The Soapbox: The Skills to Pay the Bills?

November 4th, 2011

Topics: Perspectives, Social


Today’s question:

What are the 2-3 most important skills digital marketers need today? Why?


Leave a comment or tweet @Webtrends

Marko Muellner

About the Author

Senior Director of Marketing

With over 14 years in digital, Marko has managed cross-channel, integrated and multi-touch marketing strategy and creative development for MillerCoors Brewing, adidas America, Webtrends, Rent.com, Razorfish, Magnet Interactive, Digital Evolution and others. As the Sr. Director of Marketing he manages the Webtrends Marketing Studio and leads all marketing strategy, execution, measurement and optimization. Marko is passionate about iterative and insight-driven marketing and about the alchemy of remarkable digital marketing.

  • http://www.MarcusInteractive.com Brad Marcus

    Good points, Marko. Especially about becoming obsessed with improving our contribution to the business. I think one other point to always keep in mind is to stay humble. If I had a dime for every overly arrogant digital marketer that turned off both the client and the potential customer with “greater than thou” attitude or an over-use of sarcasm, I wouldn’t have to work. Digital marketing is soft sell. It’s not about bludgeoning the consumer to buy, it’s giving them the information and the gentle nudge to make their own decision.

  • http://www.xverify.com Krista

    Brad – I agree with your comment. I think that understanding the users wants and needs will help engage them better.

    • Marko Z Muellner

      All,
      Thanks for the comments. I agree with all of you. : )
      Here are a few more,
      1. Tenacity – Many marketers tend to be creative types, we tend to enjoy the world of influence and nuance. In digital we come face-to-face with our direct response peers and their focus on iteration, measurement and performance. Launching a few campaigns a year and hoping they do well doesn’t work so well in digital. We need to become obsessed with continually improving our contribution to the business.
      2. Insightful – I echo Brad and Krista’s senitment but take it to the next level. Being truly insight-driven, really understanding our customers and prospects and influencing them takes skill, discipline and a marketing culture of learning and measurement. “Actionable insights” are all around us but we need to know how to uncover them and then the real trick is in applying them. That’s where real marketing magic happens.
      3. Facilitation – In digital marketing we work with a wide range of different people, many with diverse skills themselves. We work with business people, with creative people, with technical people, etc. and they must all work together to create great things. While we’re often herding cats : ), we must develop our skills in team building, collaboration, facilitation, motivation and ultimately, alchemy. We need to become wizards.

      Thanks again everyone.

  • http://www.MarcusInteractive.com Brad Marcus

    Digital marketers should be able to look at the lanscape from the users’ perspective and be able to leverage technology to drive traffic towards the end goal.

  • http://www.keymultimedia.co.uk James Hart

    Most reasonably intelligent people can apply themselves to acquire the right skills for the job. Marketing is no different.

    However, the skills of Judgement can be more difficult to hone.

    It takes skill and judgement in understanding your businesss/sector/ target audience and apply the correct elements of the marketing mix to them. Social media does not work across all business sectors. It does not work across all business sizes. Don’t blindly followo the herd hoping that a me-too philophy will work.