Marketing is a vital skill for business owners today. From content creation to designing campaigns and working with metrics there are many different elements involved. Being able to market your business can provide a firm foundation for profitability and growth - if you’re not able to do this then opportunities could be missed. These are the 10 marketing skills every business owner needs to have.
- An understanding of your customers. Pain points and buying behaviours are essential knowledge when it comes to understanding what your customers want in terms of product and experience. Segmenting your customer base is a quick way to get some clear insight and target your efforts more effectively.
- Problem solving. If your campaign isn’t going well, being able to identify the problem and come up with some alternative solutions is a very valuable skill to have. What works and what doesn’t and where could you adjust focus and try something different?
- Effective social media. Choosing the right channels, using the right content and maintaining your brand tone and engagement are all key to effective social media management. Given that platforms like Instagram are often where customers go first to check out brands - or where you can achieve key visibility - this is a useful skill to have.
- Writing. Being able to write clearly and effectively means you’ll be able to engage your customers in your brand story and ensure that they understand what your business and products have to offer. The simplest way to get good at writing is to practice. Try regular journaling to get used to self expression or try writing a short story if you want to improve creativity.
- Working with digital ads. From PPC ads to video commercials the more digital ads skills you have at your disposal the more effective you’ll be.
- Integrating storytelling into your marketing campaigns. This is how you communicate with your customers, build bonds and make your business feel relatable. Essential to this is knowing what your brand is and what you offer to customers. Storytelling can be conveyed through written content, audio or video too.
- Analytics. Being able to work with analytics will give you the insight you need to create more effective campaigns and understand how well your work is already doing.
- SEO. Being able to create informative content that provides value for customers is the foundation of SEO. This vital skill will mean you’re able to drive organic content to your website, get found online by customers and nudge ahead of competitors.
- Being able to work as part of a team. Effective marketing is often about being able to communicate with, and co-ordinate, many different departments, contractors or freelancers.
- Organisation and time management. As a business owner you’re going to need to be able to handle all the different aspects of marketing and ensure that nothing falls behind. There are lots of digital tools you can use to help you do this, such as project management tools or a content management system.
Marketing is essential for any business owner today - and these are the top skills to focus on.