Why I Work In… is a regular feature where we ask people about their jobs and the industry they work in. This time it’s Joe Tully, marketing manager at Adventoris.

Tell us a little bit about Adventoris?

Adventoris is a Software as a Service (SaaS) provider based in Huddersfield at the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC). Our flagship product is SwiftCloud, the number one mobile app platform for distributors and wholesalers. SwiftCloud provides businesses with a platform that enables their customers to see products, communicate with the company and make orders 24/7.

We currently work with 200 clients across a range of industries, working with some incredible brands like Staedtler, Pipers Crisps, AG BARR and Roxor Group.

And what’s your role there – how would you describe your job to an alien?

At its simplest, I would say my job is to take a product or service and get it seen by the people who need it, explaining the benefits and why they should choose to invest time and money.

In my case I do that for SwiftCloud by communicating the features and benefits of the platform. For example, when specialist wine importer, Hallgarten & Novum Wines, was looking to evolve its online ordering offering we worked with the team to develop its app and also supported a PR campaign around the launch of the app. The team there have seen real successes unlocking 24/7 ordering capabilities, push notification options and a 50% time saving for their customers in preparing and submitting orders.

How long have you worked in this sector?

I started studying marketing at the University of Huddersfield in 2013 and landed my first marketing role in 2015, so 10 years of overall marketing experience with eight years in the field.

What skills make someone a good marketing manager?

I think a good marketing manager needs to be able to understand their product or service on a number of different levels, being able to see both the minute detail and at the same time being able to see it objectively through the eyes of their target audience.

Creative flair and analytical understanding are great qualities for this role.

Building a great team is also crucial. Ensuring the targets are clear and the pathway is transparent, whilst keeping the drive and enthusiasm for what you are doing high and moving forward.

What’s your advice for people looking to get into marketing?

I would say it’s a sound investment in your future. If you’re creative and want a long and fruitful career with diverse opportunities and hundreds of avenues to explore, then marketing is for you.

There are tonnes of different ways you can get into marketing, most universities will have marketing courses, but if university is not for you, there are apprenticeships which offer a hands-on learning experience. It’s also worth exploring any volunteer marketing opportunities to get your foot in the door and get some experience under your belt.

If you are at the very start of your marketing career and looking to get on the ladder, I suggest learning a few of the fundamentals of digital marketing such as SEO or paid search, which can be done for free online through a bit of research into blogs or YouTube tutorials. There are also lots of great books on the market!

It’s also a good idea to find the element of marketing you enjoy the most and focus on ‘your niche’. Whether that be copywriting, design or social media this will help highlight your key skills when looking for an entry level marketing position.

This will also help keep you motivated to continue when things get tough or challenging, falling back on the elements you love will help push you through and remember why you do what you do!

If you could describe your job in only three words, which would you choose?

Varied, challenging and rewarding.

What do you most love about it?

I love building and creating things and then seeing how they are received. Whether we’ve been working on a website, a new brand, an email campaign or a sales brochure, knowing that we took something from a collection of ideas to a tangible end result is so rewarding!

We recently launched our new site, www.swiftcloud.co.uk, which was a huge milestone for my team. It was amazing to see all our hard work come to life!

Part of why I love it so much is that I am genuinely passionate about SwiftCloud. I have seen first-hand how it has helped businesses save their customers over 50% in ordering time and increase basket sales by 15%.

What word would your colleagues use to describe you?

I couldn’t possibly imagine, so I asked four colleagues with no context this was their response:

  • Amazing
  • Tremendous
  • Chill
  • Marketing

Very pleased with the results, this could be the title of my autobiography!

Where do you hope your career may take you?

I like to think I will be able to continue to do, or at least have a say in the parts of marketing that I love, the building and creating of something and generating ideas.

As Adventoris grows, so does our marketing ambition, team and budget so getting to be part of bigger and better things each year is a very exciting prospect and a thrill to be part of.

If someone is reading this and thinks, I’d love to work at Adventoris, what should they do?

Get in touch! We are always on the lookout for new talent. Follow us on LinkedIn and keep an eye out for upcoming roles that we post often.