In the dynamic world of marketing, staying ahead of trends and understanding the core principles can make a significant difference in achieving success. Whether you're a business owner looking to hire or an aspiring marketer yourself, here are five essential insights every marketer wants you to know.
"Marketing takes 1 day to learn but a lifetime to master."
Marketing Is Vastly Broad & Expansive
Marketing and communications is often misunderstood because it encompasses a wide and complex range of activities and strategies, making it challenging to define concisely and to delegate properly.
Not to mention, the rapid evolution of technology further complicate the public’s understanding, as these areas require specialized knowledge and continuous adaptation to new tools and platforms.
Many people equate marketing with advertising or sales, or public relations, but it’s much, MUCH broader. Marketing is a holistic endeavor that encompasses everything from branding, market research, product development, pricing strategies, content creation, content distribution, customer service.... The list goes on.
It's not just pushing buttons, crafting catchy slogans, listing features, following rules and reading spreadsheets
Marketing is equal parts Art, Science, and Psychology.
The Artistic or Creative side of Marketing
Creativity must exist in your marketing team. Brand storytelling, creative deconstruction, cultural engineering, artistic vision and painting with data are vital to developing content and campaigns that resonate emotionally with your audience, stand out from the competition, and connect on a deeper level to build trust and loyalty and inspire desire and drive action.
crafting compelling narratives and memorable moments
designing visually appealing content,
positioning products as must-have solutions
orchestrating memorable customer experiences
reverse engineering algorithms
uncovering hidden leverage points
exploiting micro-opportunities
turning user insights into must-have value propositions.
transforming brand essence into emotional connection
weaving your story into the cultural fabric
The Scientific or Technical side of Marketing
Scientific Precision: rigorous data analysis to measure and optimize marketing efforts, tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), analyzing consumer behavior, and utilizing advanced analytics tools to inform decisions.
Predictive Analytics: leveraging data to predict trends, understand market dynamics, and make evidence-based decisions to enhance campaign effectiveness and ROI.
Technology Proficiency: With the increasing role of digital tools in marketing, proficiency in marketing technologies and tools.
Market Research: Conducting thorough market research helps marketers understand industry trends, competitive landscapes, and customer needs, which inform strategic planning and execution.
The Emotional side of Marketing:
Understanding Consumer Psychology: understanding what motivates their audience, how they make purchasing decisions, and what factors influence their perceptions and actions.
Behavioral Insights: applying psychological principles to create more targeted and persuasive messages, improve customer experiences, and build stronger connections with their audience.
Marketing is such a dynamic field, so no matter what type of marketer you are (or hire), the following skills are vital
Adaptability & Flexibility: able to pivot quickly, adjusting strategies and tactics in response to market changes, emerging trends, and shifting consumer behaviors.
Creativity & Innovation: consistently developing unique and engaging campaigns that capture attention and differentiate brands in crowded markets.
Analytical & Synthesis Skills: interpret complex data, measure campaign effectiveness, and make data-driven decisions that optimize performance.
Communication Skills: able to convey messages clearly and persuasively across various platforms and media.
Problem Solving: adept at identifying challenges and developing strategic solutions that drive business growth and overcome obstacles.
Emotional Intelligence: understanding and connect with their audience on a deeper level, being vulnerable, empathic, fostering trust and creating more impactful and resonant marketing messages.
Insatiable Curiosity: always seeking to learn, grow, and improve, staying ahead of industry trends and continuously refining their skills and strategies.
Not all marketers are created equal
Marketers are not one-size-fits all. We all have different backgrounds, skills and talents, and are as variety and diverse and people themselves.
Every marketer possesses varying levels of expertise, skills, and areas of focus but we can be broadly categorized into two types: Generalists and Specialists.
A Marketing Generalist, or "Full Stack Marketer" is someone with a broad and holisitc understanding of multiple aspects and disciplines of marketing, and the ability to pivot between different marketing activities.
A Marketing Specialist, on the other hand focuses intensely on one particular area of marketing, such as:
SEO: On-site or Off-Site, Paid or Organic
Social Media: Organic or Paid, Video or Photography
Email Marketing
Comms & PR
Analytics
Blog Content
Photography or Video Editing
Community Management
Audience niche: B2B, B2C or DTC
Market niche: lifestyle, medical, wellness, sports, SAAS, tech, nonprofit
The Bottom Line: Don't expect us all to fit in one box. Find a marketer who is the right fit for your brand and its unique needs.
We work best in functional, structured teams
Marketing, like parenting, should never fall solely on one person. It takes a village. It takes a TEAM approach, and solid systems in place to manage all the moving parts simultaneously.
When an organization is properly staffed and running as it should (with clear roles, responsibilities, objectives and goals), marketers and comms professionals can be proactive and responsive, not reactive.
"Marketing is great because everyone has advice on how to do your job better"
Joe Martin
The Invisible Load of Marketing
The bulk of a marketer's job goes unseen. The daily life of the average marketer looks something like this...
Synthesizing data, research, concepts or others’ thoughts
Maintaining tone of voice
Documenting processes
Researching new topics or angles
Interviewing others
Scheduling cross-departmental meetings
Fostering relationships
Integrating feedback
Planning and strategizing
Crafting narratives
Analyzing metrics
Jumping between tabs or tools
Cross-checking across devices
Connecting dots
Designing graphics or visual aids
Pitching ideas
Distilling complex ideas and information into easy to digest and understand language or content
Running A/B tests
Adding Alt-Text
Optimizing with Keywords
Repurposing content
Outlining or Drafting content or briefs
Endless writing and non-stop e diting
Winning influence
Crafting the perfect headline or subject line
Sending test emails
Pulling together a detailed summary or report
Stalking competitors
Asking essential questions in the fact-finding/data-collection process
Tailoring suggestions and recommendations so they're achievable and actionable
"Hopping on a call"
Learning new tech tools or systems
Final proofreading to scan for typos, or improve brevity and clarity
Meanwhile, the VISIBLE work of marketing
Publishing or sending the deliverable
Seeing your campaign or project come to life
Reporting on its impact
"Marketing is misunderstood. It's the easiest job to have an opinion on, but one of the hardest to do well."
Most people have no idea how much time goes into social media, pitching, blog writing, web design, linkbuilding and more. The planning, posting, curating, creating, engagement - can be dizzying. So don't be alarmed if we occasionally try to shine a spotlight behind the scenes of our work to make you aware of what it takes to get something live. And of course, don't be surprised if our rates reflect all of the hidden work we're doing too.
Also, never make assumptions for how long something will take. Even a seemingly simple and short post can take up to 30 minutes to publish, thanks to all the invisible work (see above). We take a step back to ensure this “quick” post actually would resonate with your followers on these channels. (Remember, the followers you actually have aren’t the same thing as the followers you THINK this quick post will reach.)
And, please don't rush us! To a marketer, there’s rarely such thing as an easy, quick or simple task or project. We are detail-oriented people, and details take time.
Give your marketer time and space to create and "cook." Better to get all the details right than rush them and increase the risk of mistakes or resentment.
“I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.”
Blaise Pascal
Our Marketing Must-Haves
Embracing the following principle can help businesses build stronger connections and drive long-term success.
Strategy First
When the goals are clear, we'll come up with dynamic and creative ways to get the message across. And let's be clear, there need to be goals because that's the whole reason we're here: to help the organisation successfully execute its strategy. Because, like ANY professional, we need to know the ‘why’ before the ‘what’. We’re not interested in spinning our wheels out unless we’re pretty certain it’s going to make a tangible impact and move the needle.
Understanding Your Audience
The foundation of any successful marketing strategy is a deep understanding of your target audience - their likes/dislikes, pain points, objections, interests, needs, preferences, and behaviors. This key info, found through ongoing research and data analysis, will allow you to tailor your messages and offerings effectively and stay aligned with your audience’s evolving expectations.
Relevant, Valuable Content
Content marketing is a powerful tool for building trust, loyalty and authority in your industry. It’s not just about creating quality content that resonates, but also delivering it in a format and angle that increases reach and visibility, drives traffic, and generates new leads.
SEO
Social
Email
Track, Measure, Adjust, Improve, Repeat
Analytics are critical for driving and measuring online success. Its imperative to have insights into what’s working and what’s not, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and allocate resources effectively
Patience & Persistance, Above All
Marketing is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process that requires continuous monitoring, testing, and adaptation.
The digital landscape is constantly changing and rapidly evolving, with new algorithms, tools, platforms, and trends emerging daily. What works today may not work tomorrow, so staying agile, flexible and open to change is essential for sustained success. It's important to be able to quickly learn and implement new strategies as needed.
Further, Marketing is about the long game. It’s not about the short term gains, its about the long term impact. Building a strong brand takes time (YEARS) and consistency.
Harsh Truth: If you don't care about your longterm brand and only care about short-term profits, hire a Sales person, not a Marketer...
We are LEADERS, Not Followers
Most marketers are pragmatic and organized planners, just as much as they are visionary, big thinkers. We are both the dreamers, and the doers.
However, an experienced, seasoned marketer is not here to take orders. We're not catch-all employees there to do the dirty work or mundane admin tasks you don't want to do.
We're high-level strategic thinkers who can map business goals to communications objectives and tactics. We're here to create, innovate, impact and most importantly - protect your brand.
That means...
asking the hard questions
setting boundaries
pushing back
saying no, respectfully
redirecting you, politely
digging into the issue
thinking things through all the way - especially from the perspective of your audience or customer
keeping track of all the moving parts: who needs to be involved, when and in which capacity.
continually 'take the pulse' by listening to the audience
creating dialogue and interaction to gauge what's going well and what needs improvement.
preserving hard-earned media relationships by avoiding over-pitching
With this comes the unfortunate risk that we may be perceived as...
blunt
rude
negative
difficult
contradictory
lazy
uncooperative
And that's a risk we're often willing to take. At the end of the day, if you're not used to radical honesty or open and transparent communication, a good marketer may make you uncomfortable, or even offended.
Thats ok. That's our job.
The Bottom Line: We’re not among the “yes” men/women you may have encountered in other departments in the workplace. If we think something won't work (because the timing is off, the messaging will land poorly, or we see a missed angle) we'll tell you.
So, be prepared for us to speak up and stand our ground. We're simply focusing on our priorities - same as you!
"Setting boundaries is an important part of giving a leader the bandwidth needed to be the most effective."
Kevin Box
Just because we CAN, doesn't mean we should
Stop reducing our role to simple basic tasks like proofreading, editing, posting, or approving documents. While we are perfectly capable of executing these requests, treating communications as "support staff" undermines the deeper importance of our work.
Communication professionals are not just there to churn out content. They're intended to be strategic partners with specific goals (namely brand reputation) that contribute to the success of the organization. Involving them early allows them to advise, strategize and elevate their impact and expertise from the start. We need to be a part of the team
to help correctly identify problems and find solutions.
"Your'e only as good as your last pitch."
We're not responsible for Your Sales
We’re here to build and grow your brand, community & yes, that may include some leads. But the actual conversion of the lead is NOT on us- it’s on the owner of the business, and the team as a whole.
Hiring a marketing manager alone does not guarantee business success or increased sales. While we play a vital role in building brand awareness, community engagement, and generating leads, we are not responsible for revenue entirely.
Businesses still need to ensure they have strong customer service, a great product, and an overall solid experience to convert leads into sales. It’s a team effort where each individual or department must work together to achieve results.
We need you to TRUST us
Let the experts be the experts. Just as you wouldn’t micromanage your therapist, your doctor, your mechanic, and tell them how to do their job, same with marketers.
You hired us for a reason. TRUSTING your marketing team and giving them the time, space, resources and freedom to innovate can lead to incredible results.
We're here to help and we want you to succeed more than anyone!
We'll speak up because its necessary and we know what we're talking about. We have a point of view backed by YEARS, sometimes decades of knowledge and practice behind us. Most of the time it’s because we’ve tried it before and are speaking from direct experience, or we've watched another person or brand in the industry make the same mistake.
Remember, we've had lessons, successes and challenges in our careers, just like you have.
Listen to us. Trust us. Empower us. Equip us. Let us create and innovate. Give us freedom. Back off, and watch us thrive. We will drive success and will overdeliver for you, but only if you give us the right culture and opportunity to do so.
"Stop hiring creatives just to tell them how to be creative"
Brandon Smithwick
Wrapping It Up
Marketing is a complex, multifaceted discipline that goes far beyond what meets the eye.
Get to know the marketers in your life. Find out what lights them up. Remember, Marketers are PEOPLE too, with varying degrees of energy and preferences as to where they focus their time and attention.
At the end of the day, count on us. Call on us. Challenge us to make a difference. We're here for you and your business.
Erin Ratliff is a holistic business coach and organic growth & visibility consultant serving energy-sensitive, earth-loving, heart-led soul-preneurs, self-starters, and founders with the mission of personal and planetary healing.
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