How to Fix Marketing Operations Challenges Using Documentation?

Most marketing operations teams grapple in managing their data, and in 2020, the problem is still posing a challenge for many marketers and companies. Managing data is highly important, especially when running your marketing operation remotely based on virtual communication and collaboration. 

The challenge is not limited to assigning roles and access, sharing and exchanging data, monitoring and measuring data, and taking data-centric decisions. But additionally, aligning their marketing and overall business goals to data and documentation, through different functions and keeping track of the progress on the set goals in every department, all contribute to the challenge.

Here is how documentation can assist in resolving marketing operations challenges while improving efficiency in 2020.

Deficit of Skill and Employee Turnover:

Companies need to create documentation to reduce the risks and the effect of the skill gap caused by the deficit of talent and employee turnover. The documentation process should include documenting everything involved in the marketing operations process and contribute to achieving the marketing goals, including ongoing programs, previous programs, program templates, and operational programs. There are various benefits of creating this documentation including: 

The documentation helps training new hires as it –

• Serves as training material for new hires as well as when team members want to learn more about Marketo.
• Aids marketers in transferring knowledge to new hires.
• Guides new hires to get details on what, when and why every action was taken. 
• Helps create new programs, especially those repeated programs and events.
• In setting up similar operational programs after the crash by using the documentation which contains details on the program and campaign architecture followed in building those in the first place.

Now that you have seen the benefits of documenting your marketing operations, here is what to include in this documentation: 

•  Include the location of the program in the marketing systems and the exact name.
• Include an overview of the program and why the program was set up.
• Detail technical design of all the programs and campaigns, including granular details and Smart campaign logic.
• Changes made to the build and the rationale behind it, as well as the date and time stamp when the changes were implemented.

QA documentation 

In addition to creating program documentation, companies also need to create QA or audit documentation. The QA documentation must include: 

• Every specification about the marketing operations
• Links of the marketing systems
• The purpose and goal of every marketing program
• Technical details on smart lists, all the assets
• Date and time of every change made to the program
• All the test scenarios including guidelines on how to test the programs.

In addition to all these specifics and details, an extra column needs to be added to add essential notes on the program in order to assist team members with the detailed guidelines they can use to troubleshoot the program.

System documentation 

In this phase of system documentation, marketers need to focus on minute details of the marketing systems and every tool as well as the marketing operations. The documentation should document:

• How to use a marketing technology such as Marketo platform for your business.
• Document on how to request a program.
• The approval processes of email campaigns, including specifications.
• Who in your team can request email programs?
• The team member who gives approvals for those email programs.
• Is it the same team member who is responsible for setting the delivery date?

The system documentation should also include details on QA test records including:

•  Naming conventions to ensure data consistency
• The method of performing data cleaning
• Specific email marketing campaigns on which A/B tests have been conducted.
• Specifics on the values used in drop-down fields
• When and how to perform custom sync requirements
• What tools are integrated into the main marketing system
• Use of those tools integrated to the system
• Specifics on the JavaScript

There are some other points to consider while documenting the database, the programs and campaigns as well as the QA process. Try these documentation tips to make the documentation even more useful for every marketing operations team member. Set up a program and documents directory that will incorporate all operational programs and templates containing:

• Program Naming convention and links to the marketing system
• Links to all the Technical Design Documents
• Link to the audit and test documents
• If you have a system user guide, then links to those guides
• Contain links to all recording of training sessions, where applicable
• Contain the list of all dependent programs, if in use
• All the relevant documents such as approval procedure for every program

Conclusion

Every marketing operations team and process are unique based on the team strength, marketing technology platforms involved in the process, overall business goals, targeted audience, industry, verticals, and competition. 

Hence, the documentation process must be planned meticulously so that it aligns with goals and objectives, the MarTech stack, team members, and every other factor. 

Are you planning to arm your marketing operation process with in-depth, all-encompassing documentation that will address and guide you through troubleshooting your marketing operations challenges? If you are considering using professional help to create documentation that will especially help your marketing operations to address challenges and issues within your restrictive budget, then we can show you how.Our experienced marketing operations consultants will help you from the start to success with documentation, campaign strategies, execution to ongoing campaign management while protecting your business from common marketing gaffes! Want to know how? Talk to our certified marketing operations experts simply by dropping a message in the chatbox (at the right below), send us a “Hi” at experts@marrinadecisions.com or, DM us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter – anywhere you want!