Would you say that as a marketer your work is valued, or is it considered “valuable” to your organization? Did you just think, “Laura what’s the difference and why does it matter?” Yes there is a difference and it does matter. Let’s look at these two words, and explore their implications for marketers, then talk about how you can make Marketing more valuable.
Value is the degree to which something is useful or estimable. Valuable is something that is precious and of great worth. Value may be appreciated but may not be necessary or important. Valuable on the other hand is something that is of great importance, utility or service; it is essential to the working of the organization. Valuable is indispensable. So you see these are different. Your work can be useful but not necessarily indispensable to the organization. For example, pulling some data to understand customer purchasing patterns, creating a new piece of content, or executing an email campaign may all be valued by your leadership team. But that doesn’t always mean it is considered valuable.
What happens when marketing is perceived as valued but not valuable? All of you know the answer. Valued organizations will be given some resources (people and budget) to continue to be productive, but additional resources are harder to come by or take more to justify. Organizations that are valued are recognized for their abilities but it is valuable organizations that participate in making key decisions. Of course it probably goes without saying, but if a marketing organization isn’t even perceived as of value, it won’t be long before that organization sees budget cuts and headcount reductions.
Ok, so you are valued but would like to be more valuable, what can you do?
7 Ways To Make Marketing More Valuable: Why “Valued” Is Not Enough
