6 sales forecasting techniques for marketers (+example)
Sales forecasting in marketing is a core, very important activity for most marketers. That’s because sales forecasting in marketing can […]
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Are you interested in learning marketing skills -- working for someone else or for yourself?
Either way, marketing can help you successfully sell virtually any product or service.
So, if you have ever asked yourself, "How do I start learning marketing?", you have come to the right place.
The best way to start learning marketing is by focusing on these three activities:
Marketing may look easy on the outside, but there are basic rules of marketing every new marketer needs to know.
Let's now dig deeper and learn how to get started in marketing.
Words like strategies, plans, conversions, KPIs, analytics, and bounce rate may sound scary, but they are not when you keep them simple.
The first goal is to put marketing concepts like these in a proper perspective, and that is:
The only job of marketing is to gain a customer and keep a customer.
So, with enough practice, you'll learn how to define target markets, communicate the right message, and use the right marketing strategy.
You see, marketing is a set of skills that can be mastered with or without a college degree.
And in some cases, a college degree could actually pull you away from success in marketing because of an over-dependence focusing on accounting-like marketing data -- that is, too much focus on what has historically occurred, rather than focusing forward.
On the other hand, a great marketer focuses on creating new marketing campaigns that does these two things:
You can do the same.
Below is an additional, more-specific set of three activities that you can do right now to learn marketing, with some links to helpful resources:
1. Study successful online marketing strategies starting with Google, Amazon and Facebook. One of the benefits of learning from doing your own Google, Facebook or Amazon campaigns is the act of doing these campaigns forces you to have at least a basic understanding of market research.
Here is a valuable resource that can help you learn digital marketing:
Website marketing with helpful examples and a sample marketing plan
2. Study offline marketing strategies starting with direct mail, newspaper ads, radio and TV advertising.
Here is a valuable resource that can help you learn targeted direct mail marketing:
Targeted Direct Mail Marketing
3. Learn how to define the success and failure of a marketing campaign.
Here is a valuable resource that can help you learn to measure the success and failure of marketing strategies:
5 Important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Marketing
Whether you are a business owner or a digital marketer, you'll need to learn the basics of marketing to maximize sales and profits for the organization.
This means you'll need to learn new skills. And yes, you can definitely conveniently learn new skills by yourself.
You can start with zero knowledge and expertise and build yourself into the most successful and established business person or marketing executive in your niche.
Before you venture into the world of marketing, you need to understand some basics. You can find most of the info you need online:
The internet is a rich source for learning. However, if you want a certification to look good on your resume, you should go for the most reputable learning platforms, most of which offer these certifications for free.
Hubspot provides business and marketing resources, including software and customer service tools. HubSpot Academy is HubSpot’s online learning resource. Most of the courses offered here are free and cover different topics related to marketing. If you're a total newbie in the world of marketing, we recommend that you start with the Inbound certification: content Marketing, Email Marketing, and Social Media.
Most prospective employers have websites with Google Analytics. This effective tracking tool from Google helps you monitor and track your website's performance based on visitor behaviors. So it's an excellent place to get started.
If you are keen on running ads online, Google Adwords is the ultimate resource for that strategy. This online certification focuses on search ads, video ads, and e-commerce ads. It helps you understand the concepts of campaign optimization.
Facebook provides a powerful resource for lead generation. Most businesses depend on Facebook to target, attract and acquire prospects. This certification helps you learn how to create and manage Facebook pages and paid ads, among other topics.
All Facebook courses are free, but you'll need to pay to become a certified marketer, and a single exam costs $150. Also, the certification expires every 12 months. So it's not the most recommended certification for a beginner unless you can afford it.
This is another innovative platform you can use to obtain a free certification in marketing and especially in design and Photoshop. Canva helps you create those Facebook cover pages, Instagram visuals, blog planners, and PowerPoint presentations. These platforms can be a good starting point to obtain certification in marketing, and they are also the most widely recognized by employers.
Now, consider sending direct messages to prospective employers on Twitter, LinkedIn, or email.
Being proactive demonstrates that you have the determination and persuasive skills, which are precisely the right qualifications for a marketing job.