Besides having a work experience of over seven years in digital marketing communications, Ahmos Diaz has bagged certifications from Marketo, Hubspot, and Eloqua. In an interview with MarTech Pulse, he tells us more about his perspective towards marketing operations.
About Ahmos Diaz
Ahmos Diaz: With a versatile work experience in the marketing industry, such as marketing automation, digital marketing, lead generation, lead nurturing, content marketing, web design, customer relationship management, and branding, I am a full-stack digital marketer. In my entire career, I have worked with the management teams of universities as well as B2B technology companies to develop effective marketing campaigns that generate revenue.
Reasons to love marketing operations
Marketing operations gives us the opportunity to learn more about the consumers from the data collected and that’s what I love the most about Marketing Operations. As a marketer, it is important to develop personalized experiences for the consumers, which eventually accelerate the process of the consumer buying cycle.
One thing people should innovate for marketing operations
Ahmos Diaz: Marketing automation, though it simplifies our work, is very complicated. We need a better way to simplify the process without going to every tool that we use and pulling the data from different points or systems. Thus, I would like people to innovate a marketing automation platform that truly does it all. Marketers need a platform that builds landing pages, emails, chatbots, and routing rules, and can be easily integrated with other tools to have all the data that we need in one platform.
One thing people should forget about marketing operations
Ahmos Diaz: People should stop considering marketing operations as typical email designers and builders because we are much more than that. Forgetting their initial belief, people should realize that we are a true asset when it comes to planning strategy and executing marketing campaigns.
Familiar marketing operations tools
Ahmos Diaz: During my tenure as a marketing operations professional, I have used Marketo, Hubspot, and Eloqua. Though there are huge differences between the three programs, I am most familiar with Marketo.
Most satisfying victory in marketing career
Ahmos Diaz: One of the most satisfying victories in my marketing career was when I launched a new product for Rosetta Stone called Rosetta Stone English for grades K-6. Targeted towards emergent bilinguals, the product aims to support and grow the education industry. The product was very unique to me because as I was growing up, I, myself was bilingual. Moreover, developing the product for a brand and industry that I am most passionate about was a real honor.
Throughout the phase of developing the product, I have learned to be adaptable to sudden changes that might happen and also be prepared to release a product before the target date.
Biggest mistake as a marketing operations professional
My biggest mistake in my career was not saying “No” enough. I would always say yes to everything and sometimes that would burn me out. For example, I was in a company for which I was doing everything from planning to execution. Eventually, it took a toll on my work-life balance, something very crucial to grow professionally.
Now, I have learned that it’s ok to say no or ask for help when needed.
Recommended books or podcasts
Ahmos Diaz: One of the best books that I have read is’ Thinking Fast & Slow’ by Daniel Kahneman, which I recommend to everyone.
Seth Godin’s Akimbo, a podcast that focuses on our culture and about how we can change it, is a great creation. I would recommend you to listen to it because it is about seeing what’s happening and choosing to do something.
Common problems and challenges of global marketing operations teams
Ahmos Diaz: One of the most common challenges that the global marketing operation team faces are the different laws and translation of the content. Sometimes we have to make a shift in operations workflow in order to accommodate certain guidelines or restrictions. It is important to recognize the different cultures that we are selling to and how businesses operate within each region of the world.
Advice to marketing operations professionals
Ahmos Diaz: Reporting up was something that I learned within the first quarter of my career, and if someone would have given me that advice when I first started, I would have made faster progress. It is important to be on top of your own projects and report the status along with the results within each campaign.
Positive impacts with COVID
Ahmos Diaz: COVID had a tremendous impact on my life because I am a recovered victim of the virus. It made me realize that it is important to do what we want to do in life because life is truly short. Besides recognizing the importance of our own wellbeing, COVID has also turned me into an empathetic leader.
Favorite MarTech tools
Ahmos Diaz: My favorite MarTech tools are Marketo and Drift. There are many reasons why I love Marketo, but the fact that it makes marketing automation simpler and more personalized makes me appreciate it more.
However, Drift is a true game-changer. As we move forward to the future of marketing, I truly believe that consumers are going to take a conversational approach to marketing. We might have to redefine how we measure the success of campaigns going forward and Drift will support us in the transition.
Favorite outfit to wear at work
Ahmos Diaz: If there was no dress code, I would wear a sweater with jeans and sneakers to work, in case I need to run away.
Secret to achieve transformation and innovation
Ahmos Diaz: I think it’s important to keep an open mind when it comes to your marketing strategy. What may have worked for you in the last year, might not work this year. So we have to try something new. This is the belief that helps me keep transformation and innovation alive in my job. I love to try new tools and strategies in search of new positive results.
Secrets of being a successful marketing operations warrior without stress
Ahmos Diaz: The secret to success in my profession is creating a happy home for myself and taking the much-needed rest and recuperation since I work for 10 to 12 hours each day. I think it is important to take time for yourself and do what you like to do. Ideally, you should take a break every quarter to maintain a healthy mental state. It is also important to give yourself enough time to finish a project.
Thoughts on work-life balance
Ahmos Diaz: For any employee within any organization, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is vital to be successful professionally. I am a family oriented person and believe that family time is everything. At the same time, it is important to scoop out the needed time for your work. Also, make sure that you are within the right work culture since you generally spend most of your time in a day at work. Work-life balance should be enforced within every organization to ensure the maximum productivity of its employees.
Five words that best describe Ahmos
Ahmos Diaz: The five words that best describe me are driven, inspiring, passionate, fun, and worthy.
Fun activities
Ahmos Diaz: When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family and close friends. I also enjoy traveling around the world and have new cultural experiences.
Skillset of a successful marketing operation team
Ahmos Diaz: For a marketing operations team to be successful, it needs to be well structured and have a great communication system. When it comes to the implementation and execution of a project, communication is the key. The marketing operations team should also frame a process that makes it easy to scale their team’s work. You should make sure that you hold yourself and your team accountable for every action taken and set realistic expectations. Also, try to build a team culture that is fun to motivate your team to work hard and play hard.
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Thank you, Ahmos, for this unique insight into the life of marketing operations professionals and how one should frame their life. Since marketing operations is all about balancing the entire marketing process, marketing operations professionals need to have a balanced work-life system to be successful in their objective.
