Gone are the days of madmen-style marketing. In today’s fast-paced and digitally-focused world, modern marketers have their work cut out for them. But what exactly does it take for an individual or team to be an effective modern marketer?
It’s not just about having the latest tech tools or putting out a steady stream of content. Rather, it requires a combination of characteristics, values, and skills that equip them to navigate this ever-changing digital landscape.
In this article, we’ll walk you through all the qualities needed by a modern marketer – from being an analytical thinker to having resiliency when it comes to tough tasks.
If you want the know-how on becoming a successful marketer in our digital age—read on.
A Modern Marketer Should Excel in 3 Things
Modern marketing is an ever-evolving industry, requiring modern marketers to be multitaskers of the highest caliber.
With more and more customers wanting high-quality, modern services and modern products, the modern marketer must display creativity, analytics, and technological prowess without compromising on any one facet – they all require equal attention!
Creativity triggers innovative ideas and strategies while analytics allow marketers to evaluate past performance and use that knowledge to inform their present and future decisions.
Last but not least, modern marketers must have a firm grasp of technology to stay on top of trends, platforms, and campaigns that keep their brand relevant using digital tools and software.
That’s why marketers should never compromise on any one essential skill – cognitive creativity, analytical acumen, and technical aptitude are all required for success in today’s market.
The Characteristics of a Modern Marketer
As marketing in the 21st century continues to evolve, so do the requirements of a successful modern marketer.
Running a few ads and calling it a day doesn’t cut it anymore – now, this dynamic industry requires an array of characteristics that a marketer needs to possess.
To excel in the modern era of marketing, you must have the characteristics that are essential for every marketer to possess.
1. Tech-savvy
In the digital age, marketers can no longer get away with managing their campaigns purely on instinct – tech savviness has become an indispensable skill for any marketer aiming to skyrocket business impact.
With the aid of online tools, they can gain access to an array of insights that enable them to create strategies tailored to their target customers – from audience targeting strategies on social platforms to tracking website metrics with Google Analytics.
2. Adaptable and versatile
As marketing is continuously evolving, marketers must possess the ability to adapt and be versatile with their marketing strategy to stay ahead of the competition.
Being able to always think ahead and consider other marketing channels can provide a unique edge and an innovative approach.
For example, while marketing traditionally began with newspaper adverts, these days many marketers understand that they have to also harness platforms such as social media marketing, email marketing, and web development if they want to efficiently reach their target audiences.
Aside from the characteristics we’ve covered, modern marketers also benefit by being natural networkers in their field. Even in the digital age, being a natural networker is a timeless trait to possess in marketing as it helps build links with industry experts.
3. Observant
As a modern marketer, success lies in customer focus. In order to truly understand customer needs and preferences, being observant is key to becoming a customer-centric marketer.
Paying attention to customer reviews and feedback, understanding popular trends and industries, and proactively watching competitor behavior are all essential components of the customer-focused marketing approach.
4. Natural leaders and collaborators
As a modern marketer, you have to be part strategist, part manager, and part leader—especially if you’re manning a marketing team.
This is because business outcomes are achieved when marketing leaders take ownership and collaboration is integral for successful execution.
Leaders focus on the business goals set by their marketing team to make smarter decisions, while collaboration helps align strategy with execution by breaking down project silos and focusing on the end goal.
5. Great planners
It’s not news that in today’s competitive business environment, marketers must drive growth and be strategic planners to succeed. Modern marketer needs to be great planner if they want to stay ahead of the competition.
A good plan will keep marketers focused, and organized and make sure their ideas are amplified and drive results with an achievable strategy.
Taking the time to create a well-thought-out roadmap with goals and objectives is essential for any modern marketer who wants to make an impact.
What Skills Does a Modern Marketer Need to Possess?
Modern marketers need the right character, and we went over those above.
But in order to be effective—or should we say—potent in their jobs, marketers need to have an important set of marketing skills that will equip them for success in the digital age of marketing.
In addition to having the right characteristics, here are the key skills that marketers must have.
Research
In marketing today, customer experience is everything. Hence, the best marketers make use of every data they can and why the most successful marketing campaigns are backed by extensive research and insights into target audiences and customer insights.
It’s not just about throwing money at a marketing campaign, it’s about knowing how to use that money to its full potential through research-backed marketing tactics.
Copywriting
Crafting great copy is essential to content marketing success, as it is the content that grabs the audience’s attention and compels them to take action on many digital fronts.
For modern marketers, understanding how to write content that stands out from the crowd is critical for staying ahead of the competition.
74% of internet users pay attention to a website’s grammar and spelling, and 59% avoid working with company sites that have grammatical errors. (RealBusiness)
Design
Creativity is a must asset for marketers, but in the digital age, design is particularly essential. Designing websites and creating eye-catching visuals is what capture people’s attention in today’s world of content.
Engaging images and intuitive user interfaces are must-haves too; after all, if customers don’t want to explore your page or engage with your product, then there’s no point in creating it in the first place.
Digital advertising
With so many aspects of the customer experience based online, to be successful marketers in the digital age, it is essential to be well-versed in the world of digital advertising regardless of industry or product type.
Clearly, advertising is a critical marketing process. From social media to email campaigns, understanding how different platforms ‘talk’ to customers and properly leveraging their capabilities will be key for marketers who want to reach their target audience effectively.
Social media management
Social media management is a crucial skill for modern marketers, as it helps them to establish and maintain a presence on every media channel.
It also enables brands to craft their message in a customer-centric, appealing, and authentic way, allowing them to engage followers and create relationships between them and their audience.
For 73% of marketers, social media marketing has been “somewhat” and “very effective” for their business. (Buffer, 2019)
Analytics
If marketers want to stay ahead of the competition, they must know how to use different software for analytics.
As one of the most sought marketing skills, analytics involves collecting and analyzing a large volume of data points using digital tools, which help inform smart decision-making when developing effective marketing strategies.
With analytics, marketers are able to decide which actions are performing best in terms of user growth, revenue generation, and overall brand awareness.
Without analytics, it’s nearly impossible for marketers to truly understand their target audience and how to best reach them.
SEO
Navigating today’s digital world and keeping up with ever-changing search engine trends can be exhausting for marketers.
But it’s worth making an effort because marketers must be tech-savvy and skilled at SEO in order to create content—in an ocean of content—that stands out among the competition.
By understanding how search engines work, marketers can create content that not only resonates with their target demographic but is also easily discoverable when potential customers type relevant keywords into a search bar.
Did you know that SEO can drive 1000% more web traffic compared to organic social media? (BrightEdge)
Project management
For marketing activities to run optimally, marketing experts of today need to be proficient with technology. Companies and organizations are increasingly leveraging technological solutions to scale their marketing operations.
Utilizing marketing software and services, along with expertise and experience, allows marketing professionals to influence customer decisions and drive desired results like never before.
Budgeting
Money makes the world go ’round—and it definitely fuels modern marketing strategies.
A successful marketer understands that budgeting is essential for proper money management, ensuring that funds aren’t wasted and every marketing spend is a sound one.
Without budgeting, those investment dollars are simply gone; a smart marketer will have an idea of where their money should go in order to get the biggest bang for their buck.
The Core Values of a Modern Marketer
A modern marketer should possess core values that respect modern media and societal norms.
Working in modern marketing requires an understanding of the ever-changing digital media landscape, as well as an appreciation for social responsibility.
Below are the core values that a modern marketer should possess above everything else.
Empathy
The modern marketing landscape demands more than just a catchy slogan and intuitive design. When it comes to customer acquisition, empathy is the essential core value that can make all the difference.
Empathy allows brands to look beyond the present moment and really understand what’s motivating their audience.
It goes beyond incorporating customer feedback from surveys, understanding market trends, and tastes, and involves honestly caring about each customer’s needs in order to be truly customer-centric.
By recognizing this vital factor in modern marketing, brands have the opportunity to build loyal relationships with their customers and stand out from the crowd in a meaningful way.
Honesty and transparency
Today, these two values impact business outcomes significantly. Consumers are now more informed than ever, so they expect businesses to be upfront with them – they need to know exactly what they’re getting, or why they should even buy the product in the first place.
Any attempts at being shady or untruthful will quickly be sniffed out, leading to a loss of trust and an erosion of your reputation as a trustworthy business.
It’s therefore imperative that marketers make integrity a top priority in order to keep customers engaged.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” – Howard Shultz
Commitment
Being a modern marketer requires dedication, an open mind, and a commitment to finding the best strategies for connecting with consumers.
Navigating the ever-changing digital marketing landscape can be daunting, to say the least – but with commitment, marketers can confidently wade through the waves.
Continuing to gain innovative insights into modern marketing allows us to tailor our approaches to help our businesses reach their goals in creative ways we could have never dreamed of before.
At the end of the day, marketers should take pride in their commitment; it certainly pays off!
Altruism
Companies are now introducing values-based marketing to impact business outcomes.
This marketing focuses on giving back to the community which can be seen through campaigns such as eliminating single-use plastic or campaigns that support diversity and equality.
This type of marketing emphasizes a company’s core drives; it establishes its purpose beyond profit.
By embracing altruism, marketers can build campaigns from the heart and show consumers they’re not just a store – they are a part of something larger than themselves.
FAQs
Modern marketing is a topic that’s still unfolding today. As we discover more about it and what it takes for a marketer to succeed in the modern world of marketing, we touch on the most common questions that people have about the modern kind of marketer.
In Summary
Consider these as marketing metrics—modern marketers must possess a wide range of characteristics, skills, and values in order to succeed in today’s market.
Above all, it’s essential that marketers embrace empathy, transparency, commitment, and altruism in their campaigns if they want to win modern consumers.
By keeping these core values in mind, marketers can create campaigns that truly connect with customers and make a lasting impact.
The modern marketing landscape is ever-shifting, but with the right values, any modern marketer can navigate it with confidence.
Brian Shelton is an entrepreneur, marketer, and life-long learner committed to helping businesses achieve impactful results. He founded Grow Predictably to provide tailored marketing strategies to generate predictable, profitable growth. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Brian has helped businesses, large and small. reach their goals and drive positive change in the world.