What Are The Key Marketing Roles At Startups?

With most founders not coming from a marketing background and the terminology in marketing becoming more complex by the day, we decided to put together key definitions of the most common roles we see.

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Demand Generation

• This function is all about driving growth through strategic campaigns across different channels. Responsibilities include managing distribution channels, inbound strategies, supporting outbound sales efforts, website management, A/B testing, analytics, ad budgeting, and fostering relationships with sales development representatives (SDRs) and account-based marketing (ABM).

Product Marketing:

• Product marketers focus on communicating the value of the product to the target audience. They lead product launches, define messaging and positioning, gather customer feedback, collaborate with the product and go-to-market (GTM) teams, create sales enablement content, handle pricing strategies, and conduct competitive analysis.

Content Marketing:

• Content marketers own the storytelling aspect of the brand by managing the content calendar. Their responsibilities include managing blogs, defining the brand's voice and tone, distributing content via social media channels, handling customer marketing initiatives like case studies and testimonials, and collaborating with product marketing for customer stories.

Marketing Operations

• Fits in closely with demand generation and is predominantly focused on:
• Data Management: Collecting, organizing, and maintaining marketing data to ensure its accuracy and accessibility.
• MarTech: Selecting, implementing, and managing marketing automation tools, CRM systems. Process Optimization: Streamlining marketing workflows and processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Revenue Attribution: Tracking and attributing marketing activities to revenue generation, allowing the marketing team to understand the ROI of their efforts and optimize future campaigns accordingly.

Comms / PR:

• This function strategizes and manages earned media channels. Responsibilities include building relationships with the media, securing bylines and placements, managing awards submissions, planning speaking engagements, and sometimes handling internal communications.

Field / Event Marketing:

• Field and event marketers plan and execute various events to achieve specific goals across the sales funnel. They manage all aspects of events, including strategy, booth setup, sponsorships, tracking event success, and supporting local sales teams.

Brand & Creative:

• This function is responsible for maintaining brand consistency and creating visually appealing assets that align with the brand identity. Responsibilities include establishing brand guidelines, designing web assets, creating ad creatives, producing videos, and managing branded merchandise.

Corporate Marketing:

• Corporate marketing encompasses various marketing functions under one umbrella, including brand marketing, events, communications, and content marketing. 

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Looking for more info on which type of Marketer your startup needs? Check out our article on best practices when hiring your first marketer.