Marketing is a dynamic discipline that requires a diverse set of skills to be successful. The specific skills needed may vary depending on industries, companies and Marketing roles. However, there are several skills that are essential when first getting into Marketing and pursuing a career in that field.
Those skills can be categorised into 3 buckets:
Technical skills
Think about those skills as functional knowledge and ‘know-how’.
1. Financial literacy
As a Marketer you are here to create value for an organisation as well as for its consumers.
When we talk about value for an organisation, we are talking business results.
Business results are captured in the form of P&L’s (Profit & Loss), which Marketers need to understand, use and be able to confidently talk about in their day to day job (no matter what Marketing role you are in).
As you start your career in Marketing, it is important for you to know how to read a Profit & Loss (P&L) report.
This will help you understand the overall performance of the company you work for as well as the performance of the brands you are responsible for.
Ask your line manager, your Finance team or review your company annual reports to help you build your financial literacy.
2. Marketing 4 P’s
The overall Marketing strategy of a brand is articulated around 4 P’s, also called Marketing Mix.
The 4 P’s stand for Product, Price, Place and Promotion, and each element plays a crucial role when selling products or services to meet the needs of a specific consumer target.
The Marketing Mix is widely considered as one of the most fundamental frameworks in the Marketing discipline.
It is one of the Marketing basics you need to master early and throughout your career.
Spend some time learning about the Marketing Mix to understand how the 4 P’s help businesses make strategic decisions in order to effectively meet the needs of their target market.
3. Digital Marketing
With the explosion of Social Media channels, e-commerce and online technology overall, Digital Marketing has become (rightly or wrongly) the ‘hot’ part of Marketing.
You will see many companies and agencies recruiting for Digital Marketing experts so make sure you educate yourself on this topic and keep up to date with Technology trends & innovations and Digital Analytics.
Now, remember that Marketing as a discipline is MUCH MORE than Digital Marketing.
However, with consumers shifting their shopping behaviours in an increasingly digitalised world, you need to build some technical knowledge of Digital Marketing, understand the different facets and how this specialised discipline contributes within the overall Marketing Mix of a brand.
4. Data analysis
To make informed decisions and recommendations in your Marketing role, you will need to understand and interpret multiple types of data (i.e. financial results, market performance, consumer insights, brand health measures, Digital Marketing metrics, campaigns results etc…)
A lot of people think Marketing is mainly about creativity (which partly is) but, you will also do a lot of data analysis to build Marketing strategies and plans to help your organisation deliver its business targets.
As a starting point, learn how to conduct a market analysis. This will teach you how to approach data analysis with structure and rigour, get you familiar with different data sources and encourage you to connect the dots to make informed decisions.
Data analysis is an on-going technical skill to learn as more data becomes available to us through technology advancements, so make a start now.
5. Project leadership
No matter the role and level of seniority you will operate at during your Marketing career, you will have projects to lead, varying in topics and scale.
So, learn early how to effectively lead projects in a business environment, from setting objectives, timelines, budgets, resources, Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) to measuring project results and managing stakeholders along the way.
If you are a new Project Manager, get tips from experienced Project Managers inside or outside your organisation.
Also reach out to your line manager to get coaching on how to best manage projects and lead a project team.
6. Presentation skills
As a Marketer, you will create and deliver A LOT of internal and external presentations during your career.
So best to invest some time in building this technical skill, as writing and delivering great presentations is a real skill.
- Get training in presentation tools such Microsoft Powerpoint, Canva or Google Slides.
- Learn how to write concise presentations instead of producing long decks with too many slides.
- Work on your Storytelling. Crafting a compelling narrative to engage and resonate with your target audience is not only essential for external brand communication but also for internal Marketing presentations. Learn how to turn your Powerpoint presentations in a story with clear takeaways, compelling insights and an engaging narrative.
Inter-personal skills
Think about those skills as your personal style – how you approach and do things and as a result how you impact and influence others.
1. Creativity
Depending on the specific role within the Marketing field, the emphasis on creativity may vary, but having a creative mindset can undoubtedly contribute to success in the industry.
Designing Marketing campaigns that stand out and resonate with the target audience requires creative thinking.
This involves coming up with innovative ideas, unique angles, and attention-grabbing messages to differentiate brands offering in the marketplace.
Creative thinking is essential when developing Marketing strategies. This includes identifying new and innovative channels, approaches, and tactics to reach and connect with the target audience.
But creativity also applies to problem-solving. Marketing professionals often encounter challenges and obstacles, whether it is a campaign under-performing, new competition or changing market dynamics. Creative problem-solving skills can help Marketers find unique and effective solutions to day to day challenges.
Contrary to common belief, creativity is not just an inborn trait. It can be developed and enhanced through practice and effort. Like any skill, creativity benefits from regular exercise and a willingness to explore new ideas.
No matter how creative you are, keep building that skill and your ability to think creatively.
2. Curiosity
A Marketer should be continuously curious – externally and internally.
You are the voice of the consumer, or at least your specific consumer target, so you need to understand what is happening in their world.
Be aware of the macro trends that could create shifts in consumer motivations and behaviours, know what is happening in your industry, track competitors’ response to a changing trading environment. It is your job to ‘bring the outside in’ to make sure that your organisation is not losing touch with reality.
As an employee, stay informed about your organisation’s business targets, strategic priorities, key issues as well as the challenges that different functions are facing. As you progress into more senior Marketing roles, you will have to be the voice of your organisation, as well as the voice of the consumer.
3. Communication
Learn how to convey ideas and messages effectively internally and externally – from writing compelling copy for various Marketing materials to sending emails, running meetings and delivering presentations to large audiences.
As you grow your communication skills, also work on your influencing skills.
From selling a new product innovation idea internally, securing more budget for your Marketing campaigns to selling your annual brand plan to Commercial teams, you will have to influence different types of people, all the time.
Communication is a highly rated interpersonal skill for many employers, starting at the interview stage.
As Marketers have to engage and influence many stakeholders inside and outside the organisation, you need to have strong communications skills.
A good place to start honing your communication skills is to understand the 4 Personality Types that you will work alongside in any organisation and how to influence each of them.
4. Collaboration
Also, very highly rated in interviews and in your day to day job, is your ability to work effectively with others.
As you will be dealing with many internal and external stakeholders to get things done, you need to be a strong team player who can build effective and lasting work relationships.
Many Marketing projects will involve cross functional teamwork so the ability to collaborate effectively with people from different departments (meaning often different perspectives and skill sets) is essential.
Collaboration is often a core value for many companies so be ready at interview stage with examples demonstrating your ability to work in a team and with many teams.
5. Adaptability
This is one inter-personal skill less talked about but very important.
As a Marketer, be ready to work with constant change around you. From market conditions, consumer behaviours, new internal processes, team changes, new agency partners etc…
You need to be flexible and quick to react if your Marketing campaigns are not delivering against their performance metrics or if your Marketing budget gets cut because your organisation is behind its business targets.
You will have to deal with uncertainty and ambiguity and often you will have to push on with your Marketing plans without having all the information you need (i.e. market information, consumer insights, confirmed Marketing budgets etc…). Sounds familiar, anyone?
So, get ready for the unexpected curve balls and train your mind to deal with change, uncertainty and ambiguity in positive ways.
Leadership skills
As you start your Marketing career, you may think you don’t need leadership skills yet. However, leadership skills can take years to build so the earlier you start, the better.
Not only you will master those skills ahead of your peers but it can also help you stand out in a competitive marketplace when interviewing for Marketing roles.
Amongst the key Leadership skills to build over time, start focusing on the following:
1. Be Visionary
A visionary leader is someone who can see the broader picture and connect the dots. They anticipate future trends and challenges and in response develop long term strategies and plans to lead their organisation towards success.
A visionary leader also inspires and motivates their teams by communicating a compelling and inspiring Vision for the future. They convey ideas in a way that resonates with others and instils a sense of Purpose.
The notion of Purpose (knowing WHY you exist) is an important and interesting topic as it applies to organisations, brands as well as us, people.
If you want to develop your strategic leadership skills, start with articulating a Vision or Purpose that translates into quantified goals, which in turn drive strategic decisions in the short and longer term. Try this exercise at either a brand, team or organisation level.
So, even if you are just starting in Marketing, what long term Vision, Purpose or point of view could you bring to an industry, an organisation, a brand or a team?
To find out more about the topic of Purpose, watch Simon Sinek’s video: Start with why – how great leaders inspire action.
2. Be Courageous
Courage comes in different shapes and sizes.
From challenging the status quo of your brand / team / organisation to making difficult decisions or standing for your point of view, courage is an essential Leadership skill for you to build early.
As a Marketer you will operate in a world of constant change and no doubt you will face some challenging times as a team member or a team leader.
With trading environments getting more complex and pressurised, companies will increasingly look for decisive individuals who face challenges head on, are resilient and not afraid of taking calculated risks to drive the long-term success of their organisation.
As you prepare for interviews, think of examples when you demonstrated courage, asking yourself the following questions:
o When did you confront problems directly and tackled tough issues instead of avoiding them?
o What difficult decisions have you made recently and how did you go about it?
o When did you last step out of your comfort zone?
3. Be a Champion
As you progress through your Marketing career and get into senior leadership roles, you will be responsible for building brands, teams, processes and company culture to drive your organisation forward and deliver short- and long-term business goals.
Being a Champion of your role helps you lead by example, drive change and inspire others in your organisation to deliver results.
It is more a mindset than a skill. It takes personal drive, often fuelled by personal values.
Take a moment to reflect.
o Who do you know around you with a Champion mindset and what can you learn from them?
o What do you want to Champion and why?
o When, where and how can you start?
In summary…
As you can see many different skills are needed when working in Marketing. But don’t worry.
You can build those essential skills through self-learning, training courses and practical experience.
Start with free online resources to educate yourself on Technical, Inter-personal and Leadership skills in your own time.
Remember that skills are built over time and that our professional growth is a continuous journey.
Capture what you learn as you go and enjoy the ride.