The field of marketing is vastly different today than it was even three to five years ago. While the basic principles and concepts of effective marketing, from an academic standpoint, really haven’t changed much, what has changed is the ways marketers do their work and the kind of work they do.
Strong Communication Skills
This one really isn’t anything new, but it remains critically important. Effective marketers must have strong communication skills, written and verbal, but increasingly visual as well.
Marketers must be exceptional communicators because, at its very core, marketing is all about communication. Marketers need to find the “sweet spot” between communicating information that will be valued by their target audience and that will support business needs/objectives. This must be done in a non-overt marketing way these days. It’s not about SELLING (in capital letters) but selling in a much more subtle way. It’s really about positioning your company, and what it has to offer, as a trusted source of information so that when a target audience member has a need, they think of you, and trust you, and are therefore more likely to buy from you.
And then these messages need to be conveyed using a combination of tools and channels, from emails to ads to blog posts, video clips, podcasts, and more.
The Ability to Understand (Really Understand) Audiences
The Ability to Interpret and Apply Data
Understanding and Familiarity with High Tech
There is a wide, and ever-growing, range of high-tech tools that today’s marketers are making use of. These range from sales support and customer relationship management tools like Salesforce, to various types of robotic process automation (RPA), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and more! Sophisticated tools make it possible for marketers to do more in less time and with more precision than ever before. The sheer scope of what’s available, though, can be daunting. Staying on top of new developments requires paying attention to the trade press and relevant blog posts, podcasts, and industry research.
Comfort With Ambiguity
This one has become most apparent during the pandemic. Even almost two years in, few yet know what to expect month to month in terms of where and how they will be able to connect with customers. On-site? Online? Masked or unmasked? Vaccinated? Boosted? That ambiguity affects not only interactions with customers, but also the messaging and messages used to connect and compel them to some desired action.
This loops back to some degree to clearly understanding your audience. Today’s audiences can’t be pegged and defined as a “one and done” exercise. Their needs, concerns, and values are continually changing; your messaging and approaches need to change with them.
About Us
Strategic Communications, LLC, works with B2B clients to help them achieve their goals through effective content marketing and management with both internal and external audiences. We work with clients to plan, create and publish high-quality, unique content. Whether on- or offline, or both, we’ll help you achieve desired results.
(Strategic Communications is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise through the Wisconsin Department of Administration.)
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21st Century Secrets to Effective PR
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The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning
Tags: careers in marketing, communication skills, data analysis skills, high tech, job skills for today's marketers, marketing careers, Training