What makes a good marketing manager?

Being a marketing manager is a challenging role with a lot of responsibility. A large part of the company’s success or failure is linked with the performance of the marketing team. A successful marketing team is tantamount to a successful business, and a successful marketing manager is essential for a marketing team to excel.

There are some marketing managers that stand out amongst the crowd. Certain qualities and traits give them an edge among their peers. These qualities are described below:

1. Curiosity

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it did wonders for the marketing manager. A manager who assumes he or she knows everything is already committing a mistake. Even though you may have a long and wide range of experience in the industry, there’s always more to learn and always room to grow. 

A curious marketing manager is willing to learn from his or her peers or employees. Staying curious keeps you ahead in business – it means you’re trying new ideas, pushing boundaries and taking on challenges. The most successful marketing managers are ones that are always seeking to grow and learn.

2. Initiative

Taking initiative is vital to keep the dice rolling. It’s a critical attribute for a marketing manager, who is constantly solving problems and finding new ways to develop the company’s brand. Taking initiative also signifies you are enthusiastic about what you’re doing and you want to actively contribute to the organization. Without initiative, a marketing manager is likely to stay in a rut of doing things the same way without getting better results.

3. Big Picture

A good marketing manager is a visionary with the ability to see the big picture. There will always be problems and challenges, but during all of them, a marketing manager should be the one to keep in mind the long-term goals. Quick fixes and short terms benefits might be immediately attractive, but a good marketing manager is aware of the risks of losing consumer loyalty by not implementing strategies and tactics that take into account the big pictures such as company values and missions, and sustained profits.

4. Tech Savvy

This is a no-brainer. Marketing has largely moved to the digital space. A good marketing manager should be technologically inclined and understand how it can be used and misused in terms of consumer engagement. Marketing managers should also be aware of how the internet can be a source of misinformation and abuse of privacy, and take that into account. 

The future of marketing will undoubtedly be affected by technological, media and social shifts. A marketing manager should be aware of these shifts affect marketing, especially in his or her industry of concern.

5. Knows the business and the market