6 Hard Skills Every Marketer Must Have

Being a marketer is one of the most progressive professions to date. But it is also in a constant state of evolution. That being said, marketers are expected to continuously learn and upgrade their skill set to thrive in this particular field. So, today, we are going to talk about 6 hard skills every marketer should possess as a way to keep up with the current landscape.

1. Content Creation

Content creation is a basic skill any marketer must have since almost every SEO opportunity revolves around content. For instance, if you want to boost your ranking and show up on the first page of Google search, you need to create SEO-optimized blogs and other types of content and have them published on your website. 

Even as you start focusing on videos, podcasts, or infographics, content creation is a skill that will remain to be essential in the process. When you run ads and other marketing campaigns, you are also expected to create a copy as a way to attract attention and gather leads. The same goes for when you create social media posts or send emails. 

2. Social Media Marketing 

Everyone knows how to create a social media page and post content. However, very few people are aware of how they can effectively and strategically use social media to spread brand awareness, connect with prospects, and keep current customers happy.

It sounds simple and straightforward but it requires a bit of training. This is a skill that is imperative for all marketers. The reason is that these days most marketing campaigns are done online. 

Yes, you can use your website as a landing page or as a means to call attention to your services and offerings. But at the same time, you need an avenue to connect with people. That’s where social media marketing comes in – not the typical social media activities but the one that involves using best practices and strategies that can bring you high-quality leads. 

3. Microsoft Tools

Marketing is one of the essential aspects of every business. But tracking results can be quite a challenge. This is why it is important to keep a log of all marketing campaigns that you run and implement. 

Hence, marketers need to be proficient in using various data logging and autòmation software via Microsoft. 

Knowing the basics would be a good place to start but if you want to be more efficient and time-effective, it is recommended that you delve deeper into what this software can do.

For instance, Microsoft Word will enable you to simply log down your plans, objectives, and which ones you have recently achieved. But you can take your data logging up a notch by using Microsoft Excel as well. 

Let’s say that you need to track certain stats or numbers related to marketing. Instead of manually computing these numbers, you can automate the process through various excel formulas. 

Each Microsoft software has its specialty. To take advantage of them for extra efficiency in your marketing flow, you could watch videos online or you could fasten the pace of your learning curve through Microsoft Office courses that you can take in a few hours. 

4. Search Engine Optimization 

Most people in the marketing world refer to this as simply as SEO. Mastering SEO means being able to know how search engines work and understanding what strategies and best practices you can implement so that Google and other major search engines will favor your content or website in terms of search rank. 

SEO comprises a huge number of subjects including keyword research, link building, website optimization, and many more. 

Even though SEO has been around for quite some time now, there are still a few people who have expertise in the field. Hence, many brands and companies majorly rely on marketers to help them resolve their SEO concerns. 

In today’s market, every hiring decision in getting either a marketer or a marketing agency can depend on how much you know about SEO. 

Let’s say that you were hoping to get a client as a digital marketer. If there are three other competing candidates and among the four of you, you are the only one who is experienced in terms of SEO, you have the most chance of getting hired. The opposite is true if the three other competing candidates are SEO experts except for you.

5. Video Marketing

Posting blogs will inevitably land you a spot on the first page of Google search. But as far as digital marketing is concerned, there are plenty more aspects that need your attention. 

After you’ve made it to the first page of Google, what do you want to do next? We strongly recommend that you ensure that people can engage and connect with the content that you push out. 

One of the most effective ways to do so would be to repurpose some of your best blogs into the video format. 

Even though many people prefer to absorb information through reading, there is a higher percentage of online users who would rather watch content instead of reading it. 

6. Email Marketing 

We’ve mentioned in this blog post that blogging and content creation is some of the basic building blocks of digital marketing. But to aid in the equal distribution of your content, email marketing is necessary.

Contrary to popular belief, email marketing is not an easy task. Writing email copy and then sending them to a couple of addresses might sound simple enough. But the tricky part here is how you are going to craft an email strategy that will lead to a higher open rate. 

Take note that the purpose of email marketing is to (1) gather leads (2) get people to download a free resource (3) convert people to customers. 

Hence, adequate knowledge about email marketing is required to be successful in implementing this strategy. All marketing campaigns aim to convert people to customers or convince people to take action. That being said, it is a skill that marketers must possess. 

Final Takeaway 

Marketing is a progressing and evolving industry. With that, to remain competitive in the field, it is imperative that you gradually build on skills that you can leverage to help you get more done in your marketing goals.