Being successful as a Marketing practitioner is a tall order. It requires you to constantly update your knowledge, skills and creativity, keeping up with the ever-evolving professional environment. In that sense, having just entered a new year, apart from thinking about business strategies and campaigns, it’s also a good idea to list some of your personal resolutions. Hence we have listed 4 ideas that can be incorporated into what you could call “My goals for becoming a better Marketer in 2017”.
Attend at Least One Conference
Marketers are social creatures. It’s part of our job to constantly communicate with prospects, clients, stakeholders and colleagues etc. More often than not, we choose to do so the fastest way possible—usually by means of a digital channel or the phone. That's perfectly normal, considering the digitized world in which we live. However, it’s never a bad idea to consider face-to-face communication, at least once in a while, is it? What better chance to meet like-minded professionals, with whom to exchange some valuable knowledge, than by attending a conference? Such an event is not only the best way for you, as a professional, to get inspired by new ideas, minds and trends; it’s also a perfect opportunity to network with individuals you might otherwise never get the chance to meet. So, if you feel like changing the office environment for a couple of inspirational and meaningful days, here is a list suggesting The Best Marketing Conferences In 2017.
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Spend time learning social networks you are not so familiar with
Let’s be honest: getting really knowledgable about all the Social Media platforms out there, with new ones emerging as we speak, is definitely not easy. As a Marketer, however, you owe such a level of expertise not only to your clients but also to yourself. Therefore, as a New Year's Resolution #2 – why don’t you outline a list of the major, most trendy Social Media channels you would like to learn more about? Finding the means and resources to do so is a matter of personal choice: you might attend courses, follow experts' guidelines or simply learn through your actions. Obtaining such knowledge, you will surely enhance your reputation as a marketer who is a trusted source of relevant, authoritative and reliable up-to-date information. Isn’t that what all clients demand?
Leave more room for creativity
The intense levels of competition in every aspect of our professional lives force us to find creative ways to distinguish our brand from that of our competitors. Hence, in order to convince clients of the superior value of our services, we need to offer something over and above the norm. In that sense, creativity has, and always will, play a vital role in our Marketing profiles. Coming to our next 2017 goal – discover new platforms, apps and formats to go beyond the usual types of content clients are used to. For example: learn how to tell a story through a catchy Infographic or experiment with a unique Pinterest board. One thing is for sure: the more creative and diverse solutions you manage to give your customers, the greater the chances of being chosen over other Marketing services providers.
Become a Pro in Marketing Automation technologies
As we’ve previously mentioned in our 2017 Marketing Trends predictions, it is likely that full-services inbound marketing suites—automated platforms that support every aspect of Digital Marketing—will arise. Meaning that you definitely need to learn the A-Z alphabet of how to use those technologies in an optimal way. So, if you haven’t already dived into becoming a master in the world of Marketing Automation, now is the time to do so. Rule number one is to become friendly with technology by acknowledging its power to make your professional life easier while boosting the outcome of any Marketing initiative. Of course, it’s always worth mentioning that the system is designed to best suit YOUR needs (and your colleagues), so feel free to ask your vendor for improvement and further personalisation every time you feel something is wrong or missing.
To conclude, when working on your own list of professional New Year's resolutions, there are two important things to keep in mind. First, try to be as objective and realistic as possible. After all, you are creating this list for your own personal sake, there's no need to impress anyone with it. Secondly, make sure you keep up with whatever goals you listed throughout the year. Nothing will bring you more pleasure than reading that list again at the end of 2017 and discovering that all your resolutions have been fulfilled!
