Friday, 8 February 2013

Marketing Knowledge: Do You Know?


There have been significant changes in the online marketing world.  From Facebook graphs to Real Time Bidding (RTB), the online marketscape continues to change and evolve.  How are you keeping up with these changes?

One thing I've realized over the last decade is that it's virtually impossible to be an expert in everything.  I've me a lot of smart people who seem to know anything and everything related to Internet marketing but when you dig deeper, you can always find someone who knows more than you do.

Leveraging Expertise
This leads us to the topic of today's post.  At what point do you rely on your own knowledge and when do you reach out to "industry experts"?  I like to stay informed and continue to learn more about the marketing discipline every day but there are really two types of knowledge:

1.  Understanding.

2.  Working Knowledge.

When you read, stay informed, and are generally in tune with whatever is happening the marketplace, you develop an understanding of what's happening.  When others ask questions you can respond based on your general knowledge.  However, this is very different than working knowledge of marketing.

A working knowledge means that you apply what you know.  Whether you consult, manage a client's account, or work on your own internet marketing, you're actually applying and learning how to dial in around a particular goal.  This experience provides a deeper knowledge than you can achieve by simply reading and listening to marketing related conversations.

Choose Your Strategy
With different ways of acquiring information it's important to decide the best type of industry expertise you need to successfully navigate your goals in objectives.  If you are getting paid to learn PPC for example, then having a working knowledge of PPC is paramount.  If, on the other hand, you are managing a team that is responsible for PPC but members of your team have a firm understanding of pay-per-click marketing, then a basic understanding may suffice.

Regardless of which avenue you chose, remember that knowledge is power.

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