Hiring a marketing director is a smart decision. Learning how to work with and support your marketing director is a wise decision. Once the marketing director starts, it doesn’t mean your work stops — it just means your work will get easier.

I’ve seen marketing directors come and go from firms with amazing speed. Having experience myself as a marketing director for a professional services firm, and currently working with marketing directors, I’ve gathered some tips on how you can get the most out of your marketing efforts while giving support to your marketing director.

1. Tools for the Job
Give your marketing director what they need to do the job. This means the proper budget, administrative help, time, tools and patience. Typically firms should budget 1-3% of annual revenue for marketing. The marketing director can only implement the plan if the budget is in place to do so. Keep in mind that marketing is a long-term investment, not a short-term solution. Give the plan time to work — it will.

2. Clear Expectations
Nobody can do a good job if they don’t know what it is they are supposed to be doing. Define your expectations, clearly state what marketing goals you are trying to achieve and exactly what it is the firm is trying to accomplish. Where do you want your marketing director to start — PR, website updating, niche marketing or client relations? Clarify your focus so your marketing director knows where to begin.

3. Easy Access
In order to put together an effective marketing plan, the information used to write it must be accurate. Your marketing director needs access to important firm information such as which clients create the largest revenue stream or what segment of your business had the largest growth in the past year. Data is essential for accuracy. The marketing director should sit in
on important meetings where they can get a feel for what is happening in the industry, the firm and with your clients. In order to achieve the greatest ROI from your marketing dollars, access to needed information must be given.

4. Proper Reporting
Have your marketing director report to the managing partner of your firm. This will make it easier for everyone involved to get things done. It also helps the other partners know you are committed to the work the marketing director is doing. Be willing to go to bat for your marketing director to get approval on plans and initiatives. Marketing is timely; things need to get done within certain timeframes to be successful. In order for your marketing director to implement a plan, it can’t be stuck in a continual loop of negotiation.

5. Solid Support
You hired the most qualified person for the job, so let your marketing director do it. Trust that he or she is working to attain the goals agreed upon and will do it in the most cost-efficient and timely manner. Do your part in helping the marketing plan come to fruition by providing support when needed and being committed to the initiatives. Helping to keep databases current, relaying important information about your referral sources and updating your marketing director on important industry happenings will go a long way toward ensuring success in your marketing efforts.

Hiring a marketing director is an investment in your firm’s growth and stability; establishing a good working relationship with him or her is essential to the success of that investment. Once you have built a relationship based on solid communication and trust with your marketing director, relax in the knowledge that the plan is being implemented as it should be — successfully.