Marketing Resilience: How Work Management Builds Unshakable Support

How to Build a Framework for Lasting Marketing Success

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We’ve all heard the story of the three little pigs – all happy and humming along until a big bad wolf enters the scene. 


I’d liken that cautionary tale to modern marketing. Here you are as a marketing leader with your house seemingly in order: content is being consistently created, events are being expertly juggled, and campaigns are moving along – when a pivot unexpectedly gusts your way.  
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With a few harmless huffs and puffs from up high, your department is suddenly scattered to the wind – and no one is quite sure what to focus on next.


‍Unless – and here comes the critical moral of the story – your team’s work was constructed to withstand unforeseen circumstances. In this instance, work management is the foundation that keeps your house solid and standing.  ‍

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Without marketing work management, everything is left to chance. 

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Whether it comes in the form of a product pivot, company restructuring, or rapid growth; change will inevitably appear on your doorstep. And when this occurs, it’s really the “simplest” of structures that saves the day. 


Because when it comes to it, everything from organized folders, proper naming conventions, and clearly-defined processes lead to what matters most in an emergency: communication.


Without the means to communicate, delegate, and clearly understand who is responsible for what, chaos inevitably ensues. 


So, don’t wait until the walls start caving in to ensure your team is set up for success. Take the time to construct a plan that keeps your team aligned, your leadership informed, and your initiatives successful. 
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5  tips to get your marketing house in order

Looking for a few quick ways to move from reactive to proactive marketing? Here are my 5 top tips to help you maintain marketing momentum.
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1. Prioritize your projects. As a marketer, I frequently face challenges in prioritization. This doesn't happen because I overlook the broader value of specific initiatives. Rather, as a meticulous marketer, I recognize, just like many others in the field, the significance in the details. That’s where prioritization really comes into play.
   
   By assigning a status to each project or task, you can keep all your tasks on the ol’ to-do list, while still maintaining momentum. Then, when the dust settles and your top-tier projects are complete, you can go back to doing what you love – ensuring that image is moved 3 pixels to the left (There. Perfect.).
   
   
2. Templatize your tactics. Although documenting your existing processes might appear cumbersome, adopting templates can genuinely revolutionize your approach. The short-term time investment pays itself off tenfold in the long-term.
   
   So, whether it's for events or emails, establishing standardized frameworks can significantly reduce errors and facilitate the training of future marketing leaders.
   
   
3. Create a shared calendar. You can’t be prepared for what you can’t see. At the beginning of every month (or quarter or year, depending on your organization), document upcoming/prospective events, product launches, and high-level campaigns for all to see. It’s even more helpful to set additional reminders to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
   
   Sound daunting? For a larger team, assign a different calendar event type to individual team members to help divy up the work. If you’re a lone wolf, block off your own calendar for a day, turn on your favorite music mix, and remind yourself that “future you” will be endlessly thankful.
   
   
4. Consolidate your content. Wrote an amazing boilerplate? Nailed that ad copy? Create a repository for your top marketing messaging hits and share it for quick accessibility.
   
   Reinventing the wheel again and again not only hurts you and your team’s productivity, it can harm your brand when messaging is inconsistent and value propositions are lost to a game of telephone.
   
   
5. Organize your assets. While this might sound eerily similar to “Clean your room,” it’s no less important or impactful. Don’t wait to create a comprehensive system for asset management. It’s seemingly insignificant, but can add hours back to your week and save you and your team from tiring and duplicitous work.
   
   So, take the extra step to create a new folder and resist the temptation of naming that file “newNEW_final_therealone”. Create, and then kindly enforce, a repeatable process. 

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Creating a solid structure for the future

In the whirlwind of modern marketing, work management emerges as the foundation that keeps our marketing houses standing strong, providing the means to communicate, delegate, and thrive in the face of change. Don't wait until the walls cave in to fortify your team for the future.


Construct a plan that aligns your team, informs your leadership, and ensures seamless communication. Remember, preparation is the key to success, and as Benjamin Franklin wisely noted, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."


So, embrace the art of work management and get ready to weather any storm that comes our way.
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Tenon, Marketing Work Management for Enterprise Teams

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Tenon is a work management solution developed exclusively for marketers. We provide a single space for marketing teams to organize and collaborate on campaigns, projects, and tasks so everyone stays in the loop from start to finish. Built on ServiceNow, we're powered by a platform already used by IT, HR, Finance, and Customer Service, so your company can collaborate and get work done like never before.Let's connect so you can create.
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