5 Things I’ve Learned in Marketing
Now a few years post-college graduation (which feels like a lifetime ago, by the way), I have learned so, SO much. Hands-on education is unmatched, and while my college experience was informative and worthwhile, nothing can beat the experience you gain on the job doing the work. There have been a few key learnings that I've gained over the years that I wanted to share - as someone who wasn't taught them right away.
Make Your Messaging With Real People In Mind
You might have a solid marketing plan that looks great on your Google Slide (or Powerpoint, sorry Microsoft users), but remember... it's REAL people that interact with your brand. Analytics and keywords are great, but don't forget to speak your audience's language, understand their paint points, and give them a reason to believe in your brand. It's all about authenticity and resonating with your audience, not just broadcasting your message. Remember - nowadays, people can see through unauthentic messaging so easily.
Focus On Your 'Why', Not Your 'What.
In this field, people can often get obsessed with showcasing a product or service - the 'what'. But don't forget the real reason that companies are started - to solve PROBLEMS. A tech company doesn't sell software, they sell a solution. A company creating a program to help farmers track their cattle isn't just making herd tracking easier, they're helping make the farmer's life easier and giving them more time to focus on other tasks. By communicating your 'why', you connect emotionally with your customers, leading to strong brand loyalty.
Copywriting Skills Are Your Friend
Coming from the guy who hasn't taken a writing class since high school, this skill was sorely missing for me as I entered the workforce. The majority of entry-level marketing positions are going to be writing heavy - hell, even mid to senior-level roles are going to have copywriting responsibilities. It's more than just stringing together catchy phrases, though; it's about inspiring action. The right words can touch hearts, spark curiosity, and move mountains. My recommendation - brush up on your writing skills, look at creative writing TikToks, and bookmark www.thesaurus.com.
An additional relevant take; ChatGPT is your friend, but use it as a starting point rather than the ultimate tool. Use it to create a skeleton, and then infuse humanity throughout. In my experience, ChatGPT has yet to master creating "human-sounding" long-form posts. There's this kind of uncanny valley feeling to AI writing that makes it pretty obvious when it's used.
Collaborate With Those Around You
Our work shouldn't exist in a vacuum; it's a team sport! It involves sharing ideas, learning from others, and building something together. In my experience, if you're writing a blog or social media post about something you're not quite an expert in, you're going to take much more time researching it yourself than just going straight to the source of expertise. If you're creating a blog post on the latest design trends, for example, don't spend 2+ hours diving into the depths of the internet - sit down for 30 minutes with the design school-educated graphic designer that sits down the hallway from you. This took me a while to realize, but has saved me a hell of a lot of time in the long run.
Invest Time In Developing (or understanding) Your Brand Voice
Imagine your brand as a person. What would they sound like? Articulating this consistently is your brand voice - it's the tone and style in which your brand communicates, and it should be as unique and identifiable to you as your logo is. Establishing basic guidelines on the front end, especially if you're working on a larger team, will help get everyone on the same page. I'm sure we can all relate to this scenario; another marketing teammate or the founder of your company jumps on your Facebook page and makes a random post that doesn't sound ANYTHING like how you typically write and seems oddly out of place in your feed. With an established brand voice (and maybe a process for approving posts), you can solve this potential issue and save yourself the frustration, all the while being proactive in establishing a consistent tone for all of your messaging.
