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Blog Post

The Importance of a Marketing Project Manager

Written by
Matter Made

There's no question that a successful marketing campaign requires careful planning and organization. But all too often, the day-to-day tasks of executing a marketing plan fall onto the marketing team itself. Unfortunately, this can be a recipe for disaster since it's difficult for one or even two people to do everything themselves. 

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That's where a marketing project manager comes in. A good project manager can take the weight off your shoulders, ensuring that your campaigns are planned and executed smoothly and on time.

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This article will cover what a marketing project manager is, what they do, and how they can take your marketing efforts to the next level. 

What is a marketing project manager?

In any organization, big or small, there are always projects underway. And for these projects to be successful, someone must manage them appropriately. That's where a marketing project manager comes in. A marketing project manager is responsible for planning, executing, and delivering marketing projects. 

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A marketing project manager takes on tasks like developing project plans and timelines and coordinating with different teams and stakeholders. 

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A marketing project manager wears many hats and plays a vital role in ensuring that projects are completed on time and within budget. Depending on your team, your marketing project manager might handle everything from campaign planning to pressing "publish" on social media posts. Nothing under the "marketing" umbrella is out of scope for a marketing project manager.

The importance of a marketing project manager

A marketing project manager is a crucial player on any marketing team. They ensure that marketing projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the client's satisfaction.

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A marketing project manager is, as you might imagine, an expert in project management. They can also lead your team through the different phases of a project:

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  • Initiation. In the initiation phase, the project manager works with the client  and the team to define the scope and objectives of the project. 

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  • Planning. Project managers develop a detailed action plan during the planning phase. This action plan includes timelines, budgets, and resources. 

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  • Execution. The execution phase is when the actual work of the project is completed. 

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  • Monitoring. The monitoring phase is when the project manager checks in on your team's progress and makes sure that everything is on track. 

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  • Project close. Finally, in the close phase, the project manager ties up loose ends and ensures the client is happy with the final product. 

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The Project Management Life Cycle: project initiation, project planning, project implementation, project closure, and project monitoring. Source: Indeed‍

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A successful marketing project manager can also address any problems, issues, or challenges that arise during a project. 

Key responsibilities of a project manager on a marketing team

A project manager on a marketing team is responsible for coordinating the team's efforts and ensuring that all deadlines are met. In addition, the project manager may be responsible for creating and presenting marketing plans to clients or upper management. Other key responsibilities include budgeting and forecasting, as well as overseeing the implementation of marketing campaigns. 

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To succeed in this role, a project manager must communicate effectively with clients and team members and have strong organizational and time management skills. Above all else, they must be able to adapt to changes quickly and efficiently to keep the project on track.

What are some typical projects a marketing project manager may be in charge of?

A marketing project manager is responsible for planning, executing, and delivering marketing initiatives. Their workday may include tasks like developing and managing budgets, scheduling and conducting market research, overseeing the creation of marketing materials, coordinating promotional activities, and measuring the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. 

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In addition to these day-to-day responsibilities, a marketing project manager may also be responsible for developing long-term strategies and planning for new product launches or brand awareness initiatives. Some marketing project managers also work with clients. 

What skills or tools does a marketing project manager need to be successful?

Successful marketing project managers are skilled multitaskers who can juggle multiple projects while keeping an eye on the details. They must possess strong communication and organizational skills to keep everyone on the team informed and on track. 

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Additionally, they need to understand various marketing channels to ensure that each campaign is executed correctly. These channels range from social media to email marketing to traditional media channels like newspapers and radio.

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Finally, to be successful, a marketing project manager must be an effective leader who can motivate and inspire others to reach their full potential. 

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Typical skills you would expect to see in a marketing project manager job listing include:

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  • The ability to analyze marketing data
  • Time management
  • Research 
  • Leadership
  • Task delegation
  • The ability to give feedback
  • Client management 
  • Detail orientation 

Conclusion 

A dedicated project manager is an essential part of any marketing team. They ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. They also play a critical role in communicating with stakeholders and ensuring that all team members work towards the same goal. 

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To be successful, a marketing project manager needs strong communication skills, organizational skills, and experience with various marketing tools. 

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If you'd like to learn more about marketing so you can become a marketing project manager yourself, check out our free resources. They'll put you on the right path right away. 

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Jennay Wangen, Project Manager

Coming up next:

Demand Generation

Blog Post

A Beginners Guide to the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) Business Model

5
min read
min watch

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a software delivery method where the solution is owned and managed by a company, hosted on a cloud that a third party provides, and delivered to customers on a subscription basis via the internet.

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This article will help you understand the fundamentals of the SaaS business model, including its strengths and weaknesses.

The Four Pillars of The SaaS Business Model

1. Centralized Ownership

The Application Service Providers (ASPs) retain ownership over and maintain the SaaS product. Instead of permanent licenses, they sell the solution via subscriptions and provide everything else their customers require, such as support and maintenance.

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This helps with keeping costs low and enables companies with limited budgets to adopt newer technologies.

2. Cloud-based Hosting

Most SaaS companies use cloud hosting solutions such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP to deploy their applications. This makes it easier for them to scale fast while retaining the quality of performance when it comes to delivering the promised value to their customers.

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Generally, SaaS platform developers use microservice architecture, which keeps costs lower and makes the solution easy to operate, modify, upgrade, and maintain.

3. The Subscription Pricing Model

As we briefly touched upon earlier in this article, SaaS companies bill their customers periodically (weekly, monthly, or annually). This subscription-based pricing renews customer access to the solution at a specified service level.

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The nature of the tiered pricing model varies from company to company. For instance, some SaaS solutions charge based on features used, while others charge based on the number of users.

4. Internet-based Delivery 

Customers have web access to SaaS products through their local machines. However, the data is stored and processed on servers of the cloud hosting solution used by the SaaS company, usually located elsewhere.

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This cost-effective, scalable, and versatile approach helps SaaS companies adapt with time while continuing to deliver world-class services to their existing customers.

SaaS vs. PaaS. vs. IaaS

SaaS

SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) utilizes cloud hosting solutions managed by third parties to host software. Businesses then use the internet to deliver it to their target audience. The advantage of the SaaS application is that it can be accessed via a web browser, making its adoption simple.

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Examples of popular SaaS applications include G Suite, Dropbox, and Slack.

PaaS

PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) delivers a framework for developers that is used to build applications. The servers for storage, processing, and networking of data centers are managed by third-party service providers — also known as Cloud Platform Services (CPS).

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AWS Elastic Beanstalk, Windows Azure, and Heroku are some of the most prominent PaaS solutions.

IaaS

IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service) helps its users to monitor and maintain their IT infrastructure while giving them the freedom to scale up or out as per their requirements. IaaS keeps hardware costs low.

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Google Compute Engine (GCE), Microsoft Azure, and DigitalOcean are some examples of IaaS solutions.

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Source: BMC. Differences between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS

Strengths of the SaaS Business Model

Scalable Solution

As the SaaS solution is hosted on the cloud, there are no limits on how many customers a SaaS company can serve. Furthermore, selling the solution in every country is possible, provided the legal requirements are taken care of.

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The cloud hosting solution in use will take care of the new storage and processing requirements while accommodating new users in real-time.

Easily Accessible

In the olden days, customers had to purchase enterprise software, upgrade their local machine to match the recommended specifications of the software, and install it before they could start getting any value. 

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Now, all they need is a computer with a stable internet connection and a license to a cloud-based tool.

Automatic Updates

SaaS solutions have made the “software update” button and waiting for it to complete before starting your work obsolete. SaaS vendors deploy new updates on the cloud, and they will be reflected in real-time on customers’ devices.

Customization and Customer Relationship Management

SaaS Providers can create multiple pricing plans to target customers of different requirements in the same or similar domains. This assists them in having a wider potential customer base while delivering economical and personalized solutions to each of them. 

Predictable Costs

The pay-as-you-use linear pricing model makes it easier for SaaS businesses to predict how much working capital is required to hit the SaaS market. This makes it easier to maintain finances and scale up in the future, as well as increase the platform's average customer lifetime value.

Weaknesses of the SaaS Business Model

Cybersecurity

It is challenging for both the business and their users to store their sensitive data on third-party servers. It is crucial for businesses to carefully go through the privacy policies before choosing a cloud hosting solution.

Longer Sales Cycle and a High Customer Acquisition Cost

The journey that transforms a prospect into a paying customer is quite long. SaaS businesses often have to spend a lot on marketing strategies for the entire sales funnel to ensure it resonates with the audience. 

High Competition

The strengths of the SaaS model make it easier to develop such a solution even with a strict budget. Due to this, every domain in the SaaS industry has a lot of players, big and small.

eCommerce, SaaS, and Matter Made

The SaaS business model is scalable, accessible, affordable, and easy to maintain. These advantages make it a great opportunity but also make it competitive at the same time.

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The one thing that will set a SaaS brand apart from its competition is its marketing strategy — as it will relay its value to its target audience, motivating them to sign up for a trial.

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Matter Made helps SaaS platforms achieve this objective through a strategic blend of demand generation, decision-maker marketing, paid media, and product-led growth.

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Interested?

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Schedule a chat with us today.

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