The very nature of how we work has changed because so many businesses have chosen to move toward remote work. This is especially true for anyone who must coordinate between several teams, but no one more so than the constantly overworked project manager.
A marketing project manager is a professional who handles the project management for marketing either internally or as an external agency, overseeing projects related to marketing campaigns. Project managers for marketing are responsible for managing both the personnel and the projects themselves.
What a marketing project manager is and what he should do are both covered in this article.
Table of Contents
What Is A Marketing Project Manager?
But first, you might be wondering if you fit this description given the wide range of marketing project manager roles. Let’s start by defining what exactly it includes:
A project manager for marketing is in charge of organizing, overseeing, and carrying out campaign-related projects. Having a broad perspective of many moving parts, including stakeholders, deadlines, and budgets, while also paying close attention to detail, is necessary for this all-encompassing job.
You are compelled to quickly adapt your skills when working remotely, physically separated from everyone else involved in the project.
Different Types Of Marketing Project Managers
Working in a variety of different roles and industries is one aspect of project management for marketing. A marketing project manager’s duties may include supporting external clients in a marketing agency or organizing media campaigns for businesses. Here are a few different kinds of marketing project manager positions.
Project Manager In A Marketing Agency
A marketing agency’s project management includes making sure that deliverables reach the clients on schedule and on budget. This may entail managing a variety of client projects, such as a social media campaign or website redesign, to completion.
A project manager in a marketing firm will collaborate with internal team members, internal clients, independent contractors, and vendors. Meeting with clients, establishing deadlines and task assignments, creating the project budget, and removing obstacles are all typical project management duties for a marketing agency.
In-house Marketing Project Manager
Managing and coordinating projects that advance particular marketing strategies and objectives is the responsibility of an internal marketing project manager, who works for a company or group of companies.
The internal creative and communications departments, as well as outside vendors and freelancers, are all communicated with by in-house marketing project managers. They may be tasked with managing any kind of marketing project, from a product launch to a focused email marketing campaign, depending on their area of specialization.
Marketing Program Manager
A marketing program manager is in charge of managing a number of marketing initiatives at once and measuring each initiative’s success in relation to business objectives like increased sales or client retention.
The marketing program manager will use analytics and reporting data about each campaign to make sure the marketing projects are assisting the company in achieving its broader targets and objectives while the project managers focus on specific tasks to advance their projects.
International Marketing Project Manager
Designing, organizing, and coordinating marketing projects and campaigns abroad is the job of an international marketing project manager. In addition to creating campaigns that are culturally sensitive, they must be able to identify which international markets offer the greatest potential for profit.
Project managers for international marketing frequently collaborate with marketing teams in other nations directly while also managing vendors and independent contractors in various locations.
Digital Marketing Project Manager
A digital marketing project manager plans and manages digital initiatives and campaigns that are intended to increase website traffic to a business or product and produce leads.
As part of their project marketing manager responsibilities, they might commission eBooks, organize video campaigns, manage social media platforms, and optimize the content on the company website by coordinating with the creative, copywriting, and graphic design teams.
What Is The Role Of A Marketing Project Manager?
A marketing project manager oversees the marketing manager’s experience and leads a project from the initial brainstorming and research phase, straight through implementation or production, and on to debriefing and reporting.
The marketing project manager will execute the overall vision for the marketing department under the direction of the marketing director and chief marketing officer. Thus, marketing project managers will oversee the group of marketers, suppliers, and support personnel working on the project.
Marketing project managers typically start their work early on in the project life cycle, from deciding the project’s scope to supervising market research on the intended audience. They will assign tasks, set team member deadlines, decide on the project’s budget, and determine how to allocate resources, all while making adjustments as the project’s framework is established.
Additionally, marketing project managers oversee internal and external stakeholder communication to make sure their team has the knowledge and support necessary to complete the project.
What Kinds Of Projects Do Marketing Project Managers Oversee?
What kinds of projects do they typically work on and oversee? Project management for marketing typically entails supervising a wide range of potential projects. Here’s a selection of potential activities and projects marketing project managers might undertake:
- Working alongside the marketing director to create the company’s marketing strategy
- Creating a content calendar for the company’s blog and social media accounts
- Managing the production of television or YouTube commercials
- Building and maintaining external vendor relationships
- Creating project timelines and budgets
- Liaising with graphic designers to create print and digital advertisements
- Commissioning freelancers to create a blog or eBook content
Skills Marketing Project Managers Should Master
Powerful Communication Skills
The sole purpose of a project manager is to manage projects. This entails supervising the project’s participants. You must be able to assign tasks and lay out precise action items from beginning to end to everyone from marketing designers and copywriters to developers.
Time Management Skills
Deadlines are similar to a house of cards, as experienced marketing project managers are aware. You see where we’re going with this—if one stakeholder misses one deadline, everything else collapses.
You are accountable for managing not only your own time but also everyone else’s when planning and executing a marketing campaign.
Budgeting
The management of marketing projects must include setting a campaign budget. To achieve the desired ROI, every expense must be taken into consideration in the plan. You are in charge of completing the project on time and within the allocated budget, as well as handling the project’s money wisely.
Collaboration
Businesses now devote a significant portion of their marketing budgets to digital channels. Increasing online brand awareness, increasing website traffic, and obtaining leads and new clients are all part of this. To ensure that the entire team is on the same page, it is your responsibility as the marketing project manager to ensure that everyone shares their data.
Problem-solving Skills
You are the undisputed owner of every marketing project you oversee, which ought to go without saying. This implies that you are accountable for solving any issues that stakeholders have while working on the marketing campaign, of which there will be many.
We typically advise juniors to start by using the fishbone diagram, also known as the cause and effect diagram, even though problem-solving is a skill that is learned over time. The final problem statement is presented on the right side of the diagram, with the left side listing the numerous potential root causes of the issue.
Organizational Skills
You are the one who keeps everyone organized as the project manager for a marketing campaign. It is your responsibility to make sure that the campaign works cohesively to accomplish your goals and meet your KPIs while stakeholders are occupied with their own tasks.
Do Marketing Project Managers Need To Meet Any Requirements In Particular?
The majority of businesses or organizations seeking candidates for the position of marketing project manager or marketing program manager will demand that they have a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communication, business, or management. In addition to experience with online platforms, website content management systems, and other marketing tools, it is frequently regarded as essential to have taken marketing courses.
- Advanced degrees: If you’re looking for a job in project management for marketing, getting a master’s degree in project management is an option. It can help you stand out from the competition.
- Certifications: With certifications in project management, many project managers expand their knowledge. The Project Management Institute’s most well-known project management certification is the Project Management Professional (PMP).
What Experience Is Required To Manage Marketing Projects?
A potential marketing project manager will need relevant professional experience relevant to the specific role and must be able to demonstrate competencies across a number of areas. When hiring marketing managers, the majority of businesses and organizations look for between two and five years of experience.
Employers will give candidates who have advanced from entry-level marketing positions, which will give candidates comprehension of general marketing tasks and requirements, a high level of consideration.