Interview with Rondiea Martin, Content and Leadership Expert

Welcome to Marketer Interview, where we talk to the most exciting marketers worldwide.

In today’s interview, we have Rondiea Martin, a content and leadership expert who helps businesses elevate their marketing through collaborative partnerships.

Additionally, she is working on launching a charitable foundation for education rights.

In this interview, we’ll dive deep into Rondiea’s career and expertise and learn about her journey in the marketing world.

Can you tell us about your background?

I’ve always loved marketing. The psychology of marketing gets me excited. I love knowing what makes people have a specific buying pattern or why particular colors work best in different industries.

My opportunity to explore the psychology of marketing came when I had a motivational blog back in 2015. I taught myself how to create a website and how to build and maintain an email list.

During this period, I started to take on clients. Again, I did this while working my 9-5. Finally, in 2022, I decided to take the plunge and made marketing my full-time career.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career?

Imposter syndrome, no doubt.

While teaching myself marketing tactics and ideating and executing marketing campaigns for my clients, I always felt like an imposter because I didn’t have the “traditional” certification for marketing.

So, I enrolled in a one-year marketing program. It was for validation. However, I only spent one semester. I was being taught things I already knew.

I had to realize that if I’m invited to the room, it’s because I belong. As women, we sometimes tend to feel like we don’t belong. It’s time we step into our power and show up as the phenomenal women we are.

Can you walk us through your approach to developing a marketing strategy for a new client?

I take a collaborative approach when developing a strategy for clients. I never tell the client what they need to change. Instead, I listened to the problem, and we devised a suitable solution for their business.

I ask questions to unearth who the client is, who they serve, and how they do so. I then research so I can make data-driven recommendations.

I take my ideas/recommendations to the client, and they’ll either approve my requests or deny. If they approve, I will start working on the project. If it’s rejected, it’s back to the drawing board.

What role does analytics play in your decision-making process for a marketing campaign?

For me, I rely heavily on analytics. It helps me to understand the customers better.

For example, consumer trends. What is your audience loving? How are they communicating?

This way, when I make a campaign, I can appeal to their desires and needs and address their pain points. It also helps with choosing the best medium to communicate with said audience.

How do you measure the success of a marketing campaign?

I measure the success of a campaign if we meet the goals we set out to do.

If the campaign is solely KPI based, for example, a certain amount of likes, sales, traffic to the site, etc., and that’s achieved, then I would consider it successful.

However, I’m happy when the client is happy. There’s nothing more rewarding than delivering the desired results for your client.

Can you give us an example of a successful campaign you executed?

I’ve worked on many campaigns that have tremendously impacted their respective businesses. But, unfortunately, I can’t choose one.

However, the successful ones are the ones that produce the results the clients want and leave a lasting impact on the business.

How do you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and changes in the marketing industry?

I keep up with trends by subscribing to newsletters and podcasts and, like most people, by being on social media.

One of my most significant assets in keeping up with the ever-changing marketing landscape is having a network of other marketers willing to share information.

What are some common mistakes you see businesses make in their marketing efforts?

The biggest mistake businesses continue to make is not knowing their target audiences. Yet, knowing your target audience is paramount to success.

You can’t market to everyone because when you try to sell, you inadvertently market to no one.

Can you talk about when you had to pivot a marketing campaign?

In this business, it’s a daily pivot. So you have to be able to adapt quickly. For example, during a campaign, the client may want to change an element of the campaign.

Ultimately, you work for them, so you must find a way to ensure they are satisfied while seamlessly integrating the changes.

You need to be adaptable and a quick thinker if you venture into marketing. So there’s not a day that I’m not pivoting.

What tools and software do you use in your work and why?

The tools I use are Canva, Later, and Google Trends.

Canva has been my holy grail for creating graphic content. It is easy to navigate, and it is constantly upgrading its features. For example, I’ve been enjoying the “text to image” feature lately.

I use Later for content scheduling. I also enjoy their blogs.

Google Trends I use for analytical purposes. It informs me on trends in a region, keyword searches, etc.