How not to become a marketing dinosaur

For many experienced marketers, it’s a scary time to work in this field. New digital marketing channels are emerging every day. It can seem impossible to keep up. A lot of former colleagues who are my age and older (40+) tell me they’re afraid of becoming an unemployable dinosaur. On one hand, I want to pat them on the back tell them it will all be okay. On the other hand, I want to give them a swift kick in the you-know-what. Honestly, you can’t expect your employer to help you learn new skills. As the saying goes, “Ain’t nobody got time for that!” YOU are responsible for learning about internet marketing and making sure you don’t become a dinosaur. Here’s some advice from others who have been in your shoes (including me):

1. Ask questions

When you enter the world of digital marketing, you’ll hear a lot of terms you don’t understand. Don’t let the language (or the people using it) intimidate you. The rules are constantly changing and we’re all figuring it out together, so no one knows everything. If you want to ask questions without sounding like a newbie, try something like this:

• “I want to make sure we’re all on the same page. How do you define [digital marketing thing]?”
• “What role does [digital marketing thing] play in our overall strategy?”
• “I’m really curious about how [digital marketing thing] is evolving. Which websites do you use to stay up to date on it?”

Still afraid to speak up? Discretely write down terms and concepts you don’t understand, and then look them up later.

2. Focus on the why of digital marketing, not the how and when

For a lot of people, the introduction to digital marketing is trial by fire – for example, figuring out a new email program in time to send a trade show message ASAP. You spend a lot of time on implementation (How do I import a mailing list? How do I handle opt-out requests?) and little or no time on strategy. As a result, everything is fragmented – and fragmented, one-off tactics don’t deliver results.

Knowing how to implement a tactic is a great first step. But it’s only a step. To be adept at digital marketing, you need to make sure those tactics make sense strategically. Don’t send an email just because you can. Know where it fits into the big picture. 

3. Just jump in

Don’t wait for the right opportunity to learn about search engine optimization (SEO) or social media or paid advertising. Pick a tactic and get smart about it – even if you don’t need that knowledge for your current job. In particular, everyone (especially writers and designers) should know SEO. It’s at the core of pretty much everything in digital marketing.

You don’t need an expensive class or book. You can find a ton of resources for free. For example, OSD’s free e-book, Essential Guide to Internet Marketing, covers nearly every aspect of digital marketing at a high level. From there, look for videos and online training modules. Two of my favorites, both of which are free:

• Moz webinars (easy-to-understand lessons about SEO): http://moz.com/webinars
• HubSpot academy (lots of great info about content marketing): http://academy.hubspot.com/

4. Create your own opportunities

Sadly, a lot of marketing pros get stuck in a silo – especially in large companies. Don’t let your job description limit you. If your company doesn’t provide opportunities to learn about digital marketing on their time, do it on your time. Volunteer to run the Facebook page for a charity you support. Offer to rewrite the website for your church. Take your newfound knowledge and do something good with it.  

5. Focus on your results, not your role

When you work in digital marketing, EVERYTHING is measured. You can’t just produce something, cross your fingers, and let it go. Get comfortable knowing which metrics are important and where to find them. Make sure you know the numbers for everything you work on. Then make sure your resume shows measurable results – not just your titles and responsibilities.

If you feel like you’re a marketing dinosaur on the verge of extinction, do not give up. Your skills are transferrable to digital marketing. Your knowledge is valuable. Your future is in your hands.

- Paige

Paige Moore is the content director for OSD. In addition to being our chief word nerd, she handles site architecture for websites and strategy for content marketing programs.