The chief marketing officer (CMO) title is no longer fit for someone who performs a single role with untraceable results. CMOs of the future must be all-in-one professionals, performing the tasks of journalists, programmers and even scientists.
This ever-evolving job, as I’ve learned during my 16 years working in the digital marketing industry, is not an easy one. But it is crucial for companies to stay ahead of quickly advancing marketing technologies and trends, and your CMO can lead the way. If you’re in the market for a new CMO – or want your current marketing officer to brush up on his or her skills –Â these traits are critical for success:
They Are Comfortable Using Metrics
Metrics are crucial to know not only how to respond to certain results but to know what actions to take in the future. Being able to understand and use metrics makes all the difference between success and failure for a CMO. Some of the most important metrics include click-through rates, social media reach, blog views, traffic sources, cost per lead, ROI, etc. One of our client’s CMOs helped me to predict their success during our first meeting when he began discussing different key metrics and algorithms right off the bat, which to me was a sure sign of success. This client ended up being one of our most successful, due in large part to his ability to create a strategy based on metrics and data.
They Understand Big Data
Every successful marketing department and company around the globe will soon use big data and predictive analytics. The future CMO must know how to take advantage and utilize the technologies aimed at storing and analyzing big data to come up with new insights. The CMO must go further than simply being able to obtain these insights, but know exactly what to do with them in a way that makes spending more precise and results more than optimal.
They Continue to Evolve and Learn
If there is anything that is constant in this world, it is the change in technology, which has a direct effect on marketing strategies. The CMO of the future won’t just keep up with these changes – they will actually be able to take advantage of them in a way that keeps their marketing strategy ahead of the competition. Being able to continually evolve, learn and predict changes in marketing trends and technologies will result in a successful marketing department.
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David Tomás is a young entrepreneur and Cofounder of Cyberclick Group, a leading digital marketing company. He likes talking about decision-making, new forms of creativity, personal and professional fulfillment, and how to build the happiest company in the world, which is the title of his new book.
BusinessCollective, launched in partnership with Citi, is a virtual mentorship program powered by North America’s most ambitious young thought leaders, entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners.