Here are three tips: whether you’re interested in a marketing job in a blockchain firm or already a Manager, Director, or CMO.
- Get a good foundation in marketing (education and experience); know the basics and be well rounded, if possible, across all the “P” s of marketing: promotions, pricing, product, sales distribution, people, processes, and physical evidence. Be able to fully develop a strategic marketing plan with an action plan and budget and present this confidently to your manager or the CEO. Today, there’s a heavy emphasis on promotional tactics (website design, branding, advertising (PPC), social media, community management, content management, events, and CRM sales support). Still, suppose you do not have a clear and compelling strategy (which requires market research and data analysis) with KPIs. In that case, your effort could be misguided or ineffective because all your marketing elements are not aligned and focused on achieving SMART marketing goals. Know B2B versus B2C tactics and when the distinction may be blurred. Know case studies of what technology giants have done and what your competitors are doing. Devise strategies with this in mind. Measure and analyze as much as possible and regularly report your marketing team’s performance to executive management — CEOs like dashboards. Dashboards provide a greater sense of control and evidence of progress for the marketing dollars spent.
- You should be intellectually curious if you want to learn blockchain on the job. Otherwise, have good experience working with technology. Startup blockchain tech firms will hire some people with excellent traditional tech experience and no blockchain experience, but that’s because it is harder to find well-qualified marketing pros with a lot of blockchain experience. What’s needed is a sincere eagerness and interest to learn. It would help if you also learned fast because this industry changes quickly. But, if you already have blockchain marketing experience, it’s relatively easy to migrate from DeFi to Regtech to DEXs and exchanges or GameFi to Infrastructure Platforms or Wallets. Mastering your specific blockchain vertical should take 3–5 years if you’re fast and ten years or more if you’re the average marketing person. You need to learn the technology, precisely the functionality, benefits, advantages, product roadmap, and rival offerings because you need to develop compelling marketing messages and strategic positioning (and branding) for your firm. Without a strong understanding of your firm’s technology, creating an effective plan that beats your rivals is impossible. And your work will seem generic and cookie-cutter. Avoid this at all costs. Find research from trusted sources like HBR, Bain & Co, and McKinsey on technology buyer behavior, or do your market study (surveys) to drive specific insights for your company to assist decision-making on creative aspects of your program. Insights on which features are essential to your customers and which aren’t will increase conversion and save you a considerable amount of your budget in your PPC ad campaigns (which features are most important to customers).
- Develop your powerbase and build strong networks (within your company and the blockchain community). Strong networks can bring talent and resources to your team and help you get things done. External friends and colleagues can help your section with partnerships. Lead by example and build a strong, positive, collaborative, high-performance team. Avoid being drawn into negativity, gossip, and political behavior. You want to manage your reputation and personal brand to enhance the effectiveness of getting things done through other people (either as teammates, subordinates, and even in managing your boss or CEO). CMOs should have a strong relationship with their CEOs and empathize with them; they can be stressed. Remember, many blockchain startup CEOs need more marketing experience, so you may often act as a coach. A strong relationship will help you push collaboration between you and sales and product teams and enhance your and your firm’s overall performance.
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