Don’t hold back when giving feedback to your marketing team

Imagine this scenario: Your internal marketing team or external marketing contractor has created some text or graphics for your next email campaign, publication or website, and it’s not quite what you expected. While you may be hesitant to give feedback for fear of tarnishing the relationship, hearing feedback from management or other departments helps marketers fine-tune their work.

After all, you’re all on the same team, with the same goal of executing a successful marketing strategy and growing your business.

The good news is that if you have some feedback you’d like to share, that means you’re already engaged with your marketing team enough to review their work, and you realize the importance of a strong marketing strategy to your business. Just as mature marketers understand the importance of customer feedback to developing good marketing copy and images, they are accustomed and open to hearing feedback.

This week, I worked with a client on developing copy for their new website. They were very open with their feedback, and I really appreciated the critical insights I gained from my conversation with them.

Some of things that made this client’s feedback so effective was that they:

1. Didn’t hesitate to tell me when I was off base. While marketers who are a bit newer to having their work critiqued may get defensive, more seasoned marketers know from experience that it is far better to get feedback from a client than to publish an error-filled newsletter or website for all the world to see. Our work is always improved as a result. I appreciate that they are willing to work with us to create great marketing that we can all be proud of.
2. Focused on the work, not on me. Even an open-minded and mature writer takes pride in their work, and they can take it personally when they are critiqued directly. Luckily, the way feedback is worded can make all the difference. Consider a softer approach: “It might improve the effectiveness of this blog if we included X and Y.” The work itself, not the marketer’s experience or occasional mistakes (we’re all human), matter most, so focus your attention there.
3. Offered specific examples. I’m always happy to make requested changes, especially when they specify what it is they’re looking for. It doesn’t help much to know that “there are parts of this that we aren’t happy with” if the client can’t elaborate, but it does help me to know exactly which parts need editing.
4. Explained the reasoning behind requests. I appreciate this because I want everything else I create for this client to be in line with their overall strategy. The more I know, the more effectively I can partner with them on achieving their goals.
5. Pointed out the good along with the bad. Knowing what I’m doing right is just as important as knowing what I’m doing wrong so that I can keep on doing it!

When you follow these tips, a mature and open-minded marketer will be grateful for your help. They’ll leave their ego out of the equation as they actively listen to your feedback, recognizing that with your help, they can create better content, which contributes to more effective marketing. And that makes everyone, including the marketer, look good!

Do you need an experienced marketing professional to help you realize your business goals? Contact us to see how we can help, or visit our services page.