Essential Marketing Skills For 2014

On January 6, 2014, in Marketing, by Rowan

Employers need emotional intelligence, strong leadership, and excellent writing abilities across multiple platforms if they want to be frontrunners in a highly competitive marketplace.

Effective, interactive marketing requires collaboration and cohesion, but those are no longer the only sought-after stepping-stones that can lead to amazing success stories.

A professional marketer’s bag of tricks should be packed with many talents, such as competence, the desire to develop additional skill, and being capable of deploying those abilities proficiently.

The list of functional qualifications is long. It includes data analysis, research proficiency, understanding consumers, and shopper marketing.

Here are 7 main functional and soft marketing skills that can bring your company into the spotlight in 2014.

1. Influential Storytelling

Marketers looking to improve their skills should pay attention to what today’s consumer wants. Look at recurring trends!

The companies that are on the top are those that deliver high-quality content across multiple platforms. They use a variety of ‘voices’ to get their messages across.

Who can deliver? Experienced writers can create content for both the consumer and B2B (Business-to-Business).

It is imperative that marketers understand the role digital and content marketing plays throughout all the communication solutions that are used today.

The content should be versatile and appealing to numerous audiences. Brands need to tell their story in order to connect with their followers.

Using honest analogies and anecdotes has been quite effective. By connecting on an emotional level, consumers will feel involved. It is also an excellent way to influence their purchasing decisions.

2. Try Something New

The world is constantly evolving, and marketers refusing to adapt to the changes are doomed to fail. Senior leaders have great qualities, but are often stuck in a rut.

Many organisations have noticed this trend, and started concentrating on junior recruits with a flair for innovative ideas, but also a strong commercial insight.

The candidates can demonstrate how their non-traditional ways of thinking can improve a company’s marketing campaigns. They look past all the boundaries others keep focusing on.

3. Data Analytics

There is such a tremendous amount of information on the Internet right now that the idea of having to investigate it all can be overwhelming.

Dealing with Big Data does not have to keep you awake at night. There are many tools currently on the market data-savvy marketers can use to analyse the steady stream of online information that is relevant to their company.

Understanding the impact this information can have on what they are trying to accomplish can be extremely helpful when planning their next marketing strategy. The results will be far more impressive.

It is a great benefit to employ candidates who are not fighting technology, but are rather embracing it. These employees are also eager to work collaboratively all across the board.

4. Understanding Modern Consumers

Although reading a few chapters from a Sigmund Freud manuscript would not hurt, there really is no need to get a psychology degree.

Marketers can benefit greatly from understanding consumer behaviour, and why people buy certain products and not others that are quite similar in nature.

With a bit of knowledge, you will be able to harness the sudden changes in the attitude of shoppers, apply the information to your marketing planning, and maybe even influence, and manipulate a buyer’s actions.

5. Strategic Thinking

One of the biggest hurdles to achieving marketing success is poor data processing practices. If you want to stay relevant, start documenting your advertising strategies.

Stop focusing aimlessly on virtually useless content. It is like a mouse in a labyrinth. The critter squanders a lot of energy and time running aimlessly back and forth in an attempt to reach that rewarding piece of cheese in the centre of the maze.

For businesses, this would also be a waste of money. What can an eager marketer learn from this? Never give up on basic, rational, and strategic thinking.

6. Strong Leadership Qualities

Determined leaders will always be respected in their sectors. They are in control of their businesses, even when facing tough financial times and economic downturns.

Great, natural leaders are emotionally intelligent, innovative, and resilient. They do not falter when a project goes south. Actually, these professionals see it as a challenge, and will not give up until a problem is fixed, and goals are reached.

Natural leaders are smart and bold. They can make decisions quickly, and know when to trust their gut feeling, which is not the case with manufactured leaders.

Although these individuals have been trained to take charge, they often lack confidence when making critical business decisions.

7. Intellectual Curiosity

Progress would not exist if people did not have a healthy dose of curiosity. Just think about it. If the first humans had ignored fire, where would we be today? CMOs like candidates who are ambitious and curious.

It demonstrates innovation and passion. Intellectual curiosity encourages problem solving, now and in the future.

In today’s multi-channel world, businesses and technology evolve at such an incredible speed that it is essential to learn, be able to adapt promotional and marketing tactics fast, and find alternatives with ease. What is new today could be outdated tomorrow.