Agency Spotlight Series: Gareth Roberts
In the first of our Orientation Marketing agency spotlight series, we speak to Campaigns & Marketing Manager, Gareth Roberts.
Each month, we speak to a member of the Orientation Marketing team to find out a little more about their roles at Orientation Marketing, as well as what makes them tick.
For the first in the series, we speak to Gareth Roberts.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR ROLE AT ORIENTATION MARKETING?
My main role at the agency is to work with our clients on their digital marketing outputs. Often, I find myself helping clients with their digital strategies and tactics, as well as on their back-end and CRM management programmes. As the SharpSpring and inbound lead, a lot of my time is spent on content, email marketing and automated workflow configuration within the system with the aim of generating and nurturing the prospects generated by the marketing activities. I also manage the agency’s own marketing output and inbound strategy.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE WORKING DAY?
I particularity enjoy working with our SharpSpring clients to help them realise their inbound objectives, and help them configure the system to work for their marketing needs. Launching any campaign, launching new drip-marketing/workflows or just publishing new content is always a fun task - seeing those visitors take action from the conversion paths you have set up is always rewarding.
HOW DID YOU GET INTO MARKETING?
I was always interested in business, IT and design and technology during my A-levels - possibly a good primer to go into marketing. Having worked part-time in sales around the same period I went to University to study Business (eventually moving into Business and Marketing) my career was destined to go into marketing, where I have stayed for the past 10 years, predominantly in a digital capacity.
TELL US ABOUT AN INTERESTING PROJECT YOU ARE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
Since the turn of the year - and since COVID-19 has affected trade show calendars across all industries - more organisations have become aware of their digital marketing outputs. Many of which have reviewed their marketing strategies and plans and have realised that their marketing systems are falling short. This has resulted in an increase in clients taking out new SharpSpring licensees with us - meaning new SharpSpring projects that include set-up as well as campaign planning.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Getting out into the wilderness and to grips with nature - you always get a sense of inspiration that energises you when you are out there in the woods, mountains and by rivers. Reading books also has this effect on me.
RECOMMEND A BOOK YOU RECENTLY READ.
The Life of P.T. Barnum (1855).
WHICH FICTIONAL FAMILY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE PART OF?
20 years ago I might have said The Simpsons, but now I’d say The Shelby Family from Peaky Blinders who are based on a real street gang that operated in Birmingham in the early 1900s!
WHAT IS THE BEST MARKETING TIP YOU CAN GIVE?
Where to start… possibly at the very start! Begin every marketing campaign or plan with what you’d like to achieve - your marketing objectives or the objectives of the organisation and then work forward. Often, marketing objectives will entail making more sales or generating more business leads so that the organisation can increase its revenue. With this direction, then marketers can focus on the customer, and the strategies and actions for growing market share or expanding into new markets where those customers might be. Knowing your focus from the outset will give you a better chance to shape your campaigns so that they are geared to towards your objectives, increasing your chances of realising those objectives.
Gareth has held various marketing positions over 10 years across technology organisations, B2B consultancies and digital agencies. He brings his experience to the agency to help with client content, inbound and digital marketing needs to build audiences and generate marketing and sales leads.