MARIA MERAMVELIOTAKI

Q You now have a huge amount of experience as the Head of the Marketing team at TopFX. How did you get into marketing?

My journey began when I returned to Greece in 2009, amidst a challenging economic climate. As a freelance therapist, I faced the daunting task of promoting my services in a crowded market. But rather than be deterred by the challenge, I saw it as an opportunity to learn a new skill set.I dived into the world of marketing and taught myself various skills, such as building WordPress websites, creating content, social media marketing, and backlinking strategies. As I kept learning and applying my newly acquired knowledge, I started seeing more people coming to my website and calling me to book an appointment.

At that time, I also began learning about trading and started writing freelance articles on trading psychology. Eventually, I moved to Cyprus and landed a job at TopFX as a content writer. Over the next two years or so, I progressed to becoming the Head of Marketing.

Q Managing a team can be quite challenging. What tips do you give on managing your team?

People need to feel appreciated, valued and often challenged in their work. It’s our natural inclination that drives motivation and productivity. To foster a positive work environment, I make it a point to recognize and appreciate my team’s efforts and contributions regularly. Clear direction and effective task delegation are equally important because we need to align everyone’s efforts towards achieving the set goals. But if I had to say only one thing that makes the difference in my team that would be that we communicate openly. I believe that it’s crucial for every leader to cultivate a culture of open communication because it promotes collaboration, builds trust, and fosters creativity. Encouraging team members to share their ideas, concerns, and suggestions can lead to new insights and solutions that benefit the team and the organization.

Q A marketing department always wants the biggest budget possible. How do you negotiate a budget with the holders of the purse strings?

The size of the budget is important but not the only determining factor for success. Rather, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of what marketing strategies and tactics are most effective in reaching and engaging the target audience.

The first step in negotiating is to know what you want to achieve and how to achieve it. This can be presented through a comprehensive marketing plan that outlines the marketing department’s initiatives, objectives, and expected outcomes. This plan should be data-driven and based on insights from market research, customer analysis, and past performance data. Once the plan is in place, it’s essential to communicate the value of the proposed initiatives to the stakeholders. I always try to present a clear case on how the marketing department’s initiatives align with the company’s overall business strategy and how they can drive growth and revenue.

At the same time, I am always open to feedback, adjusting the plan where necessary, and finding creative solutions that balance marketing objectives with the company’s financial constraints.

Q Can you give tips on expectation management for those who give small budgets and want huge results?

I am transparent about what can realistically be achieved with the given resources, and I make sure to explain to the CEO or other involved stakeholders the limitations of the budget. At the same time, I am always looking for ways to maximize the impact of the budget. This might involve finding new channels or tactics that can deliver results more efficiently or leveraging data and analytics to optimize performance. When managing expectations, it’s important to come up with a clear plan and KPIs for each initiative and track progress. If the budget is limited, efficient prioritization is key; we need to prioritize initiatives that are most likely to drive the highest ROI and deprioritize those that are less likely to move the needle.

Q What are the priorities of a marketing department?

When it comes to marketing priorities, it’s all about the company’s overall strategy and what they’re trying to achieve. For example, marketing can have very different priorities in established companies versus startups. Established companies are all about maintaining and growing their market position, while startups are just trying to get their foot in the door and gain some traction. In companies that have been around for some time, marketing prioritizes brand management, customer retention, market research, and developing new products and services. In startups, we would first focus on building brand awareness from the ground up. That means developing messaging, visual identity, and positioning that really resonates with the target audience. Of course, we would need to also focus on lead generation, lead nurturing tactics and customer acquisition.

Q How can you measure a marketing team’s success?

We can measure a marketing team’s success by evaluating whether they have achieved the goals set within a specific timeframe. This includes analyzing KPIs such as leads generated, conversions, and return on investment, and comparing them against the targets established.

But actually, success isn’t just about crunching numbers and analysing metrics. It is a more complex task that involves looking at various factors including how customers perceive our brand and whether they keep coming back for more. One metric that can be helpful is the customer lifetime value (CLV). This not only tells us how much a customer is worth to the company, but it also gives us a sense of how satisfied they are with our marketing efforts. Also, we shouldn’t forget the power of a good old-fashioned team spirit. A marketing team’s success isn’t just about ticking off boxes but also about creating an atmosphere of innovation, where everyone feels free to experiment and share their ideas. Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say. It’s all about creating a space where team members can learn from each other and appreciate their common experiences.

Q The relationship between the sales team and the marketing department can often become quite strained. How do you manage this?

Well, one common reason for the strain is unmet targets, which can lead to stress and frustration for both teams. To manage this relationship, we must begin with shared KPIs and goals that both teams can work towards together. This helps to create a sense of unity and encourages collaboration rather than competition. I am also a big fan of open communication. By keeping an open and honest dialogue between us, we can easily address any issues that might arise and work together towards finding solutions that work for everyone.

Q Is it more about expectation management between the two departments?

I think everything in life is about expectation management! And the relationship between the marketing and sales departments is no exception. One important factor to consider is the difference in the roles and responsibilities of the two departments. For example, in many companies, marketing is responsible for generating/nurturing leads and creating awareness of the brand, while sales are responsible for closing the client. These different responsibilities can sometimes lead to misalignment, which is why it’s important to set clear expectations and goals that are aligned with the overall business objectives. For example, marketing should set realistic targets for lead generation and provide qualified leads to the sales team. Sales should provide feedback on what types of leads are most effective. Addfitionally, they could provide input into the marketing strategy to ensure that it is aligned with the sales objectives.

Q Chatbot GBT is being talked about everywhere now. Will this kill the content creation industry?

Not just yet! But very soon it may severely “injure” it. While chatbots like GBT can replace some types of content creation, it’s not quite there yet when it comes to creating poetry or other literary works that require unrestricted creativity and rule-breaking. For instance, I sometimes ask GBT to write a poem in the style of Pablo Neruda or another famous poet, but the results often come off as contrived and unnatural. Reading the poem, I know it’s not an actual Pablo Neruda poem. Rather, it very much looks like a chatbot GBT Neruda poem. Poetry is just one example, but marketing copywriting also often demands creativity and unconventional thinking to be effective. So far, GBT’s writing seems too rigid and formulaic to me.

Q What tips would you give for new marketing heads in the Forex industry?

The forex industry is an exciting field that requires a combination of creativity and strategy. I think that the main challenge of a marketing head coming from a different industry will be keeping up with all the regulatory restrictions. At first, it may seem like these regulations are dampening your creativity, but as you get more adjusted to them, you’ll begin to see that they actually make a lot of sense. In fact, by adhering to these regulations, you’ll be able to build a stronger and more trustworthy brand that customers will feel confident trading with. Marketing heads should also invest time in understanding their target audience. Figure out who they are, what they’re looking for, and what motivates them to trade. This will help you create targeted campaigns that reach the goals you set. We must also keep an eye on the latest trends in the industry and understand our competitors. So I would say go to conferences, read industry blogs and magazines, and connect with other pros in the field.

I could certainly continue talking at length about this topic, but for now, let me express my gratitude for the opportunity to share my views in your esteemed magazine. We don’t want to bore our readers to sleep, after all!