Demand generation means using smart marketing to spread the word, spark curiosity and guide people into buying something. It needs a diverse team – think data wizards, creative minds and marketing masters – to work its magic.

Why is it important to structure your demand gen team?

A clear team structure is a beneficial blueprint for demand gen teams – a lot is going on, so having role clarification around who does what, who reports to who – and crucially, where task responsibilities lie – is a game-changer for communication and collaboration. It also helps avoid overlaps or gaps in delivery.

Team structure gives everyone their ‘dance space’ (name that film) where they have room to complete their tasks, but also the clarity needed for knowing who to go to for what. Collaboration is key in demand gen as it ensures data is talking to content, content is talking to marketing, marketing is talking to sales, and sales is talking to data (you get the gist!).

A well-structured team also enables specialization – allowing individuals to focus on their strengths. Whether it’s content creation, data analysis or campaign management, teams will see higher-quality outputs if individual skills are acknowledged and championed. It also promotes skill development – those wanting to upskill can fill any expertise gaps that might be needed to fuel your demand gen strategy.

Clear hierarchies and reporting lines will also facilitate decision-making and idea-sharing, helping encourage a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

In short, structure means strength.

What qualities should every demand gen team have?

A high-performing demand generation team will possess several key qualities.

A combination of these qualities empowers a demand gen team to navigate complexities, adapt to changes, and consistently drive successful marketing outcomes.

A high-performing demand generation team will possess several key qualities.

Analytical skills. Ability to interpret data and metrics, and derive insights to drive strategic decisions to optimize campaigns.

Adaptability. Flexibility to navigate rapidly changing market trends, technology, and consumer behaviors, and adjust strategies accordingly.

Collaboration. Working seamlessly across departments including sales, content and product teams to align strategies and achieve common goals.

Creativity. Innovative thinking to craft compelling campaigns and content that resonate with target audiences, setting the brand apart.

Tech proficiency. Profound understanding and adeptness with marketing tools, automation, CRM systems, and analytics platforms to streamline processes and improve ROI.

Communication. Clear and effective communication both within the team and with stakeholders, ensuring everyone is on the same page and objectives are understood.

Results orientation. Focus on measurable outcomes and KPIs, consistently optimizing strategies based on performance metrics.

Strategic thinking. Long-term vision and planning, aligning short-term tactics with overarching business objectives.

How to structure your demand gen team

Structuring a demand generation team involves assembling key roles that collectively drive the entire marketing funnel, from generating leads to converting them into customers. Here are essential job roles and their contributions.

Demand generation manager

Oversees the entire demand gen strategy.
Develops comprehensive plans aligned with business goals.
Manages the team, sets targets, and evaluates performance.

Content strategist/marketer

Develops content strategies aligned with demand gen goals.
Guides content creation and distribution across channels.
Analyzes performance metrics, optimizing content for engagement and conversions.

Content designer

Creates visual and written content, crafting the look, feel, and messaging of assets such as blog posts and videos.
Designs content for buyer stages to engage prospects.
Collaborates to ensure content is optimized for conversions and lead nurturing.

Digital marketer

Executes digital campaigns across channels such as PPC, social media, and display ads.
Optimizes campaigns based on data and analytics.
Manages budget allocation for different channels.

Marketing analyst

Analyzes data to evaluate campaign performance.
Identifies trends, customer behaviors, and ROI.
Provides insights to optimize strategies and improve results.

Email marketing specialist

Designs and implements email campaigns for lead nurturing.
A/B tests subject lines, content, and CTAs for better engagement.
Monitors email metrics and adjusts strategies for higher conversions.

CRM administrator

Manages the CRM system to streamline lead management.
Ensures data accuracy and effective use of customer information.
Collaborates with sales to align strategies and processes.

SEO specialist

Optimizes website content for search engines.
Conducts keyword research and implements SEO best practices.
Monitors and reports on organic traffic and rankings.

Social media manager

Develops social media strategies aligned with overall goals.
Creates and schedules content for different platforms.
Engages with the audience and analyzes social metrics.

Marketing operations manager

Manages marketing technology stack and automation tools.
Streamlines workflows and ensures seamless integration of systems.
Reports on marketing performance and efficiency.

Sales enablement specialist

Collaborates with sales teams to provide necessary marketing collateral and support.
Develops sales enablement materials to assist in the conversion process.
Aligns marketing strategies with sales objectives.

Customer success manager

Ensures customer satisfaction post-sale.
Contributes to retention and upselling opportunities.
Feedback from CSMs helps refine strategies, aligning future demand-gen efforts with customer needs.

Each role contributes a unique expertise for a successful demand gen team.

Collaboration among these roles ensures a cohesive strategy, from attracting leads to nurturing them through the demand-gen funnel and encouraging their conversion into customers.

Flexible structures that encourage cross-functional collaboration and continuous improvement often produce the best results in today’s ever-changing marketing landscape.

Best practices for a cohesive demand gen team structure

Clear role definitions. Define roles and responsibilities to avoid overlap and ensure everyone understands their contributions to the overall strategy.

Regular communication. Encourage open communication channels for idea-sharing, updates on campaigns, and feedback sessions to enhance collaboration.

Cross-functional training. Promote a culture of learning where team members understand each other's roles, fostering empathy and enabling better teamwork.

Agile workflows. Implement agile methodologies to adapt swiftly to market changes, allowing the team to iterate and optimize strategies effectively.

Data-led decision-making. Emphasize data analysis in all aspects, encouraging teams to base decisions on actionable insights for continuous improvement.

Alignment with sales. Foster strong alignment with the sales team to ensure seamless handoffs and a shared understanding of goals and priorities.

Experimentation and innovation. Encourage a culture of experimentation and innovation, allowing team members to try new approaches and tactics to stay ahead.

Turtl takeaway

Structure provides clarity, which increases communication, collaboration, and alignment among team members.

Workflows are made slicker and more effective as a result.

Keep your structure flexible to allow for experimentation, innovation and up-skilling to keep on top of emerging trends, tools, and techniques.

Not every business has the budget to set up its ideal demand gen team structure. Technology tools can help fill in any skills gaps and provide extra ‘hands’ to spread the workload and ensure nothing gets missed.

From actionable data insights to personalized content creation – you’ll be surprised just how quickly your demand gen outputs can scale with the right tools in place.

We help marketers make long-form demand-gen content normally published on dataless formats like PDFs.

If you’re making demand content like whitepapers, reports, interactive newsletters, online magazines, or guides – we help anyone in your team build these digital documents – and more. Our data and psychologically proven format will hook and hold minds across channels – and return the intelligence teams need.

Upload a PDF and start now. Start gathering content engagement data to feed across your team, and they’ll thank you for that.