Core competencies for successful digital marketing

If you want to succeed in digital marketing, you need a partner that boasts appropriate core competencies. Just as a doctor needs to be a fast, efficient decision-maker and a lawyer needs a comprehensive understanding of public policy, digital marketers have their own set of skills and abilities that enable them to do their jobs well. 

Knowledge of the customer journey

Perspective shapes how we view, write, and relate to our target audience. How does your perspective help or hinder understanding your target market?

Understanding your target market is essential to developing a successful online marketing strategy. For instance, how do consumers make buying decisions? Why do they choose certain vendors over others? How do they make first contact with a business or retailer?

Experts agree that it all starts with a conversation. A digital marketer, whether in Detroit, New York, or Madrid, must know how to engage their specific consumers in conversations and accurately interpret the information they receive. From social media to email to one-on-one discussions, a comprehensive dialogue can produce significant insights into what customers need and want. Furthermore, it can create brand loyalty and foster long-term relationships in a way that one-sided communication never will.

A roadmap for data-driven marketing

Successful digital marketers have a well-refined plan based on user behavior and an organization's needs.

All marketing is fueled by data these days. Without concrete metrics, digital marketers can't devise solid strategies or measure the success of those campaigns. Consequently, they need a road map before they start a specific project. They need to know where they plan to end up and how they propose to get there.

This involves creating a strategy, tracking its progress, and making adjustments to the route. Data often reveals that a solid strategy won't work for a particular firm. The road map isn't etched in granite. The best marketers know that the willingness to change the plan is just as important as the original strategy itself. Although, any changes should be based on analytic data.

The authority to educate your audience

Consumers love to educate themselves, and as the Internet has grown in terms of information, people are learning to discern good information from bad. They're looking for authoritative information that will help them make better decisions.

Online marketing needs a content creation component that helps the business distribute authoritative information. Establishing and maintaining authority is critical to every business's success.

Get more insight on developing and distributing content to educate your audience from our article, "If content is king, then what is inbound marketing?"

The ability to inspire others

Ultimately, a marketing strategy is designed to inspire the business's target market. Specifically, you want to inspire consumers to make a purchase. Without this necessary ingredient, your marketing recipe becomes wholly unappetizing.

Digital Marketing News calls the ability to inspire others one of the three essential core competencies for digital marketers. Without it, there is no reason for your target consumer to pay attention–much less make a purchase.

Understanding how an online marketing strategy comes to fruition can help you make better decisions about how you design your next marketing campaign. If you're looking for a better solution, we invite you to download our eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Hiring an Inbound Marketing Agency.