Marketing is everywhere in your company.

From the consumer's perspective, marketing is constant.

You're the Chief Technology Officer and don't think you have a hand in Marketing?

I know you’ve been working hard to update that software. The interface is gorgeous. Your consumers will love it. It will make their life easier.

But guess what. When you make that change, you’re going to experience backlash. It will be swift, it will be loud, and it will be frothing. People do not like change.

Have you been working with the marketing team to give your consumers a ton of advance notice about the change? Have you been communicating with your consumers early and often?

• Surely you have FAQs up around your website, in extra communications to your consumers, linked within the dedicated landing page about your update, and elsewhere.

• Have these been fully vetted by not only the marketing team (for brand voice), but your team who's been testing it for quirks, common problems, potential sticky areas? Are they all on the same page?

• Have you built out tutorials featuring detailed imagery, if not full screencast recordings showing your consumers exactly how to operate this new equipment they're relying on?

• Have you uncovered all the benefits, and worked closely with your marketing team to focus the narrative on all the ways this will improve your customers’ lives? That is, after they get through the awkward breaking-in period?

• Have you thoroughly trained your support staff to know what consumers will ask? To beta test the program to come up with their own questions? Yes, you bet your boots that's marketing too. You'll see why later this week.

You’re an IT Developer and don't think you have a hand in Marketing?

You developed that brilliant project management software, thank you! You've collaborated with key stakeholders, incorporated early feedback, and continue to tweak the interface for improved functionality. Thank you thank you thank you.

But is your software actually being used around the company the way it deserves to be? Are other departments getting the most of it, or is your hard work languishing in an abyss of collective ignorance?

• When was the last time one of your team trained staff in other departments on all the cool things they can do with the software?

• Have you trained your marketing team especially on how to use the nifty system?

• Are they aware how they can use it to complete campaigns faster, to manage tasks more efficiently, to collaborate more easily?

• Give a marketer a better way to collaborate and they will be at your beck and call.

• When your marketing team can work more efficiently and effectively, they can produce more helpful content for your consumers. Their time will shift from administrative / organizational tasks to more investment in being creative. That creative output will be more likely to make new and potential customers turn their heads.

This post was created based on a meeting I recently had. The IT team realized, much to their dismay, that nobody on our team knew about a fraction of the bells and whistles they'd put into their project management software.

Because they never told us. You can be the hero that changes that, IT stars. Be the hero!

Nothing exists in a vacuum. Marketing is everywhere. We'll look at a few more examples this week.