Today's post is a re-cap of the rest of the Paramore University event from yesterday.
Our second speaker was David Baker. He brought presents, but it was more like homework because it was a copy of his book! (Review to hopefully follow.)
His job is as a business consultant to marketing firms. His talk yesterday focused mainly on in-house marketing, but I suppose he also works with agencies.
Here are some startling statistics he told us about in-house marketing departments:
- 61% of marketing departments have less than 10 people
- 49% of employes work 41-45 hours per week
- Attrition is low (less than 10%), but when people do leave it is because of a lack of opportunities
We know they aren't less expensive that hiring contractors or an agency. However, they are more consistent with the brand. They have, very importantly, a deeper and greater expertise in the business's product or service.
How do you get the most of this expertise?
Find a way to create a greater team environment so they are a part of business discussions. Allow them to say "no" without being seen as unhelpful.
It's all about alignment. If you hired an outside agency, you would be particular about what you asked them to do and how many revisions they made. You would also be more exact with your requests. We all know an agency is costing money. However, the cost structure for an in-house department is different. So they are often asked to complete work that is less meaningful or not worth their time.
One interesting point to note:
David requires that his clients pay him upfront for services so that he can say "no" without fear of non-payment for not agreeing with the client.
It looks like he will be back in the fall with ParamoreU. So good news for people who are struggling with in-house marketing versus agency marketing decisions. Also good for people who want to know about his experience living with Mayan Indians. (Really, read his bio!)
The final speaker was Leslie Camacho, CEO of EllisLab.
"Avoiding the Knowledge Coffin" OR What you need to know when choosing a CMS (content management system)
Leslie says his job is to "translate NERD to help you be more successful." He wants to serve content in a way that makes his customers more successful. He also flew all the way out to Nashville from Portland.
BUZZWORD ALERT: COPE. Which means: Create Once, Publish Everywhere. It's similar to what Josh was saying about building for the web. Here is a good explanation/example that Leslie recommend we all check out from NPR's CMS.
According to Leslie, the #1 mistake people make when choosing a CMS is not understanding who your content helps people succeed.
A lack of customer empathy creates a knowledge coffin so: ask customers, use your own product, and don't skimp on the discovery process.
My biggest takeaway: Don't ask the designers or engineers to create a button, ask them to solve a problem.
His recommended readings:
Hackers and Painters by Paul Graham
The Nerd Handbook by Rands in Repose
Final note, it was my first time at a meeting or event with a graphic recorder! I have always seen the hand that draws during TED talks, but it was pretty cool to see it done in person. A big thank you to Alpha Chimp!
There should be a re-cap on the Paramore website soon that includes the graphics. Once its posted, I will link to it on my blog. So check back.
Adios Marketing Amigos!
