There is no question that the Great Resignation is hitting the providers of the healthcare world hard. But the Great Resignation can also hit the marketing team of healthcare vendors.
Is your marketing team overwhelmed?
The marketing department is often one of the last teams that healthcare vendors, especially start-ups, invest in. Priorities go to software development, sales, and implementation. Marketing becomes one of those things you don’t realize you need until it’s too late.
All too frequently, I see healthcare vendors hire a single marketing coordinator, even though the work they need done would really take two or three people. That coordinator, regardless of experience, is then tasked with everything from setting strategy to creating content to implementing automated campaigns.
What makes it worse is that, since marketing works on the long-term, it is often unappreciated by management. Sales shows immediate, short-term results. But marketing has an impact on down the line. When that isn’t appreciated, morale suffers.
Between doing the work of several people and not getting the appreciation they deserve, it’s no wonder they can burn out.
What can you do about it?
Launch fewer marketing campaigns. This is an easy fix – just let your team focus on your top-producing campaigns. This takes less time and fewer people – and it may be all you need. The only downside is that you are not able to create new campaigns, even if new situations arise (for instance, if you are going to an event or need to promote a new feature).
Hire more marketers. This fix is pretty straightforward but it’s not cheap. You have to cover the costs of salary, benefits, and reduced output from your current team while they train in the new person.
Outsource marketing projects. This is a good middle-of-the-road approach – you are able to stop overworking your team but you can still create new campaigns. And you can still respond to new situations. The down side is that it works best for clearly defined projects so, if you need help with strategy, it may not be a good fit.
Bring on a fractional member of the team. This approach lets you bring on a consultant to work as part of your team but not on a project-by-project basis. These consultants are not employees; they are on retainer to help on an ongoing basis. The plus side is you can get someone at the VP level to aid with marketing strategy, without paying for a full-time VP. The down side is it can be hard to find someone with the knowledge of your industry who is available for a fractional role.
To prevent burnout, companies should minimize meetings, encourage time off and hire freelancers and contractors to lighten the workload for full-time staffers, says Michelle Reisdorf, a hiring expert for Robert Half staffing in Chicago.
USA Today, The Great Resignation: As more people quit, other staffers follow
Marketing is a Must-Have
Dropping the ball on marketing can have an impact months and even years down the road. If your team is too small to handle the work that needs to be done, you have several options to address it. Choose the one that is right for your company.
Photo by Anh Nguyen on Unsplash.