My advice to a young marketer
Last year I got an email from a student named David who was looking for advice on getting a marketing job at a startup. He sent me a list of questions, I typed a reply, and just as I was about to hit Send, I realized that maybe others could also benefit from my advice. So I tweeted a screenshot of the email reply.
As of today, that screenshot has been seen by tens of thousands of people, republished on several blogs, and even translated into Japanese. And David? He’s had two contract marketing jobs and is looking for a new role that will help him keep learning and stretching his skills (his words).
Here’s a copy of the email that struck a chord with so many:
Can you take me through the marketing tools you use? And how do you use these tools?
Data: Google Analytics, Google Keyword Tool Suggestion Tool, Excel, our internal reporting system
Learning: Twitter (from others), Optimizely (from myself)
My focus on Internet Marketing is by looking at numbers, and trying out a lot of stuff. Read: http://www.bvp.com/blog/bessemer-cloud-computing-law-7-online-salesmarketing-core-competency
What are some critical decisions you made early in your marketing career? Why was it critical?
Never ever focus on your career. Focus on marking the company you work for better. Read/watch: http://www.businessinsider.com/sheryl-sandbergs-full-hbs-speech-get-on-a-rocketship-whenever-you-get-the-chance-2012-5
If you want to be a great marketer, focus on becoming a T-shaped marketer. Learn a bit of development, a bit of design, a bit of support, etc. Start your own business, if only to gain a better understanding of how all the dots connect together.
What would you suggest to gain marketing experience (e.g. landing page, a/b testing, email marketing) as quickly as possible while looking for a job?
Start your own business. I did this in 1998 and taught myself SEO and AdWords. The costs are basically zero ($14 with Shopify), and then focus on making money. Throw as much spaghetti against the wall. See what sticks, then focus on that. Learn how to to make money for yourself. Then when you have trouble scaling that, join a company in that role and learn how that company scales. Eventually re-start your own business once you know how to scale.
What would be the top 3 advice for me to enter into the technology startup space in marketing? Please explain if necessary.
Learn how to code. It’s a great way to organize your brain, and being able to speak to a developer in their own language will pay off in spades.
Run your own business. If you can’t figure out how to make money yourself, why should any company expect that when they hire you that you will be able to make them any money?
Learn things on your own. The best way to be amazing at something is to try things and fail millions of times. There’s really no instruction manual for any of this anymore. Lean to love trying things and ignore ‘expert’ advice (probably my best advice).
Do you know of any small technology companies looking to hire a marketer?
Everyone is looking for marketers. But they are looking for someone to come in and be a needle mover. Learn to be a needle mover and you won’t need to look for a job.
Do you know any great marketers I should get in touch with?
99% of the people you speak to will give you bad advice. This too could be terrible advice as I don’t know you at all. But if you were a young me, this is what I would advise you.
Look forward to reading your thoughts. :)
Hope this helps.
