8 Common Traits of Successful Chief Marketing Officers 

Being a Chief Marketing Officer is one thing but being a successful Chief Marketing Officer is another thing. Successful and effective CMOs are impressive people who know how to lead their team in the right direction.

Are you on the path to becoming CMO in your company? Or do you want to improve yourself as the current CMO? If so, here are eight things that successful marketing executives do to stay on top of the game:

1.  They think ahead

A good marketing executive is focused on the future and knows that marketing isn’t just about short-term gains. With constant changes in the technology and media landscape, marketing is evolving at a rapid pace and a successful marketing executive understands current marketing trends, while also keeping in mind where the industry is heading towards in the future. This keeps the company ahead of the game and ready to adapt to the changing landscape.

2.   They focus on native advertising

Successful CMOs are aware that consumers want native advertising that looks like regular content while being interesting and informative. They’ve moved away from hard sells and pitches because they know what works is staying in touch with what the consumer wants.  

3.   They are personable

This is a no-brainer. Marketing is all about reading people, knowing people and working with people. You don’t have to be an extroverted social butterfly to be a good CMO, but you definitely need to learn and implement skills in socializing, listening and being emotionally intelligent.

4.   They can mediate well

Being a good CMO is not just about marketing campaign and branding, a lot of it involves being a good leader and mediator to your team. Making sure the marketing team is working together well and effectively dealing with issues that come up is a key attribute of a good executive. 

5.   They’ve boarded the digital train

While traditional marketing is still important, digital marketing has taken over the reins. A marketing executive who isn’t on the digital bandwagon and doesn’t have adequate experience with digital marketing is missing out on a lot of opportunities for growth. Without knowledge of how marketing works in the virtual landscape, it would maintain a strong campaign.

6.   They’ve embraced big data

Big data can be an excellent tool for creating marketing strategies. A CMO that knows the importance of data will be able to leverage big data to influence marketing outcomes.

7.    They are innovative

Good marketing executives can think outside the box. They are creative and have the ability to innovate. As with any good leader, they seek opportunities for innovation within their industry. A great CMO can be identified by his/her ability to foresee issues in the future and create innovative solutions.

8.   They are loyal to the company