There’s no question that marketing is a desirable field of work and that the results of that work are incredibly rewarding. Marketers come up with creative ideas that build a brand. It’s high stakes and long hours. On the other hand, sometimes it can be monotonous. You spend hours of brand upkeep to not only grab your audiences’ attention but to also keep it. So, it goes without saying that you need more than a few skills to keep up in the profession. However, there are a few to prioritize that, when fully developed, put you above the competition.
A deep understanding of the industry: As a marketing professional, you are constantly working to grab the attention of your desired audience and then keep it after. You can’t use outdated methods or reference old news. Today’s world is constantly changing, so make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep up and know what’s happening and why it’s important. Read news articles daily, subscribe to newsletters and always try to look through the lens of potential clients and customers. You want to be the first to capitalize on big news and recent industry developments.
Digital marketing: Over the years, traditional marketing and digital marketing have started to become one. Nowadays, everything is on the internet so it’s vital to understand how to use digital tools to your advantage. Marketing is all about connecting with your target audience, and with everyone connected to their cellphones and screens, that’s where messaging will be the most successful. With digital marketing, you can now reach people globally, target individuals rather than only large groups and use everything from emails to ads to social media to reach your intended audience.
Social media: Billions of people around the world now connect through social media. You are able to share pictures, news and content with a simple tweet or image. Thus, when it comes to marketing, we can meet our audience there as well. Social media platforms also limit you in terms of length of copy and video content. We have to start developing ways to not only attract interest in our products and services, but do so in a short and concise manor. Find ways not only to reach your audience, but entertain them.
Project management: With marketing comes a plethora of moving parts and you are in charge of translating what your organization does into a narrative that appeals to your target audience. To do so, you cannot simply come up with a plan, delegate the tasks and be done. You have to constantly oversee all facets of the project to ensure it continues to align with your idea and brand. You are shaping the organization and can only do so when you understand all aspects of it and constantly know what is going on.
Customer service: Finally, you not only need to know how to get an audience’s attention, but also how to interact with that audience. If your customers do not feel valued, you’ll never be able to sell them on your brand. Continue to work toward understanding their interests, creating a relationship and actually listening to what they want. While you may not be the direct point of sale, you are the one that makes the sale attractive and your company desirable so you need to intuitively understand how to serve them.
There are many other skills you need to be successful in marketing, but use these five as a foundation. Marketers are the people behind the scenes who decide how companies are defined. Continue to become an expert in the industry, get to know your audience and understand the day-to-day decisions that come with the job.
