Joanne Taylor is our Head of Marketing, leading a team comprising of our Digital Marketing Manager, Public Sector Marketing Manager, Web Developer and Graphic Designer. Joanne has been working at Eging since 2014, and thrives off the fast-paced nature of the language industry.
Describe what you do on a day-to-day basis?
I know it’s a cliché, but no two days are ever the same! One day we might be preparing to exhibit at an event, the next issuing a press release about our latest product, and the next sending our clients our latest newsletter. Leading the team is great, as I get to see all aspects of the marketing mix come into play, and am ultimately in charge of making sure each initiative ties together.
Marketing is an extension of the Sales arm really, so we work very closely with our Business Development and Account Management teams. We help to prepare material for client meetings, brochures for events, and up-to-date content for the website.
What attracted you to this job?
At the time I joined the company, Eging was still a relatively small fish in a big sea of language service providers.
I wanted to challenge myself to really help the company to grow and improve its own standing within the industry.
I’d worked in the language industry previously, so had a decent understanding of this world prior to joining the team.
What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
Marketing is known to be fast-paced, and even more so now it’s all driven by technology. Marketing techniques seem to change by the day, so it’s difficult to keep on top of new trends. I think the most difficult element though is proving your worth as a department.
Marketing is a lot about brand awareness, reputation and customer loyalty, and it’s not always easy to prove or measure what works and what doesn’t. You won’t always be made aware that an advert you produced 2 years ago was what lead your customers to a sale.
What do you feel is the key skill/attribute needed to succeed in your role?
Management is obviously one, as you wouldn’t be able to lead a team without it, but multitasking has to come next.
The variety of tasks you get involved with in a marketing team is phenomenal, but that’s one of the reasons I enjoy the role so much.
If a new client comes on board, or we release a new product, everything else has to be dropped to accommodate the work involved.
What are your favourite aspects of your job?
My team is great, and I feel we all work really well together to achieve a common goal. I enjoy visiting various marketing seminars and conferences to keep up-to-date with industry trends and technology.
Whilst organising events can be quite stressful, being able to attend the events and watch them develop into a success is pretty rewarding.
What would your advice for newcomers be?
Take your time. Whilst it is a fast-paced industry, if you rush through tasks and don’t dedicate the necessary time to roll out a programme properly, your campaign is unlikely to bear as much fruit as you’d like. Proofreading is also vital, as your marketing material is often the first impression of your company, so you can’t afford to make silly mistakes and risk looking unprofessional.
What would you do if you weren’t in Marketing?
I’d love to be a food critic, but I love all food, so I don’t think I’d be very critical! I’d also love to be a Travel Photographer for National Geographic, but the competition out there is pretty amazing, I’m not sure I could compete!
