What I Would Tell Myself When I Started My Career 

When I first stepped out into the business world in 2011, marketing was a very different landscape than it is today. Technology's rapid changes have drastically changed the way individuals receive information which, in turn, has drastically changed the way marketers interact with their target audiences. There is so much that I know now that I wish I would have known then. There is so much that I wish I knew more about now!

As far as marketing is concerned, I am self-taught. When I started my role at Royal Oil Company as Sales & Marketing Manager in 2011, I was attending college at night. I frankly had no interest in the "traditional college experience" and had preferred to work full-time at a job within my major to gain relevant experience. But here's the thing... I was a business major. Now, due to the size business that Royal Oil Co. was, my responsibilities were that of an "Operations Manager" rather than what my title inferred. While I was primarily responsible for Sales & Marketing, I was also responsible for (or at least heavily involved in) supply chain, finance, purchasing, & some human resources. My business major gave me a lot of knowledge and helped me tremendously in my job at the time, which was my goal. I didn't realize at the time, or really until a year or so after I graduated, that marketing is where my passion lies.

During my entire undergraduate career, I took a total of two marketing classes; Principals of Marketing and Sales Management. (Honestly that's like one and a half marketing classes) I didn't realize at the time, or really until a year or so after I graduated, that marketing is where my passion lies. When you consider the fact that Principals of Marketing is just a high level overview of marketing, it should make sense when I say that almost everything I know about marketing I learned along the way either through research or through failure. *This is where I'm supposed to write about how true I have found the cliche "failure is life's greatest teacher" quote from Socrates, Edison, Ghandi, Yoda, Batman, Oprah, or any other of the other thousand individuals that people attribute the quote to. But I know you've heard it already.*

Even if you have a marketing degree, I can all but guarantee you that it will not fully prepare you for the day-to-day life of a marketing professional. The core marketing courses will prepare you for strategy and thought processes necessary to be a marketer. Internships, mentors, and practical application are what will prepare you for the day-to-day marketing life. I know several outstanding marketers with marketing degrees who will back me up on this. I'd be glad to share them if you want to message me.

All of this is a long-winded way of introducing a few things that I would tell someone starting today in a similar way to how I started out nearly 9 years ago.

Utilize Digital Tools

Utilize as many digital tools as your budget will allow. All of these are fairly standard tools to manage the respective categories, but the utilize them to their fullest extent. Almost all of the programs I mention below have training programs. These training programs don't just go over using the tool itself, but also on their respective marketing categories. Chances are you're using at least some of these tools already. Explore them and learn as much as you possibly can.

  • SEO/SEM - Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Moz, Alexa Internet

  • Email Marketing - ConstantContact

  • Content Creation & Graphic Design - Adobe Creative Cloud (InDesign, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Photoshop)

  • Social Media Marketing - Sendible, Hootsuite

Don't be Afraid to Learn on the Fly

When something comes up that you aren't sure you have the knowledge in, whether it's something like Search Engine Optimization or Adobe Premiere Pro, don't be afraid to learn on the fly. Here are some relatively simple ways to learn nearly anything in marketing;

  • Your Current Digital Programs - Like I said in the last point, the programs you use have training aspects to them; use them.

  • Online Training - Here I'm thinking tools like LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, & Coursera. These are great resources with a variety of training programs for a variety of jobs. But if your budget doesn't allow for those tools, there's always YouTube. If you go the YouTube route, make sure you do your research on recommended videos and always watch multiple videos on the same topic. Different individuals have different ways of operating and communicating. Don't let an unusual method or different style of communication keep you from being successful.

  • Peers - We'll get into asking for help in the next section, but in a slightly different way. Talking to a peer your company or a company you work with and asking "how do you do xyz?" can be very beneficial. It's not weakness to ask for direction or help. Don't let your ego stand in your way.

  • Mentors - Mentors with experience in what ever you are trying to learn is another very helpful resource. They've been doing it a long time and can probably show you multiple ways to do whatever it is that you're trying to do.

No matter how you choose to do it, seize every available moment to learn and expand your marketing abilities. Even if it is something that requires nothing less than perfection, call in a consultant or an agency, but still learn what you need to do so that next time you can have the confidence to do it yourself.

Don't be Afraid to Ask for Help

If you are trying to learn something new and just can't get it down or if you are too busy to do it, it's ok to ask for help. Whether it's video editing, graphic design/content creation, or anything else... help is available. Agencies are always an option, and a good one for some companies, but I personally favor consultants. You don't have to go to a big staffing firm to get a digital consultant. Upwork, LinkedIn, professional referrals, or a number of other services will give you access to some of the best consultants across the country. Don't be afraid to utilize them. You may have to vet them yourself depending on what service you use and prices can be high, but I assure you; there is a consultant out there for your need in your price range.

Be Active and Network

My final piece of advice for marketers is to network. I know you probably heard this in college a lot and you may or may not be into networking. But networking and joining industry associations is so important. As someone who is rather introverted, I completely understand that sometimes networking just sucks (whether you're an introvert or not). But it isn't just about the monthly networking events, lunches with expert panels, and yearly award events; these associations have great training programs both on the local and the national levels.

Join as many marketing associations as your budget will allow and utilize the tools they provide. In addition, there are several marketing associations that are industry specific that can be even more helpful than the industry agnostic associations!

Final Thoughts

Being in a marketing department of one or two isn't easy, but it doesn't have to be dreadful. Utilize the resources you have so that you can expand your knowledge and skill set, and make sure to do your due diligence. Learn about all the resources available to you and do your best to use them. While asking others for help is not an inherent weakness and is in fact extremely necessary at times, don't make it a crutch. Try your best to learn on your own, but be strong enough to realize when you need to ask for help.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about me, my experience, what I've written, or anything else... please feel free to send me a message on LinkedIn.