Marketing is changing and evolving so rapidly and the pandemic has only further created more pressure on businesses to adapt to unusual market conditions and increasing budgetary pressure.
The skills required of a marketer even 5 years ago are notably different from those required in the current marketing environment. As leading marketer Christophe Eymery notes, marketing is now a vital aspect of revenue generation deserving of a seat at the c-suite table.
A great LinkedIn post recently asked for a list of the traits effective marketers now need, and here are the top responses compiled with an explanation as to why they are important. Experts agree these are all fundamentally necessary to thrive in the crucible that is marketing today.
1. Customer-centricity.
This has never been more important than now. Customers have all the power and the marketers’ job is to listen to what customers want and provide it. Marketers can no longer expect customers to follow a linear journey from awareness to purchase. Nurture is now the most important aspect of marketing - and the most difficult to achieve if you are not listening.
2. Test everything - within reason.
Sometimes content and communication need to be done for their own sake, to educate and build trust and credibility. A/B and other testing is great, but don’t go nuts on it to the point where it is annoying and disjointed.
3. Don’t fear failure.
Failure means you are in the game, and it helps to define what NOT to do. Failure can be even more valuable than getting it right in terms of strategy and execution.
4. Execute ideas fast but are patient with results.
Marketers have to be agile to keep up with the changing consumer. However, clever marketers and c-suite members understand good marketing builds trust and brand value, and this takes time. Instant results don’t last.
5. Value creativity.
There has been a movement lately to give marketing to the CRO, CSO or the CDO, and yes, bottom line, sales and martech is vital. But it is not the only aspect of marketing. Ultimately, the content you put out to the consumer via your martech stack has to be engaging and interesting. It doesn’t matter how much money you throw at your stack if your messaging is dry and doesn’t connect with consumers.
6. Scale storytelling.
Marketers know that in order to make an emotional connection with their audience, they have to be authentic and build trust - and they need to tell great, engaging stories to achieve this. Data storytelling and customer storytelling are all particularly integral to marketing in today's evidence-based B2B world.
7. Always be learning.
Nobody knows everything. The fact is, once you graduate uni with a degree, what you learned is obsolete in a year. So great marketers are always learning and always on a knowledge journey. If you stop learning, you stop innovating.
8. Understand data and metrics.
This is important because marketing is increasingly informed by data and metrics. But good marketing isn’t only these things - understand how to drive action through insights while being bold enough to innovate.
9. Invest in consistent, valuable content.
Increasingly, a good content marketing strategy could make or break marketing in the consumer-driven era. Content educates, adds value and builds trust. It is critical to inbound lead generation and building brand leadership and trust. Consumers are wise to this and will not be forced into your funnel. Now, good content attracts, retains and nurtures prospects gently, without the hard sell.
10. Don’t over complicate simple tasks.
Sometimes marketing is just simple and it needs streamlined processes with seamless collaboration. Convoluted metrics and data, or having 'too many cooks' in a campaign, can often do more harm than good.
11. Foster a team built on trust and encouragement.
We all logically understand innovation cannot exist in a blame culture. To generate great ideas, marketers have to foster a culture of acceptance and the idea that there are no bad ideas - and failure is always an option. Only then will your team feel secure enough to come up with the really good stuff.
12. Know when to stop and switch off.
Like anything, if you don’t get downtime, you will not be effective in your job. When you rest, you're at your best.
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