The #MarketingMinds series share real-world stories from marketers showing how digital marketing has helped them develop their careers or businesses.
Marketing Mind:
Shane Hebzynski
My name is Shane Hebzynski and I’m transitioning from being a General Manager for Bangkok-based X2 Global Media into my own marketing business that is based out of Singapore.
What is your background in Marketing, and how did you come to be in the position you are in now?
It’s all kind of an accident really. I was actually in business development and I kind of fell into being heavily involved with the marketing for a small team startup business. That eventually led me to the General Manager role. Luckily I was also enrolled in MBA studies with an emphasis in Marketing.
Which technical skills do you believe are most important in your role?
I’d say the most important is data analysis. Analyzing and presenting data is key. Even if a client doesn’t quite understand digital marketing, they often know enough to know it can be measured. Plus, the ability to analyze data can apply to other areas of running a business.
Which soft skills prove most useful in your role?
Understanding. Helping clients is all about understanding. We need to understand their difficulties to be the best of service we can be. We also need to understand the best way of communicating to help them understand what we’re trying to do and how our success helps them.
Which markets does your organization operate in?
South East Asia
Which Marketing or Business related book would you recommend to a colleague, and why?
Not exactly business but I would recommend the book Letters From Leaders. It’s packed full of anecdotes and stories of how leaders have failed and come back to do even better, and how they did it.
What can be one of the biggest challenges Marketers face in the industry you operate in?
Business owners who think they’re the expert. It can be very difficult to get through to them sometimes.
How do you and your team overcome the aforementioned industry challenges?
Patience and data or evidence to support our arguments or suggestions.
Describe what a typical day at work looks like for you?
Wake up, check emails, get into any projects that are ongoing into the afternoon. Check the inbox. Then close off the day with wrapping up anything that can be completed and checked off my list.
Please share digital marketing tools that help you and your team accomplish your goals every day.
Buffer and Google Keyword Planner. Nothing amazing there really but Bugger helps us quickly support our clients’ social media accounts.
Google Keyword Planner helps us show business owners why the word they think people are searching for is really not as popular as they think.
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Access the Online startup business model template
In your opinion, what are the most valuable skills a marketer in your role can have?
Diplomacy. There are teams to manage and sometimes resources can be scarce. Also, a good diplomat will ensure the agency-client relationship doesn’t get too shaky.
What are the most important attributes you look for in a Manager?
Composure. A manager who too clearly displays anxiety or stress will spread that throughout the team. This doesn’t mean I want a robot, but I want someone who can hold the fort without causing panic during urgent times or crisis moments.
Across the marketing mix, what medium has brought your organisation the best results?
Our visual imagery has given us the best results.
Describe one of the most successful projects or campaigns you’ve worked on. Why was it successful?
Product photography for ADCOM speakers in Bangkok, Thailand. Our photos are used on their website, E3, and continue to be reused.
Have you worked on a project or campaign that didn’t go as planned? Please describe what went wrong, and the key takeaways from the experience?
Developing a membership site for a company. All was agreed and decided, All was going well and then at the last moment the client wanted to change the entire website, including how the members would be able to interact. The key takeaway was to be ready for huge changes but incorporate some penalties to deter such behavior.
What is the best piece of work-related advice you have ever received?