Marketing Skills Evaluation

I've built marketing teams ranging from a solo operator to groups of 30+, and together, we've driven over $1 billion in revenue. Along the way, I’ve pinpointed six key traits that make someone truly excel in email marketing. Here’s what I look for, how I vet for these qualities, and why they matter: 1. Analytical Mindset: Email marketing is a numbers game. I want someone who’s deeply familiar with metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and ROI. They should be able to dive into data, extract actionable insights, and constantly optimize campaigns. To vet this, I’ll ask candidates to walk me through a past campaign, focusing on how they analyzed the data and what changes they made based on those insights. I might even toss them some email data and see what improvements they suggest. 2. Creative Thinking: Standing out in a crowded inbox takes creativity. Creativity is a must, whether it's writing compelling copy, designing eye-catching emails, or brainstorming innovative campaign ideas. I look for this in their portfolio and through a hypothetical scenario where they need to boost engagement for a client whose email performance is tanking. 3. Attention to Detail: In email marketing, the little details matter most. A broken link or a misspelled name can do more damage than you’d think. I need someone with a sharp eye for catching these mistakes before they go live. During the interview, I’ll give candidates an email filled with intentional errors—broken links, typos, you name it—and see how many they catch. I'll also dig into a time when a small detail in their past work had a big impact. 4. Technical Proficiency: Knowing how to navigate email platforms like Klaviyo, Mailchimp, or HubSpot is a must. From setting up segmented lists to automating workflows and running A/B tests, technical skills are non-negotiable. A basic grasp of HTML/CSS is a big bonus. To vet this, I ask candidates to perform specific tasks on an email platform during the interview and discuss any technical challenges they’ve faced and resolved. 5. Strong Communication Skills: Communication is key when explaining complex email strategies to a client or collaborating within a team. I assess this through role-playing scenarios where candidates have to simplify a complex aspect of email marketing. I’ll also ask for a short writing sample to gauge their clarity and professionalism. 6. Adaptability and Continuous Learning: The digital marketing landscape changes constantly. Great employees are those who stay ahead of trends and are always eager to learn. I ask candidates about a time they had to quickly adapt to a new tool or major change in their role. Plus, I’ll chat with them about recent trends in email marketing to see how they’re staying current. When you find the right mix of these qualities, you’re not just hiring employees, you’re building a powerhouse team that can drive results and adapt to whatever challenges come their way.

⬇ A breakdown of marketing functions by descriptions & skills After completing my post grad training program at Anheuser-Busch, my program manager asked what I wanted to do. Knowing I love being creative + building brands, marketing felt like the obvious choice. However, when asked what area of marketing, I had no clue what to say/what the differences were. So, for anyone interested in a marketing career, I broke down 7 sub-functions of marketing + the skills needed for success: ➡ Performance Marketing Focuses on measurable and actionable strategies to drive specific, quantifiable outcomes, such as increasing revenue, user acquisition, or customer retention. It often involves analytics and optimization to maximize results. Skills Needed: + Storytelling + A/B Testing + Data Analysis + Analytical Skills + Digital Marketing ➡ Brand Marketing Focuses on creating and maintaining a positive and consistent brand image. It involves building brand awareness, reputation, and loyalty among the target audience. Skills Needed: + Creativity + Storytelling + Brand Strategy  + Market Research + Communications ➡ Digital Marketing Focuses on leveraging online channels like social media, email, and search engines to promote your brand. It involves constant optimization and creative A/B testing. Skills Needed: + A/B Testing + SEO and SEM + Email Marketing + Social Media Management + Analytics and Data Interpretation ➡ Experiential Marketing Focuses on planning and executing events to promote your brand, strategizing to engage and connect with your target audience. Skills Needed: + Budgeting + Detail-oriented + Event Planning + Project Management + Relationship Management ➡ Partnership Marketing Focuses on establishing and managing strategic collaborations with brands or people to mutually benefit from shared audiences and resources. Skills: + Negotiation + Strategic Thinking + Collaborative Mindset + Relationship Management + Communication and Interpersonal Skills ➡ Innovation Marketing Focuses on the promotion (and sometimes product management) of new products or services, emphasizing unique features and value propositions to captivate the target market. Skills Needed: + Trend Analysis + Market Research + Creative Thinking + Product Knowledge + Adaptability and Openness to Change ➡ Marketing Insights Focuses on gathering and analyzing data to understand market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive landscapes. Skills Needed: + Data Analysis + Survey Design + Critical Thinking + Research Methodology + Storytelling through Data Any builds or challenges? #marketingcareer #marketing #brandmarketing

If you want to be great at marketing, stop skipping steps. Too many marketers want to work on the “fun” stuff like brand campaigns, leadership, and strategy without building the skills those roles depend on. It’s like trying to build the roof before the foundation. Here’s the Marketing Skills Pyramid... ... In the order that compounds your skills and results: 1. Core Foundations The base that everything else sits on Research: know your audience inside and out Copywriting: craft words that grab attention and convert Data analysis: make decisions based on numbers, not opinions Without this, every move you make is guesswork 2. Strategic Skills Connect marketing activity directly to business outcomes Positioning that makes you stand out Mapping the customer journey and funnel Building offers people actually want This is where you create leverage instead of just activity 3. Creative Execution Turn strategy into work people actually notice Content creation in multiple formats Campaign building Consistent messaging across channels This is where the outside world starts to see the impact of the layers below 4. Leadership & Leverage Scale your impact beyond yourself Build a brand over years, not weeks Lead teams and provide clear creative direction Plan long-term so marketing drives the business forward The top only works if the base is strong Remember: You don’t get to skip steps. Master the base, build upward, and the top will take care of itself.

The Skills Martech (and CRM) Marketers Need In my experience, Martech and CRM professionals can benefit from three core skill sets: "Platform-Specific Skills" - the technical capabilities to actually help implement (and use!) what is needed. This isn't about being a developer, but understanding systems configurations affect your work, build workflows, and extract the right data. I've found that marketers who take the time to truly understand their tools (beyond just clicking buttons in the UI, but not necessarily programming either) can deliver better results. "Adaptability & Influence" - the ability to evolve as platforms change and to get buy-in across departments. I've seen brilliant technical implementations fail simply because the marketing team couldn't convince other departments to adopt them. This is the human side of Martech that often gets overlooked. "Marketing Process Understanding" - the critical foundation that aligns our technical implementations with business outcomes. This means mapping customer journeys before building automations, defining clear measurement frameworks before setting up dashboards, and understanding how the technology can improve internal marketing processes to make them more agile and flexible as well. The most effective marketers I've worked with have developed strengths across these three areas. They understand the tools, can adapt to changes, and never lose sight of core marketing principles and how to leverage technology to help efficiency.