Marketing is one of the most popular industries to go into, but being a leading marketer takes hard work. With an array of specialisms, marketers can hone their skills and develop niche areas of expertise, but what does it take to be one of the best marketers out there?
1. Sense of adventure
Being a great marketer requires a sense of adventure, so it’s not for the faint-hearted! Successful marketers practice creativity on a daily basis, and they’re not afraid to take calculated risks. Whether you’re trialing a new delivery method or launching an innovative campaign, effective marketing needs fresh ideas, and these come from the best marketers in the industry.
2. Energy
Marketing is fast-paced, and successful markets need to have their fingers on the pulse to stay ahead of the game. Discovering the latest products, sites, social media platforms and services is essential to deliver effective marketing material, so marketers tend to have boundless energy and great reserves.
Whilst marketing doesn’t always fit into a 9-5 schedule, it does give you the opportunity to engage in the latest online and offline developments and puts you at the heart of consumer and commercial interactions.
3. Leadership
To build a career in marketing, you’ll need to display a certain level of assertiveness and lots of leadership qualities. As you progress through your career, you may want to take on management roles, so being able to lead a team is vital. Whilst some people are born leaders, others need to cultivate these skills in order to show more assertiveness in the workplace. With leadership development, you can combine your natural creative marketing skills with newfound leadership experience.
4. Confidence
Being successful in the marketing industry does require self-confidence, as you’ll need to be comfortable putting your ideas forward. Marketers tend to be creative, particularly if you specialize in strategies and campaign content. When you’re working as part of a team or pitching to clients, you’ll need to have confidence in your own ideas and feel comfortable sharing them with your colleagues. In many cases, you’ll need to use your sales skills to persuade clients why your campaign is right for them, and then you’ll need to deliver on results.
5. Intellect
The most successful marketers tend to be highly intelligent, with a knack for bringing theoretical concepts to life in a commercial environment. With numerous theories giving rise to solid marketing concepts, effective marketers need to be able to understand these theoretical concepts, identify which are more suited to their client’s needs and develop a way to use them in a practical environment.
Whilst some marketers may have academic certifications or academic qualifications, anyone who can combine the theoretical principles of marketing in commercial settings, and use varying analytics to monitor, modify and enhance campaigns, will have the building blocks to carve out a great career in the industry.
With core traits being associated with successful marketing professionals, you can hone your skills where necessary and ensure you have everything it takes to become one of the best markets in the industry.
