Hi Jo,
I’m new to Marketing Operations, and it feels like a wide-open field.
On a given day, I’m planning and budgeting for email campaigns, learning how new integrations work, and working with different teams on issues far and wide.
Sales needs leads scoring, Marketing wants to know where to spend ads, and IT and Data Science need input on the processes for managing our systems and data.
It’s a lot.
I appreciate the challenge and variation of my job, but that same nature makes it difficult to figure out if I’m in the right place or how I might progress. How can I succeed in Marketing Operations? How do I know if I’m on a path with a bright future?
Yours,
Unsure in Utah
Unsure in Utah, you’ve come to the right place.
My journey to marketing operations wasn’t planned. I became the Marketo person for my team while working in demand gen. This was long before MOPs was a carved-out role.
“You’re at the crossroads of
many different corners of the company.”
I got to grips with how the tool works, how to handle and maintain data, and how to run reports — but that didn’t quite prepare me for the real, full-time deal in MOPs.
You’re at the crossroads of many different corners of the company. The good news is you get to choose where you walk.
Determine what excites you
Ask yourself: Of all the things that I’m doing, what really excites me?
If it’s the tactical side of planning and analyzing campaigns, Campaign Management might be for you.
Digital runs on a parallel track, but it takes similar skills with creativity and data, one if you’re equal parts art and science.
Read our post “When Is It Time For a Career Change in Marketing Operations?” for more on this subject.
Everything is a learning opportunity.
Here’s the beauty in MOPs: Everything is a learning opportunity.
You’re around different people with unique perspectives, there are new and interesting problems to solve, and new tools and technology, like AI, give you more time/resources/insights to experiment.
There’s always a need for your skills, so if you take the reins and specialize, you’ll go far and fast at once.
Positive signs you’re in the right place in MOPs
Wherever you are right now, here are some positive signs that you’re in the right place in MOPs:
👉 You’re being challenged — and you like it.
👉 You’ve got a problem-solving mindset, and you’re learning and growing from putting it to use.
👉 You’ve got access to senior figures, managing upwards and making your opinions heard. This is a tell that your company takes its investment in MOPs (and in you) seriously.
👉 You’re passionate (or at least curious about) your industry and space, what you’re selling, and who you’re selling to.
“You’re not an order-taker.
You’re a strategist. A doer.
An expert.”
That’s quite a bit to think about, Unsure in Utah.
For now, I’ll leave you with this. You are not an order-taker. You’re a strategist. A doer. An expert.
That’s your future in MOPs.
You’ve got this,
Jo Pulse
