Overview

The firm is seeking a dynamic and experienced Marketing Manager to lead, manage, and implement strategic and operational marketing initiatives aligned with the firm’s business objectives. This role is responsible for ensuring strong market visibility, consistent and credible brand positioning, and the generation of quality leads that support business growth. The Marketing Manager will safeguard and enhance the professional image expected of a legal Intellectual Property (IP) firm. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team player who works closely with the Business Development Manager.

Key responsibilities of the Marketing Manager will include, but not limited to:

1. Marketing Strategy & Brand Positioning

• Create a yearly marketing strategy (or update existing strategies). Strategy must be aligned with the overarching firm strategy.
• Prepare and update a brand strategy annually.
• Conduct quarterly reviews of strategies and adjust as necessary.
• Identify target clients and channels aligned with strategic and budget priorities.

2. Assist (BD) Manager

• Provide marketing support for BD initiatives and events

3. Website, including Website Traffic & Engagement

• Ensure that the firm’s website is professional in appearance and content (always in line with the firm’s corporate identity) and is user friendly and easy to navigate;
• Ensure that the firm’s website is maintained properly at all times and backed up in the event of a technical failure in order to minimise potential downtime.
• Implement tools for attracting potential clients to the firm’s website and determining how many people visit the firm’s website, and monitoring what they do there through, inter alia,
• Improving SEO;
• Promoting content, e.g., by sharing posts and guides on social media and in emails;
• Encouraging website visitors to take specific actions, like contacting us or downloading a resource.
• Using appropriate tools (such as Google Analytics) to:
• track website visits, unique visitors, page views, and bounce rate;
• monitor the time visitors spend on the firm’s website and which pages they visit;
• track downloads to measure the number of times people download the firm’s resources on the website.

4. Content Marketing Performance and Social Media Metrics

• Develop/procure tools for determining how well blog posts, articles, and other content are performing by, inter alia,
• Ensuring the creation of high-quality, relevant content;
• Ensuring that articles and other content created by you or professionals within the firm are approved by the marketing committee;
• Ensuring that content is being posted on the right platforms – i.e. focus on platforms where the firm’s ideal clients are most active;
• Ensuring that content is properly promoted on social media, in emails, and, where viable, through paid advertising;
• Optimising search engines by, for example, using relevant keywords to help people find the firm’s content in search engines;
• Encouraging engagement with the firm through engagement with published content by, for example, asking questions and encouraging readers to leave comments;
• Tracking views and shares to monitor how many people are viewing and sharing content;
• Monitoring comments and feedback and ensuring appropriate responses are posted where required;
• Tracking sign-ups to determine how many people are signing up for the firm’s email list and/or newsletter after reading content.

5. Brand Awareness

• Ensure that the firm’s brand is promoted effectively by, inter alia,
• Ensuring that the firm’s branding is used consistently and in accordance with the firm’s corporate identity manual across all marketing materials;
• Participating in industry events by, for example, identifying relevant conferences and seminars and ensuring that relevant professionals attend such events to network and build relationships;
• Identifying and participating in appropriate sponsorship opportunities;
• Seeking media coverage by pitching stories to journalists and bloggers to get the firm featured in the news;
• Monitoring social media by tracking mentions of the firm and what is being said about the firm;
• Using Google Alerts to ensure that you are notified whenever the firm is mentioned online.

6. Event Participation & ROI

• Ensure that the firm is involved in (either by exhibiting at, participating in, or attending) events by inter alia,
• Selecting events that are relevant to the firm’s target audience / ideal clients;
• Promoting the firm’s presence at events by letting people know the firm will be at the event and what it will be doing;
• Ensure that relevant professionals attend and/or present at events;
• Ensuring that attendees from the firm engage with attendees in order to network and build relationships with other attendees;
• Follow up (or ensure that firm attendees follow up) after the event by sending notes and follow up with leads.
• Monitor how well the firm is performing at events (ROI) and whether they are worth the investment through, inter alia,
• Tracking leads generated from the event;
• Monitoring brand awareness by determining if the event increased awareness of the firm;
• Calculating ROI by comparing the cost of the event to the revenue generated from it.

7. Internal Marketing & Events

• Ensure that year end function and other internal events are properly managed and professionally executed. Obtain assistance from the HR and/or practice support departments if required;
• Collaborate with the HR department to carry out at least one internal marketing initiative per month (e.g., popcorn Friday, Valentine's Day, etc.)

8. External Service Providers

• Identify, appoint, and manage appropriate external service providers to assist in the execution of the marketing manager’s responsibilities.
• Ensure that such service providers comply with the firm’s internal procurement policies and requirements as well as any relevant external legal, regulatory, or other requirements.

9. Budget and Expenditure

• Ensure that an appropriate and reasonable budget is prepared and approved by the Board of Directors for each financial year;
• Monitor expenditure regularly to ensure that it remains within budgeted amounts;
• Upon receipt of any third-party invoice, promptly report it to the Marketing Committee, obtain the necessary approval for payment and once authorisation is secured, inform the Finance Team immediately to initiate the payment process;
• Always be mindful of costs and ensure that financial and other resources are used in the most effective manner.

Minimum requirements:

• A relevant undergraduate degree in Marketing, Commerce, or a related field.
• Knowledge of Patricia IP Management System (advantages)
• Proficiency in the full Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in marketing, preferably within professional services or a legal environment.
• Computer literacy a must;
• Knowledge of Patricia is highly advantageous.
• Good typing and administration skills;
• Ability to prioritise work efficiently;
• A strong sense of teamwork;
• Good attention to detail, as accuracy is very important;
• Ability to maintain composure during stressful situations occurring as a result of workloads and/or deadlines;
• Able to maintain an orderly working environment;
• Punctual, flexible and reliable;
• Deadline driven;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Good command of English;
• Client focused;
• Good work ethics.