If I were to name the most important lesson I’ve learned as a marketer, it would be to never stop learning. There’s always something happening in the marketing world. Sometimes, Google drops an update bomb on SEO marketers, and other times, meme marketing steals the show on social media platforms.
In any case, marketers are always on their toes and it’s vital for them to keep adding more skills to their repertoire. However, the dilemma is that while most marketers understand how crucial it is to keep upscaling their skill set, they don’t know where to start.
So, to help my fellow marketers, I’ve shortlisted some of the most effective ways to learn new marketing skills. These are tried and tested ways, and I believe they would help you out a lot.
Let’s get started!
Learn Marketing Tools and Software
The first thing I’ll recommend to enhance your skill set is to learn marketing tools and software. I believe such tools can significantly improve strategy implementation, data analysis, and more to help you become an efficient marketer.
As to how you can learn these tools, there are several ways to do so. But for me, YouTube is always the first choice as there’s plenty of helpful content available about major marketing tools.
In addition, basic versions of these services are free, which I also use to get familiar with them. As for which marketing software to choose, there are plenty, such as:
- HubSpot
- Zoho
- MailChimp
- Hootsuite
- Trello
Having said that, most marketing tools are multi-purpose, so you can use them for a wide range of tasks. However, there’s only one thing I’d recommend you to keep in mind. Since these tools work hand in hand, they are bandwidth-heavy and require stable and high-speed connectivity to work efficiently.
As I’ve faced this issue before, I can safely ensure that they might be of no use on a spotty connection. So, it’s best to run them on a reliable and high-speed connection like Cox Internet (one I’ve been using for so long now) to maximize their benefits.
Follow Top Marketers
Staying up-to-date with ever-changing trends is key to learn and level up your marketing skills. While this piece of advice might not teach you new skills, it will surely help you identify and understand the trendy ones.
This way, you’d have plenty of options to choose from different skills and start working on them.
Now, there are a number of ways to go about it. One option is to subscribe to newsletters from different marketing websites, agencies, etc. But what I find the most entertaining is listening to marketing podcasts.
Several marketers discuss emerging trends, strategies, case studies, and whatnot on their podcasts. Besides entertainment, I believe this method is more efficient as well. Below, I’ll share a few of the best marketing podcasts I follow:
- Online Marketing Made Easy
- Perpetual Traffic
- Marketing Over Coffee
- Marketing School
- The MarTech Podcast
Do Certifications and Courses
Courses and certifications are an effective way to add new marketing skills to your repertoire. From basics to advanced knowledge, marketing courses can help us learn new skills, techniques, and strategies.
Most marketing courses on different e-learning platforms like Khan Academy, Coursera, or Udemy are self-paced. And, most courses are designed by industry professionals with tons of experience.
Having said that, I’ve done tons of paid and free courses. And frankly speaking, I didn’t learn anything new from some paid courses while some free ones taught me a lot. So, I wouldn’t suggest you always go for a paid course as free ones can be equally helpful.
Here, I’d advise you to read the course review before enrolling in it. Explore if previous participants found it helpful or what they learned after course completion. This way, you’ll learn if a course is worth your time or not.
Below are five courses that I’ve found most useful for learning new skills:
- Demand’s Curve Growth Program
- Growth Marketing Essentials
- Google Digital Garage
- Social Media Marketing
- Grow and Convert
Get Hands-on Experience
Learning a new marketing skill is like mathematics. You cannot master it until you practice it. Courses, certifications, podcasts, and more can effectively offer you theoretical knowledge about marketing skills. These factors will help you understand what they are or how they can be useful.
However, if you don’t apply the learned concepts, you may fail to master those skills. And for that reason, I believe it’s incredibly important that whatever you learn, apply it to get hands-on experience.
Now, I get that most marketers may be hesitant to experiment with new skills on their existing clients. Well, fret not because I got a solution.
You can create a mock project like a website, e-commerce store, etc., or find a small or local business and offer your services for free. Market them using new skills, and experiment to find the best marketing strategies that complement the skills.
So, that’s it from my side. But before I wind up, here’s a little suggestion. Learning new skills takes time, and it can be exhausting as well. And, if you ever feel burdened, don’t forget to rest and replenish your energy before starting again.
Mehak Eloraine is dedicated to helping institutes and students grow through smart learning tips.She shares valuable insights on learning & literacy, study skills and work management. She believes in making knowledge accessible and enjoyable for all.