Learning from the Best: How Target Attracts the Top Digital Marketing Talent
Chances are, you already formed an opinion about Target irrespective of any exposure to their digital marketing content. Whether you consider them the hip, upscale cousin to Wal-Mart or see them as all smoke-and-mirrors, they have solid branding efforts that have gained momentum since the early 2000s and ensure that their name is recognized nationwide.
Over the past decade, much of that momentum was transferred from TV and print to digital realms, where the real action is. Target has provided textbook examples to new marketing ideals that include “social, visual storytelling, and experiential marketing,” in the words of Forbes. Behind this vision is a hard-working digital marketing team that is willing to take risks and experiment in order to find success.
Brands looking to capture some of Target’s lightning in a bottle will have to emulate Target’s success at acquiring digital marketing talent before they can even begin to kindle a spark online. Here’s how Target does it:
Tell an Interesting Story
No young, knowledgeable marketer with a head full of ideas is going to take on a job at a dusty feeling firm with no personality behind it. Unless their name is “Rumpelstiltskin,” they will have trouble spinning gold from the straw you’ve given them.
Instead, give them something worth getting excited about. Craft tales about how your brand is different, what its history carries with it and all the exciting opportunities that can be had with the right creative mind behind the wheel. If you have a history of marketing successes, make sure to highlight those in particular.
The more potential behind the projects they will soon be taking on, the more energy and enthusiasm they are likely to have for the position coming out of the gate.
Remember the Golden Rule?
Digital marketing managers are a real, full-fledged positions and should have all the rights, privileges and responsibilities of any other full-time employee. Too often, digital marketers are treated like glorified interns and given menial tasks or unclear instructions or objectives. Instead, establish how much autonomy they will have early on and work to make your expectations clear. You should be able to get the output you want without having to micromanage every decision they make.
This is all not to say that you shouldn’t expect a lot out of them for the trouble! In fact, setting ambitious goals and working alongside them to come up with ideas to make them happen can challenge and motivate ambitious talent to deliver their very best.
Let Them Know What They Mean to the Bottom Line
Contrary to what many people think about the so-called Millennial generation, stakes matter to them and so do goals. If a hiring manager or interviewer can demonstrate how crucial the digital marketer position is to the brand’s future goals, more talented and driven individuals may feel called to rise to the task. They will also understand their value within the organization and what they will be able to accomplish with the right environment.
All these possibilities can make some of the most ambitious marketing talent jump at an opportunity, excited to begin making a difference.
Get Digital Marketing Support When You Need It
No person is a one-woman or one-man army, even the best digital marketing talent. Sometimes to meet our goals, we need to rely on others with the expertise and experience to deliver on a solid product every time.
Let us at EverSpark Interactive be your back-up team to fill in the gaps in your roster while supporting your top talent and making them shine brighter than ever. Visit our digital marketing services page to learn more.