Why your marketing manager will leave within 3 months and how to prevent it

The turnover of marketers in the Netherlands is high. According to figures from market research agency Giant, the turnover is higher than in other professional groups: 29% of Dutch marketers found a new job in 2023, and they stay with the same employer for an average of 3.4 years. We certainly see this reflected in cybersecurity, and we feel that the turnover is sometimes even higher.

Why is it that marketing managers in this industry, in particular, are quicker to leave? What are the causes, and more importantly: how do you prevent this from happening time and time again? In this article, we analyze this problem and provide tips to keep your marketing manager on board.

Why There’s High Turnover Among Marketing Managers in Cybersecurity Companies

Marketing in the cybersecurity domain brings unique challenges, but also opportunities. A well-thought-out cybersecurity marketing strategy not only informs potential customers about the importance of cybersecurity but also distinguishes your product or solution in a crowded market. Want to succeed as a marketing manager? Make sure you have a deep understanding of the cybersecurity landscape, a strong commitment to overcoming challenges, and the courage to implement innovative strategies that resonate with your target audience.

Additionally, cybersecurity is a complex business. An effective marketing strategy focuses on communicating complex concepts in an accessible way. As a marketing team, you need to find the perfect balance in your messaging between technical accuracy and addressing the needs and concerns of your target audience.

As a marketing manager at a cybersecurity company, your task is not easy, but it is extremely important. The success of the sales team depends on strong marketing. Cyber threats evolve at an unprecedented pace, which only increases the urgency for marketing. Yet, there is high turnover in marketing teams at cybersecurity companies. Why is it harder to retain these people in the cybersecurity sector? We frequently see these issues:

• Lack of attention to marketing and communication: When marketing is seen as a support function rather than a strategic partner, it negatively impacts the motivation and retention of marketing professionals.
• Marketing is equated to the ‘brand police’: A common misconception is that marketing is only concerned with maintaining the brand image and designing brochures and flyers. While these tasks may occur, they represent only a small part of what marketers do. Marketing involves strategic planning, market analysis, customer insights, and creating brand awareness and valuable brand experiences. When marketing is viewed solely as the brand police, it causes a lack of satisfaction among marketers in the organization.
• Unable to make an impact: Marketers want to make a difference. They want to see that their work influences the strategic direction of the company, its commercial success, and customer satisfaction. When their role is limited to routine and administrative tasks, they feel unable to make a real impact. This lack of satisfaction and recognition often leads to demotivation and, ultimately, the departure of the marketing manager.
• Marketing is the assistant to sales: Another issue is that marketing is often burdened with the less enjoyable tasks of the sales department. This can range from organizing events to preparing sales materials. The question, ‘Can you make my presentation?’ is high on the Frankwatching list of things marketers never want to hear again. While collaboration between sales and marketing is crucial, the division of tasks should be fair. When marketing is stuck doing only the less enjoyable jobs, it leads to frustration and a sense of disrespect for the marketing department.

In short, marketing is an essential part of cybersecurity organizations, accompanied by significant challenges. However, marketing managers are often not empowered in their roles, leading to dissatisfaction, frustration, demotivation, and ultimately, the departure of the marketers.

Why You Need Marketing as a Cybersecurity Company

Cybersecurity is a trust and confidence game. This trust is built through consistent, informative, and engaging content that demonstrates your knowledge and experience. By addressing the specific business goals and challenges of your target audience, you can position your brand as a go-to source for insights and solutions in cybersecurity. To be seen as an authority, building proof is essential. You can do this through case studies and testimonials. When potential customers see the results from other clients, they gain confidence in the solutions you offer.

Additionally, it is crucial to be visible in the cybersecurity industry. This can mean utilizing social media platforms, cybersecurity forums, and other digital tools to provide thoughtful commentary on recent events and issues in the cybersecurity world.

How to Keep Your Marketing Manager Happy

Marketing is crucial for the success and growth of your cybersecurity company. So, it’s essential to attract the right people and keep them within your organization. How do you do that? It’s actually quite simple: give your marketing manager control over marketing. By providing trust and responsibility, a person can thrive. It also gives them the space to make an impact and contribute to the company’s results, which boosts their motivation and engagement.

A Few Tips to Keep Your Marketing Manager Happy

• Involve marketing in the organization’s strategy. What are the ambitions and objectives? How can marketing contribute? By involving your marketing manager in these important decisions, they can develop a solid marketing plan and work with other teams to turn these ambitions into reality.
• Raise internal awareness of the power of marketing. Marketing shouldn’t be the overlooked department in the organization. It’s not just the brand police, event organizer, or sales material designer. Marketing is so much more than that! Making this clear within the organization will foster greater appreciation and respect for the marketing team, which will lead to happier marketers.
• Encourage an equal partnership between marketing and sales. These two departments can strengthen each other immensely if they collaborate effectively. Understanding each other’s goals, the challenges they face, and what they are working on is crucial. Only then can they help and collaborate effectively. A periodic marketing & sales meeting, for example, can contribute to this.

Connection, improvement, and fulfillment! These are the keywords when it comes to successful and happy teams. And you definitely want to avoid a quickly departing marketing manager. It will cost you a fortune! Think of recruitment costs, the time spent onboarding, the loss in productivity, and potentially temporarily replacing the marketing manager with an interim hire… The cost of employee turnover is estimated to be between one-third and half of the annual salary. So, keeping your marketing manager on board is not only important for the continuity of your marketing but also much smarter financially, as investing in a happy marketing manager pays off!