Are you new to Marketing? Or are you considering starting a career in communications? That’s awesome! Starting/changing careers can be extremely satisfying, and nerve-wracking, all at the same time.
I always had a feeling that I would be a good marketer; however, making the jump from vertical market specific work (English Teacher, Technology Sales, Project Management, etc.) over to content creation/marketing coordination can be intimidating for a ton of reasons.
Here’s some insight to the most common feelings I have about being a new(ish) marketer:
How Do I Know I’ll Be a Good Marketer?
The truth is that you won’t… even when you consistently build successful campaigns, you’re still going to feel a twinge of doubt each time you hit send for an email that is going to thousands of prospects (no pressure or anything). No matter how much you read, study, practice, etc. “Communications” is a very touchy-feely field. There is a lot of assumptive work done in Marketing.
We take a chance assuming:
- What people want/need
- How they are researching products/services
- The ways they prefer to learn
- When they are ready to invest
- Whether they even want to hear from us in the first place …
This is why analytics, and understanding trends of what is historically working/failing for you is going to be paramount in growing your practice as a content creator. Yes, we are all most likely building content with our clients (and supervisors) in mind, but it is important to take all the possible opportunities you can to learn how these work lessons translate to our own professional growth.
But… I LOVE My Own Writing…
You’re going to feel like you’re taking crazy pills the first time you submit a “perfect piece of writing” that you reviewed (and edited time and time again) and it is turned down. There is a major transition from handing in a college essay/long-winded personal email/manifesto to writing for a spectrum of audiences who are all in varying stages of the buyer’s cycle.
Still write with your own personal flare, but it will behoove you to take notes on critiques that you are getting from your supervisor, and especially from the campaigns that are not lighting the world on fire (without taking it personal). Learning from your mistakes is the best thing you can do in the beginning of a content creation position, and there are inevitably going to be SO many mistakes.
How Can I Improve?
The first year of my work as a marketer consisted of a ton of free online professional development, and networking with other marketing professionals. Your company will provide you with on-boarding materials, but I encourage you to search the internet for free blogs that focus on the areas that you’re trying to improve. There are hundreds of people who are dying to share lessons learned, golden nuggets, and tips/tricks.
I hope you will return to this blog as we grow in the marketing field together. In the meantime, here are some of the best blogs that I read:
If you’re interested in learning more about a specific topic, then take two seconds to submit your choice of content below:
nichelle brooke 