Original posting April 3, 2013
As the Certified OBM Training Manager so many years I still have had a lot of people ask “Is the OBM also the Marketing Manager?” And I would like to make this as clear as mud: YES and NO!
Before you start thinking I am talking out of two heads let me explain why I am saying this.
- No, you do NOT need to be a marketing strategist or expert. Knowing what kind of marketing strategies to employ is ultimately up to your client or their own marketing coach to decide.
- Yes, you DO need to manage marketing activities to make sure they are getting done… same as you would with any other project in the business.
The OBM is the Manager of EVERYTHING… so stop trying to ‘get out’ of the stuff you don’t want to do, manage or be responsible for. Best to just step up ? I get that ‘marketing’ in this 24/7 communication environment looks a bit like a monster.. but as the OBM you need to be willing to step in and make sure that marketing activities are being completed, especially if you are on incentive. ?
Now here’s the tricky part. As an online business manager, the simple truth is you can’t manage where there is no business, and without marketing, there will be no business, no clients, no revenue. So don’t escape the opportunity to learn and grow in this area. There is no such thing as an OBM who says: “Well I just don’t like marketing so I am not going to help here.” Visibility for a business is the only way it grows.. plain and simple.
So though you don’t need to be the marketing expert, you do need to have a sound knowledge of what it takes to manage marketing initiatives.