06Jun

Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse agency team. 

We recently chatted with Becca Smith, Marketing Director on the Green Key Marketing team. Becca assumed her Marketing position nearly two years ago to grow this relatively new department. She elaborates on her time at Green Key thus far and how she believes her previous experiences in different industries have helped her thrive here.  

What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? 

I love exercising both the analytical and creative sides of my brain. Studying English and Journalism in college helped me learn about databased strategy, and how I was able to turn that into something creative. I think that marketing is a good middle point for people, like myself, who are both left brained and right brained.  Starting off in PR, doing a lot of e-commerce and social media marketing, I realized it can take a lot of forms, especially as a career path. This is one of those industries that can always challenge you since it is always changing. I’m always developing new skills and learning something new. 

What motivates you as a Marketing Director? 

I am motivated by the challenge of creating something new. The marketing team at Green Key has been relatively new since I started almost two years ago. It was originally just me, so being able to grow the team has introduced me to such a great collaborative environment.  I’m constantly moving the finish line for myself, which keeps me engaged and excited to go to work. By communicating with so many different people, I’ve learned elements of the business that I wasn’t previously familiar with. Overall, building and expanding the team keeps me going. 

What is the most important thing you’ve learned about marketing thus far? 

From a personal standpoint, you’re never going to know everything and that’s okay. Part of being successful in marketing is understanding you should never be the smartest person in the room. I’ve noticed you can learn a lot from people who don’t even work in marketing. Receiving and listening to feedback from others who are not in this realm is also beneficial because they’re your audience. Being receptive and open-minded to expand your knowledge is vital to your success. 

What are your goals moving forward? 

Growing the team and expanding the number of projects we have our hands on is something I want to move toward. I think our team has a really great rapport with each other and I see so many opportunities for people to grow as well. Being a manager was always something I wanted to do, and it is so cool to see people take ownership. I love watching the excitement of individuals on the team when they feel like they have agency.

What sets Green Key apart from other staffing agencies? 

Previously, my experience with a staffing agency was only from a candidate’s side. My first interaction with Green Key was having one of our own recruiters reach out to me about a job that they were hiring for. It was distinctively one of the best and most different experiences I’ve ever had with a recruiter. I think that stems from the values of this company. Recruiters at Green Key prioritize relationships, empathy, and the idea of connection, which I felt immediately. They have autonomy and flexibility, and they pursue quality interactions over a set number of interactions. 

How do you feel like your career in marketing helps you in your role now? 

I’ve learned so much by doing. The career progression that I’ve had has introduced me to a lot of different industries. The way I see it is that if you have the principles of marketing down, you can transfer them from audience to audience. The thing that drew me to this role was wanting to have ownership and being able to build something from the ground up. Because marketing wasn’t a team here, I really had the opportunity to do that. Sometimes people think that a career path has to be super linear, but you can learn a lot from exposing yourself to different things.    

Why do you think marketing in recruiting is so necessary?   

Marketing is especially important because recruiters have an unfair reputation. After seeing how hard these people work and the care that goes into their job, I want to help improve the public image of recruiting. There are many benefits to working with a recruiter whether it’s to open doors or expand your mind to new opportunities. I don’t think I would have considered the roles that I have been presented with had they not come from the recruiter, and we talked through them together.  

Since implementing a defined marketing strategy to Green Key, how has our brand improved?  

One of the things we’ve done as a marketing team is not only improve the way we talk about ourselves, but also the way we inform our audience on the relationship between recruiter and candidate. We want to demystify that experience and help people understand the basics of recruiting and what it’s like to work with the awesome team of recruiters we have at Green Key Resources. 

Feb 26, 2024

The Essence of Marketing Strategy: Driving Business Success

In the intricate world of business, a marketing strategy serves as the cornerstone upon which companies build their path to success. But what exactly is the marketing strategy, what are the different types of marketing strategies, and how does it work? In this article we’ll explore these questions and delve into the essence of effective marketing strategies.

What is Marketing Strategy?

According to Investopedia.com, “A marketing strategy refers to a business’s overall game plan to facilitate the buying and selling of its products or services. A marketing strategy determines how to reach prospective consumers and turn them into customers. It contains the company’s value proposition, key brand messaging, data on target customer demographics, and other high-level elements. A thorough marketing strategy covers the four Ps of marketing: product, price, place, and promotion.”

Types of Marketing Strategy

Types of marketing strategies include:

  • Social Media Marketing
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Pay Per Click (PPC)
  • Email Marketing
  • Content Marketing

How Does it Work?

A marketing strategy functions as a road map that guides all marketing activities and initiatives. It begins with a thorough understanding of the target market – their needs, preferences, and pain points. Based on this understanding, the strategy defines the positioning of the company’s offerings and determines the most effective channels and messages to reach the target audience.

Key components of a marketing strategy include:

Market Segmentation: Identifying and segmenting the target market based on demographics, psychographics, and behavior.

Value proposition: Articulating the unique value that the company offers to its customers and differentiating itself from competitors.

Channel selection: Choosing the most appropriate marketing channels to reach the target audience, such as social media, e-mail marketing, content marketing, or traditional advertising.

Messaging and Creative: Crafting compelling messages and creative assets that resonate with their target audience and communicate the value proposition effectively.

Measurement and Analysis: Establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of marketing efforts and continuously analyzing data to optimize performance.

In conclusion, understanding marketing strategies, its types, and how it works are vital for business success, enabling companies to drive growth and engagement effectively.  

Feb 27, 2024

The Essence of Marketing Strategy: Driving Business Success (Part II)

With a grasp of the fundamental concept of Marketing Strategy, let’s explore its advantages in more detail and uncover the steps to effectively craft one.

Benefits of Marketing Strategies

  • Clear Direction: A well-defined marketing strategy provides a clear roadmap for achieving business objectives. It aligns marketing efforts with overall goals, ensuring that every action contributes to the company’s success.
  • Customer Engagement and Loyalty: A strategic approach to marketing fosters deeper connections with customers. By understanding their needs and preferences, companies can tailor messages and experiences that resonate with their audience, leading to increased engagement and loyalty.

Marketing Stratego also highlights a few benefits including:

  • “Increased Brand Awareness: A strong marketing strategy helps increase brand awareness by promoting the business’s products or services to the target audience. This, in turn, leads to more recognition and recall of the brand, which ultimately leads to more sales and customer loyalty.”
  • “Increased Sales and Revenue: A well-designed marketing strategy leads to increased sales and revenue by attracting more customers to the business and increasing their willingness to purchase. This can be achieved through effective targeting, promotions, and other marketing efforts.”
  • “Better Customer Targeting: A good marketing strategy helps businesses understand their target audience and create campaigns that are relevant to them. This leads to more effective and efficient marketing, as businesses are able to reach their target customers more effectively and achieve better results.”
  • “Competitive Advantage: A strong marketing strategy can give a business a competitive advantage by differentiating it from its competitors. By creating unique and effective campaigns, businesses can stand out in their market and attract more customers.”
  • ‘Improved Lead Generation: A good marketing strategy helps businesses generate more leads by promoting the business’s products or services to the target audience. This leads to more opportunities for businesses to convert those leads into customers and increase their revenue.”
  • “Improved Brand Image and Reputation: A well-designed marketing strategy helps improve a business’s brand image and reputation by creating positive associations with the brand. This, in turn, leads to increased customer loyalty, as customers are more likely to do business with a brand they view positively.”
  • “Increased Market Share: A strong marketing strategy helps businesses increase their market share by attracting more customers and retaining existing ones. This, in turn, leads to increased revenue and growth for the business.”
  • “More Effective Use of Resources: A good marketing strategy helps businesses make the most of their marketing budget and resources. By identifying the most effective channels and campaigns, businesses can maximize their return on investment and achieve better results.”
  • “Better Return on Investment (ROI): A well-designed marketing strategy helps businesses achieve a better return on investment by increasing sales and revenue and maximizing the use of resources. This, in turn, leads to increased profitability and growth for the business.”

Now that we’ve highlighted the benefits of a marketing strategy, lets’ explore the process of creating an effective one.

According to Hubspot.com, here are the eight steps a company should take during the marketing strategy process:

  • Conduct market research: “…you need to gather useful data for making informed decisions. Market research is like playing detective, but instead of solving crimes, you’re uncovering juicy details about your customers. Market research will help your businesses make data-driven decisions for your marketing strategy. It also makes it easier to understand your target market, find gaps, and make the most of your resources.”
  • Define your goals: What do you want to achieve through your marketing efforts? Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or diversifying your customer base, well-defined goals will guide your marketing strategy.”
  • Identify your target audience and create buyer personas: To create an effective marketing strategy, you need to understand who your ideal customers are. Take a look at your market research to understand your target audience and market landscape. Accurate customer data is especially important for this step…”
  • Conduct competitive analysis: To begin your competitive analysis, start with your top competitors. Reviewing their websites, content, ads, and pricing can help you understand how to differentiate your brand. It’s also a useful way to find opportunities for growth.”
  • Develop key messaging: Craft compelling massages and creative assets that effectively communicate your value proposition and resonate with your audience. Ensure consistency in messaging across all channels to build brand recognition and trust.
  • Choose your marketing channels: You know what you have to say, now decide on the best marketing channels for your message. Your top goal for this stage of your strategy is to align your channel choices with your target persona’s media consumption habits. Start with media channels you’re already using. Then, consider a mix of traditional and digital channels such as social media, TV, email marketing, podcast ads, SEO, content marketing, and influencer partnerships. To streamline this process, think of your assets in three categories — paid, owned, and earned media.”
  • Create, track, and analyze KPIs: At this stage, you’ll shift from marketing detective to numbers nerd. With a little planning and prep, your analytics can unveil the mysteries of marketing performance and unlock super insights. Review your strategy and choose measurable KPIs to track the effectiveness of your strategy. Create a system that works for your team to collect and measure your data.”
  • Present your marketing strategy: A finished marketing strategy will pull together the sections and components above. It may also include: Executive Summary, Brand Identity, and a Marketing Plan and Tactics”