When it comes to standing out in marketing, this can - admittedly - take quite some effort! Indeed, the marketing world (particularly the arena of digital marketing) is at present saturated by many extremely competent and highly successful marketing professionals - all aiming to be at the top of their game. Despite this, and while the marketing industry is becoming increasingly competitive, there are active steps you can take to ensure that you stand out. Here’s how!
Step 1. Become the Best Possible Marketer You Can
It is well documented that the best way to better yourself, for any reason, is to pursue higher education. And so it follows that if you want to become the best possible marketer you can be, you need to complete a tertiary qualification in marketing. For aspiring marketers, an RMIT Master of Marketing is an excellent choice.
As part of this particular postgraduate course, students learn industry-focused marketing strategies, as well as how to develop the essential skills and knowledge required to accelerate their careers as professional marketers. Specifically tailored and designed with aspiring marketers in mind, this degree enables students to acquire and develop a business-focused approach to marketing, as well as gain a deeper understanding of marketing principles and theories. Importantly, as this is a postgraduate degree, it will also contribute to the graduate’s credibility as a voice of authority in marketing upon completion of the qualification. This is essential when aiming to build one’s personal brand and reputation in the highly competitive and somewhat oversaturated marketing world.
Step 2. Build Your Personal Brand and Professional Reputation
If you’re aiming to make it in the marketing world, you need to take active steps to build your personal brand. But how exactly do you build a personal brand?
First, you have to identify who you are as an individual. This involves uncovering certain elements of yourself. That is to say, the things that make you, you. These include your talents, your unique skills, and the attributes and characteristics that make up your personality. Then, you want to make these elements of yourself line up with the image you are wanting to project. For a credible reputation as a competent marketer, for instance, you will want to research what this looks like to others. For instance, strong communication skills and leadership capabilities may be in order. Individuality, uniqueness and quirkiness may also be beneficial.
You will also want to make your personal brand line up with your core values. That way, you will ensure that you do not compromise who you are to appear a certain way. As such, your personal brand will be as authentic and true to you as possible. People appreciate authenticity and truthfulness! It makes you appear more genuine, and trustworthy, and people will like you more for it. Of course, being liked is not the only element to building a good reputation. You also need to make sure that you put in the work, deliver on your promises, and act with integrity. Your actions speak volumes when building your brand, and you want to make sure you are behaving in a way that complements who you are as a person.
Step 3. Grow Your Marketing Network
A great way to grow your professional network when just starting in the marketing world is to seek out the guidance of a professional mentor. Also known as a business mentor, having this kind of individual in your life can be invaluable. Not only can they guide and assist you in reaching your professional goals, but they can also help you to grow your marketing network by introducing you to new contacts.
Of course, when you’re a professional marketer, it pays to have a solid network of contacts in the industry. These are people you can call upon to help you reach your marketing goals and to ensure that your career moves are a success. A big part of this is ensuring that your professional reputation - and your personal brand - is both respected, and seen as credible by those in your network, as discussed earlier. Just as important is knowing the right people! As they say - it is often not what you know, but who you know, that can get you to where you want to be. This is why networking is essential to almost any profession, but especially, to a career in marketing.
By taking active steps to grow your professional network, develop a credible, authoritative and reputable personal brand, and educate yourself to become the best marketer possible, you can stand out in the marketing world. Just make sure you are staying true to yourself and your values on your way to the top! If you do, people will respect you for it and are also more likely to engage in your services.
