Being a solo customer marketer in a high-growth company can feel a bit like a fairly relentless rollercoaster. One minute you're celebrating a successful initiative, the next you're drowning in a ton of new requests and shifting priorities. 

It may have taken a while to strike the right balance, but the journey was worth it as I developed an obsession along the way - the power of customer stories to engage audiences in a way that products and corporate messaging simply can't. 

Getting to hear people's stories and share those authentic voices is quite literally a privilege that I love being a part of every single day.

But outside of passion, what ultimately allowed me to thrive and create an impact as a solo marketer was honing one vital skill - operationalizing. The ability to take that high-level strategic view and distill it into clear, executable initiatives is absolutely critical when you're a team of one. 

So, in this article, I'll share three key lessons that have helped me thrive on my own and make an impact: 

  1. Aligning my efforts to the company's overarching objectives 
  2. The art of prioritizing initiatives with discipline
  3. Scaling through strategic agency partnerships

Let’s dive right in!

Align your efforts to company objectives

The single most impactful mindset shift of my career was consciously aligning everything I do to the company's top-level objectives and goals - not just the marketing team's targets, but the fundamental metrics and mission that the entire organization rallies around each year.

Why is this so powerful? By speaking that shared language of the executives and leadership team who set the company's strategic direction, I instantly raise the relevance of my work in their eyes. 

When I position my activities as directly supporting those company-wide priorities, it's easier for them to recognize the value and importance of customer marketing.

For example, rather than just saying "I manage the process for creating customer case studies," I reframe it as "I lead our efforts to capture compelling voice of the customer stories that build our brand reputation and market position." 

Instead of "running the customer reference program," I describe how I'm "accelerating sales cycles and driving revenue through the strategic use of customer evidence."

To operationalize this, I created a simple "money slide" that outlines how my planned activities for the year map to each of our key corporate objectives. 

I then have a crisp 90-second elevator pitch explaining it, allowing me to quickly communicate the rationale whether I'm presenting or just being asked about it.

The art of prioritizing

Despite increased buy-in and mindshare from using the strategic alignment approach, the reality is that I'm still just one person having to prioritize like crazy. I've had to be brutally disciplined in saying "no" to things, no matter how amazing or impactful they may seem in isolation.

My criteria for evaluating what to prioritize is based on two factors:

1) How directly will this project or initiative impact our key company metrics and goals that I've aligned to? The bigger the impact, the higher priority it gets.

2) Do I have the operational resources and capabilities set up to execute this effectively as a solo marketer? Things like having the necessary data sources, cross-functional stakeholder buy-in, and streamlined processes in place.

That said, I'm always balancing multiple workstreams and new opportunities inevitably arise that are too compelling to ignore. For example, earlier this year our social media function moved under my purview. I now own both the creation of powerful voice of customer stories and a vital channel to amplify and extend their reach. 

Having that integrated view into content production and performance has created a feedback loop improving everything from content ideation to promotional strategies.

Scaling through strategic partnerships

One of the best ways I've been able to take on ambitious new projects despite my limited resources is through leveraging agency partnerships in a very strategic, focused way. 

When that opportunity arises to take on a major new initiative, bringing in an agency can be a game-changer for testing new waters without overextending myself.

I'll share two examples of amazing agency collaborations that helped scale my capabilities as a solo marketer:

Example 1: Emerald Awards refresh with The Studio Impossible

Our annual Emerald Awards program celebrating customer excellence was in need of a fresh, modern creative approach aligned to our updated corporate branding. I needed:

  • A new visual identity and marketing materials to promote the awards
  • Compelling voice of customer content spotlighting the winners' stories
  • An elevated, memorable experience for our customers receiving the awards

I brought in The Studio Impossible because of their innovative, multidisciplinary abilities. They took the time to understand our goals, suggesting a tier of options which allowed us to find the perfect balance of impact and investment.

The result was an outstanding, cohesive campaign that checked every box:

✅ A vibrant new Emerald Awards logo and creative design system 

✅ Powerful winner video testimonials we can use across channels

✅ Beautiful, high-end trophies accompanied by a delightful unboxing experience

Example 2: Voice of Customer video shoot with Bionic Giant

With an upcoming major customer event, I had a prime opportunity to capture video stories from our top advocates. I wanted to create professional, versatile video assets while also delivering an amazing experience for our customers being featured.

I turned to Bionic Giant based on previous collaborations where they excelled at those first-class video production experiences. 

From developing an engaging creative concept to handling all the details of setup, filming, and hospitality, they helped me capitalize on this window of opportunity.  

This meant I walked away with a suite of ultra-engaging, authentic customer videos to use in countless ways while strengthening relationships with those vital advocates. 

Additionally I was able to focus on being present with our customers rather than sweating the production details.

For any agency collaboration, my top suggestions are:

  • Be explicit about your objectives, vision, budget, and timeline upfront 
  • Define key success metrics for them and for the longevity of the program
  • Allow room for their innovative ideas and creative expertise
  • Prioritize agencies that make your customer experience a top priority

Conclusion

While going solo as a customer marketer is undoubtedly challenging, it's also exhilarating and rewarding when you nail the execution. 

So keep rallying around those company-wide objectives as your north star. Never lose sight of the immense power your role has to influence revenue, brand reputation, customer relationships and more by giving an authentic voice to your happiest customers.  

Most of all, take pride in the fact that as a solo marketer, you're forced to be strategic, focused and incredibly resourceful every single day. Those muscles will make you an indispensable force, both in meeting your company's most crucial goals and in your future career.

This article comes from Stephanie Mills’ insightful talk, ‘How to succeed as a solo customer marketer in a scaling company’, at our London 2023 Customer Marketing Summit, check out her full presentation here.