Welcome to the first in the series, ROI Insights series! In our sessions, we will offer educational resources, trend predictions and tutorials in marketing and technology. In today’s ROI Insights, we will discuss the evolution of IT and marketing personnel into what is called a hybrid marketer.
Gone are the days when you had “IT guy” cryptically typing away, hunched over their computer in the dark basement, and “marketing girl” Tweeting upstairs. In order for marketing personnel to upload content to a website or update content on a website, he or she would have to go through the IT Department.
Marketing minds and technical minds don’t often mesh too well as we're sure many of you have personally witnessed, but since IT is in charge of the website, marketing would have to patiently wait for IT to put their two cents in and then begrudgingly make the requested changes. As you can imagine, this would make for many frustrating situations for both departments, not to mention decrease productivity and ignite long-lasting tension.
Fast forward to today. These two individuals, “IT Guy” and “Marketing Girl,” have now merged into a hybrid marketer, an individual who understands marketing and technology.
A hybrid marketer must wear many hats. While you don’t have to be an expert in coding and algorithms or be a talented graphic designer or writer, you must possess basic understanding of all these elements in order to be a successful hybrid marketer. A hybrid marketer is hungry for knowledge and eager to master new skills. They are not complacent; they are dynamic. In short, a hybrid marketer is the best of both worlds.
For example, hybrid marketers can log-in to a cloud-based marketing platform, create content, publish it to a website or blog, and share it on social media. They can monitor traffic and analytics, make calls-to-action, nurture leads and interact with customers.
These facilities are a very powerful advantage for small businesses today. It puts them in the forefront of trends and leaves their competition in the dust. With the hybrid marketer, small businesses can embrace change and implement technology-driven marketing tools in their business strategy. Small businesses just can't afford to rely on one-dimensional employees anymore. They must find a hybrid marketer.
If you would like to read more in-depth information about hybrid marketing, we highly recommend Paul Roetzer’s book, The Marketing Agency Blueprint. It has been an excellent source of information, and inspiration, for our agency.
Check back for our next ROI Insights session, coming soon!
What tips do you have for succeeding as a hybrid marketer? Let us know in the comments section!
