How and Why to get Digital Marketing Experience- for Traditional Marketers

Traditional marketing is the backbone of all marketing efforts.

As I dig deeper into the careers and aspirations of people who are currently passively seeking marketing careers with new, exciting companies that embrace employee culture expectations of environmentally conscious, customer centric brands, I find myself talking to leaders who want to get their hands into the most current marketing strategies with child-like anticipation.

Much like Elvis Presley, 'The King', paved the way to contemporary Rock and Roll, print, television and radio are digital marketing's still alive and well Uncle Fred who can always offer some great advice, and a stick of 'Big Red Gum' on occasion. But more than that, Uncle Fred offers insight into how to capture and retain an audience, something newer brands need to get a foot-hold into for today's competitive consumer product market.

Print ad's such as Volkswagen's 'Think Small' campaign, the greatest print ad of all time, are still taught in Marketing classes as a lesson to budding new marketers and the lesson has so much to offer.

Traditional marketers also have a PLETHORA of experience to bring to new and emerging markets into the fold.

How?

Long standing connections with powerful decision makers in their respective industry and the 'Go Get Em' attitude that built some of the largest companies before Google was even a line of code.

Yet, for traditional marketers, technology and the tangible customer culture it has created in marketing can be overwhelming.

Traditional Marketers- Dominating Digital Marketing

As an experienced Traditional Marketer, you know more than you think you do and are learning the consumer culture just by shopping your own favorite brands.

Consumers have a voice. A large one. Leading a campaign has become more than creating a costly ad that could have been considered hit or miss. Now it is about getting personal with your audience.

Personifying a brand is a more a matter of trust than anything a graphic artist can portray. 

Each new business is seeking someone to spearhead their marketing efforts in the most cost effective way possible while still competing in the market.

While social media is still the best way to reach an audience for F.R.E.E., and traditional marketing can be expensive, many companies opt for one person to support the department as they expand.

Traditional Marketing combined with Digital experience is highly sought after by these new companies to not only begin to see a greater profit, but to be able to scale it, and compete with the big boys as their company grows.

Hiring Experienced Marketers

Enter the 'experienced' marketer. This person has exceptional experience to bring to the table. Industry connections, leadership skills and the capacity to absorb digital marketing through a variety of online resources to update their careers and lead a growing marketing department.

For new companies, this combination of experience can bring more to the table and jump start revenue generating campaigns in a 'hit the ground running' candidate.

For new employees, the benefit of building a small company into a 'cash cow' is irresistible for their morale. These are your most sought after candidates. They want to make a HUGE impression on your company.

To engage in candidates with this type of drive takes little more than listening to their desires. The people I talk to WANT to learn. They have already researched and have great ideas about their favored/ target brands. They have a strategy and dig deep to find out how you are selling now, and how they can help you sell MORE.

Passion is the ingredient in placing a self taught Digital Marketer with a Traditional Marketing background.

Digital Resources For Traditional Marketers

Medium has a TON of resources that can amp up your digital ability available on their site including SEO, PPC and Social Media Marketing. This was the most comprehensive resource I have found to date and I actually started using some of the instruction myself!

Augmented Reality/ Virtual Reality

While each part of a successful marketing plan can build upon another part, please know that being on the cusp of technology such as Virtual Reality, and Augmented Reality will greatly help you expand efforts for company clients. As you keep this in mind, there are a few people that you should be following to be kept up to date on what is new in their industry. Mentions in Comments.

Let's you and I stay connected on LinkedIn as we learn to collaborate better and more often.