When I first took on the role as Marketing Coordinator at Threesides, I was a little hesitant about entering the world of marketing. I had some previous experience in content and social media, but my experience at that stage in my career had been so varied, from retail to hospitality, recruitment, administration, beauty, and even childcare! I was unsure if I had the skills to excel in this new industry. Little did I know, although seemingly unrelated, all my previous jobs were going to be an advantage.
All my previous roles helped me in marketing, yes all of them!
My experience across several different industries and roles had given me a solid foundation in key core skills. Marketing isn’t always about being creative and keeping up with the trends. Although the digital world moves fast and social trends and platforms are changing frequently, marketing is fundamentally about people! Being able to relate and connect with people is at the core.
With many of my previous jobs being people focused, I had an advantage of people skills and developing relationships. Now as a Client Lead and Marketing Manager, I work with clients on a day-to-day basis and it is something I love most about my role. However, relationship management can be a delicate balance and you will find that those customer service skills you developed in that cafe gig you did for 6 months, or managing the Karen in your retail job, may just be the key.
Those seemingly boring skills you learn in your admin job straight out of school, all come together when managing not only your time, but your teams as well. As a Client Lead you are not only responsible for building client relationships but also managing your projects and your teams’ tasks. Having a core understanding of project management is an invaluable skill and one I am so grateful to have learned across several of my roles.
Collaboration is the secret sauce
Many of my previous roles were often self-guided and required me to work independently. Although most jobs are collaborative in one way or another, coming to Threesides was a huge eye opener to the power of collaboration. Teamwork really does make the dream work and I have done some of my best work when working with others.
Working with others will allow you to see things from others’ perspectives. You simply can’t do everything yourself and you don’t want to. Collaborating with others is a great way to learn and grow individually but also to get the best ideas. Although it is easy to get in your own head and think something is obvious or the only way to do it, we all think differently. Having different approaches helps you to create better ideas, and I guarantee you will learn something from everyone you work with. So don’t be afraid to share ideas and get others involved.
Keep it Simple
It can be easy to feel like you need to be constantly thinking outside the box and reinventing the wheel each time you create content or come up with a strategy for a campaign, however, sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.
You can also feel the pressure from trends or content going viral. Whilst it’s important to keep a pulse on the trends, they are not one size fits all and it is important to tailor content to your client’s market and audience.
You don’t need to reinvent the marketing framework; you need to use it and be creative in how to apply it to your audiences. Don’t be afraid to follow marketing fundamentals and structures to get the most out of your ideas.
Be Curious, Be Fearless.
Relinquish the fear. Starting in a new industry was daunting, especially when you are first getting involved with clients. You don’t want to be the person who puts a silly idea out there or asks a question that you should have known the answer to. But I’m here to tell you, you won’t get very far in staying in your corner and remaining silent.
Some of the best ideas are the silliest! And while you may not use those first few, they often lead to other great ideas that can be used, and others in the room may be inspired and spark their own idea based on something you said. Trust in the process.
Marketing is about understanding your clients, their business, their potential challenges and finding ways in which marketing can help solve those and assist in achieving their business goals. Be curious, ask questions and get involved.