Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

Modern Marketers Need to Speak 'Engineer' Creativity is still necessary, but the skills to access data and track campaigns are now a must.

By Kevin Buckby Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Many successful companies today are software companies under the hood. This massive transformation is felt most profoundly in the changing nature of relationships between companies and their customers, and the marketing department is an integral cog in these relationships.

Related: Marketing, Meet Tech. 4 Tips for Hiring a Data-Obsessed Team.

Industry by industry, the decimation of traditional business models by technology-driven competitors gathers momentum. Consider Netflix and Blockbuster, iTunes and Tower Records, or Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It's why AOL paid $315 million for Huffington Post -- essentially a publishing platform for citizen journalists -- whereas Jeff Bezos paid $250 million for the venerable Washington Post and all its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists and foreign correspondents.

The modern digital marketer can no longer run business by instinct alone, but must use technology to test, measure and optimize their campaigns, often in real time and at massive scale. To remain relevant and effective in this world, they not only need to be experts in the evaluation of software and express high-levels of technical literacy, but also understand how technology enables a new mode of marketing strategy.

So how do find and hire this modern marketer? For one, look for those with a technical background, whether academically or professionally. For example, marketers with an engineering degree may be a better fit than those with liberal arts degrees. People who have had product management experience also tend to have the right technical aptitude.

Related: 7 Stats Show Mobile Marketing is Crucial for Your Business

Given that access to data at scale and in real time is an enabling attribute of a modern marketing strategy, it naturally follows that data scientists and analysts become critical to the successful implementation of a data-driven marketing strategy. These individuals will be drawn to progressive marketing organizations, where data analysis sits at the intersection of corporate strategy and customer relationships. These are highly desirable places to apply their skills -- the front line of the corporate world.

Once you attract a tech-literate marketer, let them do their thing. Tell them what you want to accomplish and give them the freedom to solve for that using data. Provide them with the budget to explore software and analytics platforms, and let them be the experts in selecting the most effective tools.

Another retention tool beyond a fair salary is revenue accountability. It used to be the marketer's job to set up leads for the sale organization to close, but with more transactions happening online with little or no human input, marketing's accountability for revenue is growing. In some cases, they now own the revenue number, and this is a trend that will likely continue to gain traction.

Despite all this (justified) talk about marketing becoming a data-driven science, a marketing campaign still begins with a creative idea. In fact, the need for a creative idea is as important today as it ever has been. Hiring and retaining a good data marketer to help measure the success of that idea and suggest how it can be improved, will take you even farther.

Related: The 80/20 Rule and How to Supercharge Your Sales and Marketing

Kevin Buckby

Partner, Riviera Partners

Kevin Buckby has more than a decade of experience orchestrating executive searches for high-profile venture-capital-funded technology companies. Buckby focuses on helping his clients compete for the most sought-after product and marketing executive talent.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Models

How to Become an AI-Centric Business (and Why It's Crucial for Long-Term Success)

Learn the essential steps to integrate AI at the core of your operations and stay competitive in an ever-evolving landscape.

Business News

'Creators Left So Much Money on the Table': Kickstarter's CEO Reveals the Story Behind the Company's Biggest Changes in 15 Years

In an interview with Entrepreneur, Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor explains the decision-making behind the changes, how he approaches leading Kickstarter, and his advice for future CEOs.

Career

Is Consumer Services a Good Career Path for 2024? Here's the Verdict

Consumer services is a broad field with a variety of benefits and drawbacks. Here's what you should consider before choosing it as a career path.