The problem with most marketers is that they too much to do with too little time.Which is why it is important for marketers to have a plan before launching a campaign. This will keep you ahead then the rest in the same league.
Though general speaking, marketing, is not a skill set that people are born with and can be mastered in a day but there are certain skills you can pick up to be better.
Statistics by Reuters shows that Marketers are struggling to succeed with the demand of the current generation.
More than 55% of marketers consider their marketing personnel to be “unskilled” in terms of satisfying customers need.
So what can you do to become a better marketer?
Here are 5 marketing skills to practice to be able to live up to the needs of the new generation.
1. Focus on Multifaceted Content Creation
Multifaceted content means content that offers different types of perspectives. Add new content frequently and consistently and the same content can be repurposed and formatted for different social media platform.
Post videos on sites like YouTube and maintain a strong social media presence for your brand.Use tools like Hootsuite to make publishing and management of content to various channels easy.
Manage a range of channels and keep them all in the air to be successful. Multifaceted content creation is can be a challenging concept but promises potent results.
Remember to keep the content fresh to you are reusing the same content in multiple channels.
Focus on quality content that establishes authority. This may take more of an initial investment but can do a number of things for marketers.
2. Optimize Existing Marketing Channels
Know how and when to optimize your existing marketing channels through testing and audits. Previous channel success does not guarantee future performance so conduct a regular website audit.
Ultimately, the goal is to have pages performing well with calls to action and high conversion rates. Constantly review the pages and make a plan to work on other aspects that need fine-tuning.
Search engine optimization rules are constantly changing so reformatting and new techniques need to be incorporated in marketing strategy and constantly updated.
For example, graphics content, special offerings and advertising need to be informed from the objectives and campaigns of the company as a whole and tie into efforts within other departments.
The optimization of website efforts, inbound, email, and social media are necessary to properly penetrate your market and achieve best results.
3. Create Strong Customer Relationships
Customers are very savvy and are bombarded by sales pitches and advertisements every time they go online. So, it is pivotal to create an organic relationships with individuals and form a loyal customer base.
The aim for marketers is to build ongoing relationships with customers. Know their needs and attune messages to address their concerns. Listen to their feedback.
If there’s negative feedback from marketing efforts, be open to hearing the complaints and review your strategy because perception marketers and companies have of what customers want can be vastly different than the reality.
Learn about consumers. Combine efforts with internal departments. Align marketing strategy with company objectives, campaigns, and messages. Plan and initiate efforts. Review and reflect on results. Lead with knowledge and informed experience, not guesswork.
4. Learn to Understand Analytics Data
The key is paying close attention to exactly what that data is telling you. Data can provide extensive insight into customer behavior and the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
According to The Top 5 Google Analytics Reports for Social Media Marketers, there are 5 ways to watch the behavior of incoming leads from the data being generated from marketing efforts.
- Filter social media traffic.
- Watch for conversions.
- Quantify traffic to social media venues.
- Create and implement “
- Understand the link between marketing efforts and sales.
Learn where to look and the tools to use to effectively and efficiently direct marketing efforts. If the tools that you are using do not provide analytics, it may be time to upgrade.
5. Be Patient!
Most successful marketing campaigns are not launched overnight. Ihe marketing landscape is changing continually at a rapid pace, efforts aren’t always going to be immediately successful.
Become a master of testing and constant iteration. Be patient and observant.Especially in the age of social media, it is vital to allow an appropriate amount of time for your campaign to breathe and grow.
Allow time to get enough feedback to inform next steps and tailor your marketing strategy. Pay close attention to areas of success and those needing improvement.
If you immediately identify problem areas of an ongoing campaign, feel free to make adjustments. Remember: a lack of immediate success does not make a campaign a failure!
In conclusion, the honing of marketing skills means an increased ability to drive more revenue to your business in a variety of ways. New perspective helps to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-changing landscape.
Do not chase the trends of yesterday in a failing attempt to recreate a past success. Focus on constant quality and create the trends of tomorrow.