote marketing and sales alignment so that all departments are working in harmony towards the same business-wide objectives that are clearly communicated to everyone. Marketing and sales misalignment and siloed departments can be detrimental to marketing programs, but as long as the CEO de-siloes and empowers teams to work together all the way at the top, then marketing has the potential to become a revenue generator.
While it may not be part of a CEO's daily role to work with a growth marketing agency (and again, this will often depend on company size), by setting clear KPIs and company goals and de-siloing marketing and sales, CEOs can set their entire team, internal and external, up for long-term success.
Ready to talk to a growth marketing agency that cares about working with your team to achieve and exceed your overarching goals? Get in touch today!