11 Skills You Can Learn to Make You a Better Marketer

The industry keeps changing and new technologies, apps and tools seem to be endless. Barely keeping up with the emerging trends can be time-consuming, let alone keeping up with the ever-changing Google rules.

Basically, every marketer knows that if a business isn’t on the first page of Google search results, all their efforts are in vain. That is to say, marketing has evolved into a monstrous mixture of digital technologies, SEO strategies, email marketing and paid advertisements, all aimed at ruthlessly boosting consumerism.

So, what can you learn to become a better marketer capable of dealing with whatever new trend may occur?

Let’s take a look at some crucial skills.

Personal Skills1. Research, Research and Then Research Some More

Research is the starting point of all successful marketing efforts. You should always know what competition is doing and what customers are looking for. Keep an eye on all the trends and decide on the ones likely to work best for your business.

Information is all but endless; from insights to feedback to case studies to related research — everything can help you decide on your next strategy.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

Trying new things is a universally good idea, marketing included. Doesn’t every successful marketer experiment regularly to test the best approaches? This holds particularly true for email marketing, as it is aiming at a large number of different personalities looking for different things.

You never know: maybe your next marketing strategy will be completely novel!

3. Keep Learning

Of course, this is general advice. Knowledge is always an asset not to be underestimated. However, in the case of marketers, learning has a new dimension. While these people are normally interested in virtual developments, they don’t necessarily have to be educated in the general sense of the word.

As mentioned above, knowing to distinguish between emerging trends is one crucial skill for a marketer, so being tech-savvy is an absolute must. Make a habit of reading new books on the topic and listen to useful podcasts.

4. Be Organized

It goes without saying that marketers simply have to be organized. Think in terms of multiple projects, continual feedback, insights, and website audits, and you’ll get an idea.

Marketers managing large marketing teams need to be well-versed in all aspects of the marketing process and be able to track progress at all times. With continual learning (think custom eLearning) and research, they should also be able to predict upcoming changes and switch to more efficient strategies as need be.

5. Master Public Speaking Skills

Public speaking can be scary… very scary, in fact. Many people tend to get so nervous that they have no clue what they’re supposed to do even after weeks and months of preparation. Fortunately, public speaking is a skill, meaning that it can be learned.

Marketers often need to present their ideas, either to their team or CEOs or clients. It is essential that they are capable of communicating clearly and are self-confident and resourceful. Oftentimes, they will need to win funds for their ideas, too. Hence, public speaking is an invaluable skill for them.

6. Learn to Listen

Good marketers listen to team members’ ideas and to clients and incorporate the insights and feedback into their future strategies. Brainstorming sessions, for example, are a great way to boost innovation and come up with creative approaches.

However, listening for the sake of listening isn’t enough. You’ll need to learn to listen actively. In this way, you’ll be able to discover what customers are looking for and be able to provide perfect answers in your future campaigns.

7. Learn to Differentiate Between Tactics and Strategies

We’re well aware that setting goals is the first step for any endeavor. For marketers, this process may be a bit more complex, especially if they are just starting out.

Goals should be the objectives to be met by the end of a specified period of time. Strategies should be plans on how to reach the goals. Every good strategy should include a number of tactics, which are the steps undertaken to achieve the goals.

8. Be a Stellar Collaborator

For marketers managing marketing teams, it is crucial to practice efficient collaboration. Sometimes it is all too easy to just allocate tasks and leave the team to it.

Need we say that approach isn’t desirable?

Collaboration is a two-way process and you need to make sure that you are there for the team members for any clarification and help. Teamwork gets projects done, and it must run smoothly for the best results.

Ensuring that every team member is on the same page should be your top priority. To achieve that, you’ll need to learn to communicate clearly, listen to feedback, and get to know the people. (And to save time, consider implementing automated Gmail workflows.)

Digital Advertising Skills

We live in the era of the internet and even if the core of marketing hasn’t changed even since the concept was first introduced, the approaches are rather different. While some old-school tactics are still going strong, it is essential that your business is visible online because the majority of people will look for it there.

That is to say, you need to master a number of digital advertising skills, the most essential of which we are including below.

9. Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) has become so important that it is impossible to rank on the first page of Google search results without mastering it. Large businesses have SEO teams charged with every step of the optimization process.

Some of the most important SEO skills include keyword research, link building and on-page SEO. Make certain you research them well.

10. Content Creation

Content can make or break a marketing campaign. Quality content is well-researched, skillfully written/recorded, perfectly placed to attract attention and heavily advertised.

Some of the crucial content types include:

• Website content
• Blog posts
• Infographics
• Video content
• Podcasts
• Case studies
• Social media content
• Email marketing campaigns
• Newsletters

As you can see, there is a lot to learn. In fact, it is safe to say that brainstorming content strategies is a lifetime occupation.

11. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing skills are becoming ever more important given that most people "hang out" online with or without a purpose. Social media have grown to become one of the most important interaction platforms and are not to be underestimated or overlooked by marketers.

The most popular social media channels include:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Snapchat
• TikTok

Each of these channels has a different purpose, meaning that the content should follow suit.

Conclusion

Everything considered, marketers don’t have it easy. With an abundance of channels, platforms and tools, there are always new skills to be acquired. That’s why continual learning, generating workflows and research are crucial. Take your time brainstorming each and every marketing effort. In time, you will tune your brain to adapting your strategies as needed.

Angela Ash is an expert content writer, editor and marketer, who focuses on topics related to remote work, freelancing, entrepreneurship and more.