What are good skills to be a successful Marketing professional?10 points?

[Jeremiah]

Hello, I was interesting in the Marketing area of business, and would love to have a job dealing with something like PR (Public Relations), but that is not the only thing. Besides that I would like to know what are some good characteristics to have for this profession. Thanks in advance 10 points to best answer.

Also what is the daily job task do you have to do? Anything involving math?

[Kent Rollins]

PR Work and Marketing business rely on two seperate skill sets imo. I've worked marketing people's businesses for 18 years and I believe creativity, good knowledge of traditional ad mediums as well as new forms of marketing such as social media is a must. Nothing is a great substitute for experience but I also believe common sense is very important. Being able to put yourself in the consumers shoes, understanding people's mindsets at different times of the day and week can be helpful as well. Most importantly is drive... if you want to be a marketing director somewhere you can just get the schooling but consider getting into media... they even offer advertising sales at many colleges now.

Good luck!

[Terra]

1. Know What's Hot
Marketers are being brought in earlier in the product development process, so it's important to be up-to-date in the latest techniques. Develop a steady schedule to take time away from the job and participate in webinars, workshops, courses and conferences that will help you learn what's new.



2. Understand Software
Know which software programs are used to buttress your own marketing efforts. "For example, I don't do the graphic arts work I need for our marketing efforts, but I can outline a concept I want using desktop design software and give it to the graphic artist professional to develop fully," Flickinger says. "This insight on what the software can do helps in both my communications to the graphic artists and expands my own creativity."



3. Stay Flexible
With constantly changing company objectives and market conditions, you need to learn how to reassess and prioritize your time. "Instead of rigid one-year plans, many of today's marketing leaders operate with a more flexible strategic roadmap," says Scott Brinker, author of the Chief Marketing Technologist blog. Work with other departments to track your progress and pursue new angles.



4. Understand Data From Consumer Feedback
Knowing how to gather feedback is becoming a greater challenge as a consumer's time becomes more valuable. "More and more, consumers are expecting to be listened to," explains Levy. Learning how to seek consumer feedback is a skill that will be even more valuable in the future. Since most consumer needs are formulated through data research, you must be comfortable with doing quantitative analysis.

"Not every marketer needs to be a statistician or a data scientist, but the volume of data available to marketers now, from the web and customer relationship management systems, offers a new way to listen to the voice of the customer," Flickinger says.



5. Focus on Personal Communication
With so much communication through email and social networking, it can be difficult to forge genuine ties with important contacts. "Social media, email, and smart phones have done a great job making us more accessible, but in many ways have crippled us from truly being able to connect," Jonathan Fitzgarrald, director of marketing at Greenberg Glusker, a Los Angeles-based law firm. Be sure to attend in-person meetings, schedule phone calls and make casual small talk a part of your daily routine.



6. Work the Balance
Being capable of balancing modern marketing techniques with classic concepts is a skill that's likely to be in even more demand in the future. "In a slow economy where pressures on marketing to help retain customers and maintain or even grow revenues is high, it is important that the marketer be organized and be able to prioritize actions," says Flickinger.

At the same time, keep up with blogs, professional organizations and track what others in your network are working on. For example, understanding how mobile marketing trends will impact your business is crucial these days, says Lorrie Thomas, a marketing expert and founder of Web Marketing Therapy. "Ninety-eight percent of people have their mobile devices on them at any given time, which means we sleep with them," she says.



7. Know SEO/SEM
While Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing are no longer foreign concepts, they are still an afterthought in some marketing departments. Learn how to utilize them to solve every-day dilemmas. "Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines are very powerful tools for marketing professionals," says Flickinger. "Their ability to collect information on users and their interests is unprecedented."



8. Learn to Use Social Media
While everyone knows about social media, it's still a mystery as to how it can be used to achieve business goals. Using it in your personal life can help you understand its applications in the workplace. "Theory is one thing, but you won't fully learn until you try it out and see for yourself," says Rachel Levy, a social media consultant who uses Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Quora to build her own brand -- thereby learning how it can be used to build business brands.