What is an Account Manager?

“What is an account manager and why are they taking up so much of my budget?!” I hear you cry. 

There is a common misconception that an account manager is simply the communicator of work done by the wider team, and the go-between for client and agency. Although this is a part of what we do, here at FINALLY account managers do more than write emails and present Google slides. An account manager is a far more important role than you may think.

From curating your marketing strategy to being your brand ambassador, here are five key areas an account manager will be involved in, and why this role is so instrumental to the success of your digital marketing efforts.

Strategy 

While there will be input from the whole team on what the marketing strategy for your business should include, your account manager will curate it into a workable, task-based activity plan for everyone to follow. They will make sure your business goals are aligned with the work set out, and that every team member is clear on what their responsibilities are, and when they are expected to provide results.

This top level overview means that, ultimately, it is your account manager who takes responsibility for your retainer or project as whole. They will be constantly reviewing the strategy against your goals to ensure that the work done is the very best it possibly can be.

Budget management

Whether you work with FINALLY on a retainer or project basis, a clear budget will always be set out right from the get-go. As soon as this, along with your goals, are decided, your account manager becomes the gatekeeper of your investment, marrying up what you want to achieve and where your budget is best spent to make that happen.

Now, we all know that often the scope of projects can creep and change, and this will always have an impact on your budget. Your account manager will be in charge of communicating any creep before it becomes an issue, making sure that any additional work is measured against your goals to ensure that your money is well spent and provides a clear return on investment for your business.

Project management 

As you’ve probably gathered already, your account manager is pretty much the encyclopedia of your business goals and digital marketing plan. This means that every aspect of the project has had account management eyes over it. An issue with editing a template on your website? A team member who has been double booked? Google Analytics isn’t recording correcting? They know, and chances are you won’t need to hear about any of these problems because they will be dealt with and solved before they ever reach you.

Project management doesn’t just involve scheduling people to complete tasks and sending over said work for client approval. It includes proofing, problem solving, and even sometimes completing the task itself. As the common denominator in everything relating to your goals, your account manager is fixing, monitoring and improving constantly, using all the knowledge that they have about, well, you.

Communications

Account managers are the first port of call for everything related to your business' digital marketing, for both internal agency staff and you and your team members. Whether it’s holding quarterly review meetings, liaising with third parties such as event holders, or holding training sessions with different departments within your business; the account manager is in charge of effectively communicating plans, reports, successes and failures.

How effective the communication is will reflect on how effective your digital marketing is. The relationship that is built between client and agency rests largely on the shoulders of the account manager. Trust is essential, and that can only be developed through honest and regular communication, the kind that inspires confidence without the fear that things are being swept under the rug.

Brand Ambassadors

Because the role of account managers is so extensive, we quickly become the all-singing all-dancing ambassador of your brand. We know all about your values, your selling points, and your customers and can communicate all of this at the drop of a hat!

Account managers can find avenues of exposure such as newspaper articles or interviews, or help to set up connections with other organisations to increase your sales opportunities. As skilled builders of relationships and an expert in your digital marketing, your account manager becomes a reliable member of your team; someone you can count on to always be on the lookout for opportunities for your business.

At a glance: what is an account manager?

Hopefully this has helped to show what an account manager does, and prove that the portion of your budget dedicated to account management is worth the investment. 

In summary, your account manager will:

• Curate your marketing strategy.
• Manage your budget.
• Manage your project as a whole.
• Head up communications between you and your agency, and any third parties.
• Become your brand ambassador.

If you have any questions, or want to find out a bit more about working with FINALLY, get in touch with the team today.