As we recently posted, it is imperative for everyone looking to get a job or advance in a current one to acquire and promote the skills you will most need to succeed in the career marketplace.
The future for marketing professionals will require a somewhat different set of skills than in the past and present. With this in mind, consider these observations from Bob Boehnlein, writing for Business 2 Community:
“Traditionally, marketers have had foundations in language, communications, and/or business. What talents will new hires need to bring to the table? Without question, there’s a need for exceptional abilities in mathematics, statistics, predictive modeling, IT . . . But, in a broader sense, this new generation of marketers also must be able to:
- “Analyze data. Analysis and reporting are two different skills. It’s not enough for marketers to prepare year-end summaries or add up columns on a spreadsheet. Effective marketing now requires data analysis, the interpretation of inputs to generate actionable insights.”
- “Collaborate. Marketers can no longer squirrel themselves away in their own department. Cross-disciplinary communication and cooperation are key, and marketing teams need people who can bridge gaps throughout the enterprise.”
- “Think for the business. Analyzing data is essential, but analysis must be framed in the context of the business. Insights are only valuable if they drive revenue and top-line growth.”
- “Roll up their sleeves. New hires must hit the ground running in a new marketing landscape. They need to question any remnants of old-school thinking and work to better define processes, consolidate practices, and improve performance.”
- “Take a customer-centric approach. Marketers must elevate the customer experience so it’s compelling, personalized, and consistent across all touchpoints. Data collection, automated analysis, and targeted distribution will play even larger roles as customer insight and real-time analytics become increasingly important for competitive advantage.”
Click the image to read more from Bob Boehnlein.
Photo by stock.xchng
Post suggested by KCJ