In my enthusiasm to contemplate my next move (I love planning in advance :)) I have been evaluating various sales and marketing job roles at my work place and as expected one of the jobs that surfaced on my wish list was back in a direct marketing job but with a focus on Digital Marketing. But as I considered my pitch to reach out to the right people in the organization I realized that there are tons of people lining up for the same. With the buzz and excitement around digital and social media, it’s no surprise that a Digital role in any organization is a much pursued job. So I realized that I needed to do some introspection and ask myself some tough questions before I make a worthy differentiated pitch that makes the cut. Here’s what I have been thinking lately
I shouldn’t be a part of ‘Pat the rabbit syndrome’
‘Pat the rabbit’ an interesting phrase that I heard a colleague use to describe the entire buzz around digital and social media. It’s like anyone with a social media account and a functioning blog thinks that he or she understands this new medium well and can come up with a successful digital campaign. It’s very obvious that this requires a higher set of expertise that not just the ability to use the medium well. No one should ever pursue something just because they think that’s the future or prospects are good. So I should not follow the crowd and explore if my skill sets and experience match what is needed to be good at Digital.
Alliances with Digital Media houses and how they work is important
It’s extremely important that an individual understands how the big Digital Media/ Internet organizations like Google, Facebook, MSN, Twitter, LinkedIn, BBC, CNN, CBS, TechCrunch, Mashable functions. And having alliance experience with these organizations is a big plus to a digital job.
Metrics is the key
This is where most marketers fail especially in digital. To be really effective you need to well versed with
- terminology and measurement points in digital
- how to identify online influencer’s and leverage them for amplification of your message
- how to tabulate and measure true reach and viral potential of any creative or message.
- understanding third party tools that specialize in tracking and measurement.
Ultimately a good understanding of metrics leads to good decisions on media mix decisions for online. That’s how you know how much money you need to spend on banners, video, social media etc.
Knowing how media purchase decisions work
This would be more relevant at the agency side but it’s handy to know this. There is usually a detailed process and analysis that goes in while buying of online media that is heavily related to metrics as well.
Shouldn’t every Marketer be also good at Digital?
Most organizations worth their salt in marketing have come to realize that ‘Digital’ logically has to be an additional pillar to their existing campaigns. Currently many companies have traditional marketers (for a lack of better word) handing off to Digital experts when it comes to digital implementation of an existing campaign. But going forward I believe that understanding of Digital will be a mandatory expertise demanded of any marketing manager recruited in the marketing division. So if you are in an existing traditional marketing function by sheer necessity you will pick up digital as more and more campaigns go online.
Well how do I rate against these skill sets is something that time will tell :). But I do surely understand that behind the glitz and buzz around digital are hardworking experts that understand the medium, have a good understanding of metrics and have a burning passion for anything digital. And i am striving to get there soon 🙂
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