6 Tips for Building Your Marketing Career

You have read the books. You watched the videos.

You are convinced that you belong to marketing.

Now, all you have to do is put this summary out there and wait, is not it?

Unfortunately, it will not cut it anymore. Entering the marketing is easy. But how are you tall?

It's a different ball game with its own rules.

And when you look at the projected growth rates for the marketing field – an increase of up to 10% by 2026 – you can not afford not to be warned with these rules.

This growth could be good news for the economy, but it can create challenges for the novice trader.

Fortunately, there are some tips you can use to gain an advantage over your competitors.

Here is a preview of my rule book to crush it in marketing. Use these strategies to boost your marketing career and leave the competition behind.

1. Improve your communication

Whether it is social monitoring tools, voice search or automation of multichannel marketing, technology is constantly changing the way we reach our audiences.

But that's a lot to follow.

71% of marketers use at least six types of marketing technologies in their daily lives.

Trying to master one, let alone six, can be intimidating and downright impossible for new marketers.

Fortunately, there is an easy solution:

Return to the basics and dominate them.

Whatever new technology is introduced tomorrow, your basic communication skills are always in demand.

For proof, take a look at the best skills that employers look for when hiring new graduates for entry-level positions:

More than 80% of employers want written communication skills, and less than 70% want verbal skills.

Comparatively, less than 60% of survey respondents pointed out that technical skills were a major attribute. Less than 50% are looking for specific computer skills.

All this good news for new marketers.

Whether you are a recent graduate or a career transition, you can develop communication skills on your own time.

And you can do it without spending money or with only a small financial investment.

These skills will make you a better seller. After all, what is marketing if not communication applied? And this will make you more employable in any industry.

It's a win-win situation, right?

But how do you develop your basic communication skills?

It's going to sound a little tacky, but the answer that appears in the professional textbooks is the same:

To become a better communicator, communicate more. And, specifically, write more.

As you practice writing, let me give you some resources to help you refine your writing skills.

First of all, you should consult My Copyblogger.

In addition to their regularly updated blog, Copyblogger offers online training courses, webinars and resources through their My Copyblogger subscription.

Registration gives you access to exclusive eBooks that help you develop your written communication skills and .

View this high-level preview of their e-book versions for members:

With all the ebooks that they offer, both long and short, Copyblogger is a killer resource for all marketers who want to improve their writing.

Then, Grammarly is an indispensable tool.

Grammarly is proofreader and personal writing assistant.

It offers more help than catching typos. It uses the contextual analysis to understand what you are trying to say, and then it helps you to say it better.

It also tracks your progress and shows how your skills compare to those of other Grammarly users so you can see the trends.

In turn, it makes it easier to calculate what you need to improve.

It also tracks the total number of words and displays advanced errors if you are a Premium user.

Being able to track your progress is not just a marketing gimmick, either. Monitoring your own progress can help you stay motivated, set realistic goals, and improve your quality.

Grammarly is probably the best all-in-one tool you can use. But there are a few others to mention.

The web version of Hemingway Editor is a free resource to improve your writing. It follows the passive voice, the adverbs and the readability – everything that affects the way your audience perceives your writing.

Wordsworth Count is also a free analysis tool that helps you polish your flow of words. It follows the length of the sentence, the syllables and the breaks.

Here is the hour of the bottom line:

If you want to get ahead of the technological rat race, then you have to get out of there. Concentrate on improving your basic skills like writing to help your resume withstand the test of time.

2. Specialize and socialize

With significant growth in employment, marketing opportunities are growing. But the competition too.

And the competition with other marketing hopes means that you end up facing a field filled with communication experts.

There is a lot to stack on paper. If you want to separate from the pack, you need to specialize your toolbox.

In a 2017 study, the top three skills employers sought out from new marketers were digital advertising, content creation, and content strategy.

Creating content and displaying your conservation skills can help you establish yourself as a digital marketing guru. And here is the best part:

You can start free.

In fact, you can even convince other marketers to spread your reputation for you. How?

Create a content for other person.

Specifically, create blog posts for major publications. This is a great way to partner with industry authorities and get to know you.

But more importantly, it also gives you the skill that 53% of marketers see as the top priority of their business.

This is probably the reason why so many marketers are so prolific bloggers. Take a look at this example of the blogosphere.

The Ahrefs blog is packed with data-rich (and often original) research, making it a great place to delve into the details of the technical side of marketing.

This also helps to build the Ahrefs team as an expert in the field. Tim Soulo, for example, is a prolific writer for their blog.

Tim does not post at Ahrefs every day. But when he does, I know he's writing reliable blogs with SEO research information.

He regularly introduces new ways of looking at data and marketing with rich technical details and an easy-to-read style.

And that alone is reason enough for you to follow him.

But his articles on the blog do more than just Arefé. They cement him as a quality writer and marketer.

Something that corroborates him even more with his work on BloggerJet.

Do you want another concrete example of a professional who makes blogs (even those of other people)?

Look no further than Ann Handley.

Partisan marketing legend and part writing genius, Hadley uses his expert skills to keep his name at the top of the list of marketing influencers.

Ann's work is both witty and relatable. His blog reframes complex marketing concepts into easy, digestible messages. I never leave work without laughing and while learning.

I suppose you could say that I am an "annarchist". If you want to improve your content skills, you should also become one.

But it's not just his sense of humor that prompts readers to come back. She is consistent, she is authoritative, and she does not accumulate her talent.

In addition to her work with MarketingProfs, she is also invited to Entrepreneur and Huffington Post positions.

If someone one of influential enough to write two Wall Street Journal bestsellers is still a guest post for other organizations, should not you not do the same?

So, how do you get started with guest blogs?

While there are many ways to publish content as a guest, one of the easiest ways – and one of my favorite ones – to start with is Medium .

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLyzKdc5Lso?feature=oembed&w=700&h=394]

In the end, no matter how you choose to hone your communication skills, adding authoritative pieces to your name will not only help you to ring as a better marketing.

That will make you look as one, too. And that brings me to the following subject:

Your wallet.

3. Expand your portfolio

Your skills can not grow without the ability to sharpen them.

But you will not get many possibilities until you have demonstrated that you already have some of the skills you need to improve.

Because you are not able to obtain opportunities, your skills deteriorate and do not develop. You miss even more future opportunities because no one will give you one to start.

This begins a self-destructive cycle.

In a 2017 survey, 64.5% of employers indicated that they preferred to hire candidates with relevant work experience. This was even true in the case of college graduates.

So, whether you are embarking on marketing through the school or the Internet, you need experience to gain more experience.

It's frustrating, is not it?

Fortunately, there is an easy way to break the cycle and make you very impressive too.

You can volunteer. Specifically, volunteer with a nonprofit.

This will help you expand your network and earn professional portfolio pieces.

It also helps to signal your values to future employers and to engage for social causes like animal education and welfare.

You could even meet other marketers in the process. Radish Labs, a creative agency specializing in non-profit organizations, regularly promotes creative volunteering.

Are you looking for ways to volunteer and strengthen your portfolio, but do not find local opportunities? VolunteerMatch is an excellent directory with lots of remote opportunities.

With many opportunities to develop your portfolio and get serious assets in the street, what are you waiting for?

Go out and start making the difference so that others see a difference in your career.

4. Restart your network

In some industries, it's more about who you know than what you do. But in digital marketing, it's both.

And if you are an inexperienced buyer, this can create a significant barrier to starting your career.

It's almost a chicken before the problem of eggs. How do you meet the right people if you do not already know the right people to organize presentations?

After all, according to SilkRoad's Sources of Hire 2017 report, employee referrals are still the best way to recruit new employees.

This is the same kind of undone cycle as the riddle "experience without experience" that I've described in the section above.

You can not grow your network because you must first have a reliable network and win the trust of people.

Fortunately, the solution to end this cycle is just as simple:

Sign out and look around the world offline to strengthen your online network.

Do you need to meet people in the industry? Attend local meetings and conventions, and establish your online connection.

Here is the good news:

Two of the biggest marketing conventions – INBOUND and the Growth Marketing Conference – are still on the horizon for 2018.

Hubspot supports INBOUND.

INBOUND

This includes everything that is marketing and selling in three days of strategy.

If you do not want to get into sessions or prizes, INBOUND also offers "community passes" for networking events. This is a great option for new traders with tight budgets.

The conference on growth marketing is also worth a visit.

Some of the biggest names in marketing are attending the conference. It's a two-day event filled with networking events, tactical sessions and innovative workshops.

Like INBOUND, this conference offers multiple levels of participation, including access to networking and training sessions at a fraction of the total price.

Of course, one of the big drawbacks of this approach is that big conventions tend to happen in big cities.

But do not worry.

Even if you can not incorporate a major convention into your schedule, there are still a few other options for expanding your network.

You can host or join a local event through a service like Meetup.

This allows you to not only reduce your travel costs, but also to build a local network and find – or organize – events according to your schedule.

Finally, even if you do not find any offline networking opportunities, there are online options to boost your credibility and your network.

One solution is the LinkedIn groups. Take a look at the four most popular groups below:

5. Go big with data

If you want to beat the rat race, go for it. And there is no better way to move forward than to develop some of the most demanded skills in the job market.

And in 2018, that means you have to go beyond the data.

Statistics and analysis help marketers understand their audience in a quantifiable way.

But that's not all they can do.

Data-driven marketing techniques also help professionals make better decisions and acquire new customers.

They also have receipts to show.

Between 2016 and 2017, the expenses and revenue generated by marketing data reached their highest level, according to a DMA study.

But despite this significant growth, the marketing world is still experiencing a significant talent shortage.

Data sets continue to expand, but the talent pool and organizational preparation are in decline.

Take a look at this 2018 survey of merchant confidence in the ability of their organizations to manage data for marketing:

What does this mean for your career? I can tell you in one word:

Opportunity.

With data becoming essential for marketers and business leaders in all areas, there has never been a better time to learn how to analyze data.

And thanks to the arrival of several online learning platforms, this has never been so easy. Here are some of the places where you can dig into the data and gain your analytical credentials from home.

Coursera offers a university-level education at an elementary school price. Usually, classes last between four and six weeks.

Many of their courses offer free videos, and the selection for marketing analysis is huge .

And best of all, all of their courses are fully online, and they reward the certificates in the end.

In addition to career referrals, the forum can launch your network and help grow your portfolio with your peers.

Are you looking for a less academic option, or do you need to define your own schedule? If so, try Lynda.com.

LinkedIn acquired Lynda.com in 2015. Now, it's a powerful resource for learning the ins and outs of marketing, SEO, content, design and so much more.

Unlike Coursera, the lecture series on Lynda.com consists of videos and guided exercises, so you can learn at your own pace.

And although you do not have a forum to interact with other learners, most videos include guided exercise files to help you practice your skills.

Moreover, thanks to the integration with LinkedIn, you can automatically display your learning path on your profile.

Check out an overview of some of the courses they offer for marketing data analysis.

Lynda.com offers courses ranging from beginner level to advanced level. It contains everything you need to hone your data skills from start to finish.

Another option is DistilledU.

Some of the biggest names in business like Adobe, eBay and Capital One are using DistilledU. This is an interactive training option at your own pace, for SEO marketers who want to know more about the field.

They also offer courses for marketers of all levels. They have courses that can teach you the basics of SEO.

And they also have very advanced classes.

This makes it a fantastic resource for marketers of any level of experience.

DistilledU offers annual and monthly memberships. So, if you want to master marketing or just get an intensive course in analysis, there is a module to adapt to your schedule and budget.

Similaire à Lynda.com, Skillshare offre un apprentissage en ligne pour tout, de la conception à la science des données en passant par le marketing avancé.

Voici quelques-unes de leurs offres de cours qui sont actuellement populaires.

Les instructeurs fournissent des projets de classe pour compléter les cours vidéo avec un apprentissage pratique, ce qui en fait l'idéal pour ceux d'entre vous qui préfèrent l'éducation interactive.

En résumé, peu importe la plate-forme que vous choisissez, ajouter de l'analyse de données à vos compétences est un excellent moyen de vous rendre plus attrayant pour les futurs employeurs et de surpasser la concurrence.

6. Construisez votre image de marque

Enfin, si vous voulez sortir de l'ombre de votre concurrence, vous devez construire votre image de marque et la construire bien.

Cela signifie que, en plus de développer vos compétences en écriture, vous devez établir une identité visuelle distincte.

Sans un, votre marque peut facilement se perdre dans la mêlée, surtout si vous utilisez des images de stock.

Se perdre signifie que votre public vous ignore. Et si votre auditoire vous ignore, vous ne verrez jamais votre carrière marketing atteindre le niveau supérieur.

Mais il est déjà assez difficile de maîtriser les concepts et stratégies marketing de base. Comment allez-vous développer l'image de marque et vous démarquer?

Et qu'est-ce qui distingue le style visuel d'une marque?

Peu importe les canaux que vous utilisez, la cohérence est la clé.

Jetez un coup d'œil à la page d'accueil de Content Marketing Institute:

Jetez un coup d'œil à leur chaîne YouTube:

En gardant la typographie et les couleurs cohérentes, elles établissent un lien mental facile pour leurs adeptes. Les utilisateurs savent que s'ils voient cette nuance d'orange, ils regardent quelque chose de Content Marketing Institute.

Voici un autre exemple. Regardez la page d'accueil de MarketingProfs.

Maintenant, voici leur chaîne YouTube.

Encore une fois, vous pouvez voir des couleurs et des styles d'images cohérents.

Voici ce dont il s'agit:

Si vos comptes de médias sociaux ne partagent pas l'image de marque, il est plus difficile pour les gens de vous identifier en tant que distributeur.

Si vous pensez que l'image de marque est difficile, alors détrompez-vous. Vous pouvez commencer votre image de marque en créant un logo dans environ cinq minutes.

Mais si vous voulez aller plus loin et que vous n'avez pas derrière vous une armée de designers, alors vous pouvez vous tourner vers des conseils indépendants pour obtenir de l'aide.

Fiverr, Upwork et 99designs sont trois des plates-formes les plus populaires pour trouver de superbes graphismes adaptés à tous les budgets.

Sur Fiverr, les pigistes (qu'ils appellent "vendeurs") fournissent des paquets de services avec leurs compétences uniques.

L'un des avantages de l'utilisation de Fiverr est qu'ils offrent des bundles évolutifs. Ces bundles vous permettront d'obtenir le minimum de travail de conception dont vous avez besoin pour un prix prévisible.

And because buyers reach out to sellers first, you won’t receive pitches that you aren’t interested in.

But that’s also the downside.

If you’re short on time, you can’t wait for offers and let the designers come to you. That means that this may not be the best option for marketers with a tight schedule.

Upwork (formerly oDesk) is another major freelancer board with a significant design community.

After setting up a business account, you have the option of posting a job and letting the pitches come to you. You can also invite some of Upwork’s top talent to apply.

Unlike Fiverr, you typically pay by the hour or project. Freelancers submit their proposals along with their price estimations.

Upwork is ideal for both big and small budgets. It’s a great option to test the visual branding waters without making major commitments.

Lastly, 99designs is a freelancing platform that specializes in branding and product design.

They provide matching services where they fit you with a graphic designer who meets your design needs. There’s also a contest option where the community competes to win your project.

The higher price of 99designs may not be ideal for your first project. But for those ready to commit, all design contests come with a 100% money-back guarantee.

No matter where you get your designs from, consistent branding colors are key for integrating older and newer designs seamlessly.

One easy way to do that is by using Adobe’s color system.

Here’s how.

Head to Adobe Color CC.

Click on “sign in” in the top-right corner. You want to be able to save your palette to share, so it’s important to get this step out of the way first.

Follow the link for “Get an Adobe ID.”

Fill out the sign-up form and click the blue “sign up” button to go back to the Adobe Color CC homepage.

Once there, begin picking colors by manipulating the color wheel. Here’s the default suggestion for my orange.

To play with the auto-generated palettes, use the left-hand menu to navigate. If you want to build a custom palette, you’ll need to select the last option.

Once you have a color palette you like, click the blue save button.

It will then prompt you to name your theme.

Click “save” and head over to “My Themes” using the top navigation menu.

You should now find your palette waiting in your library.

Hover over your palette to see your saving and sharing options.

Hit the download button to share your palette with future designers.

Since Adobe is the king of design suites – 90% of creative professionals use Photoshop – anyone you work with can open the palette directly in their choice program.

You can even use the same palette to customize resume templates and give your credentials the same eye candy from start to finish.

By the way, don’t forget to check out Adobe Color CC’s “Explore” option for inspiration before you go.

Ultimately, whether you use multiple freelancers or none at all, using the same color palette throughout will give your brand consistency no matter who is at the design wheel.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4PbCulOhOA?feature=oembed&w=700&h=394]

Conclusion

The field of marketing is expanding rapidly, and experts expect it to keep growing.

That means that you have plenty of opportunities. However, that also means that you have plenty of competition.

So, how can you stand out?

For starters, don’t get too caught up in new technology. Keeping on top of marketing technology trends as a newcomer to the industry is expensive and time-consuming.

Instead, focus on dominating your fundamental communication skills.

Next, you can separate yourself from the competition by specializing and socializing.

Create content for other industry blogs or use publications on Medium to give your name authority.

Portfolio pieces are a killer way to make your resume shine, even if they’re unpaid gigs.

Volunteer your marketing skills with a nonprofit to polish your sample pieces. Plus you’ll make a difference in the world and your career.

Networking is still a vital part of landing a job. More new hires come through employee referrals than through job boards.

Building an online network can be tricky. One way to expand your network rapidly is to look to the offline world and attend industry conventions.

Candidates with data skills are some of the most in-demand hires in any industry, marketing including. Build your analytics skills on your own time to elevate your career potential.

Branding doesn’t stop at written content. Having a distinct and consistent visual identity is key.

Even if you don’t have designers on tap, you can find great (and cheap) freelancers through platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and 99 Designs.

Establishing a color palette keeps your branding consistent no matter who is behind the design wheel.

Adobe Color CC is a fast, easy, and free way to set up a color palette that the vast majority of creative professionals can use later.

A marketing career can be challenging to start, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Follow these six strategies to give your career a boost and stay at the top of the trendline.

What strategies have you used to separate your skills from the marketing pack?

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