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8 Qualities Every Marketer Should Embody

By Allie Gamble

After three years with Pinckney Marketing, I have learned more than I ever thought possible. I’ve met so many great people. I have navigated the ups and downs of being in marketing all while striving to possess qualities of a strong marketing professional. And, during this time, I have paid attention to the good qualities I believe all marketers should hold close and strive to embody every day.

8 Qualities of a Strong Marketing Professional 

1. Be able to analyze data

Without data, marketing and advertising accomplishments are sometimes hard to quantify. While not all campaigns result in piles of numerical data, there are still ways to analyze every marketing campaign. 

When working with clients, it is important to be able to tell the story of the campaigns success (or failure) and learn from it. Learning how to pull numbers and what they all mean is key to showing results and learning how to improve with the next campaign.

2. Be driven to ‘get it done’ no matter the roadblocks

While some projects run smoothly from start to finish, it’s rare that is the case for all projects. As marketers, we are often up against many variables including time, budget, opinions, etc. that at times make getting the job done difficult, but at the end of the day, none of those should be excuses as to why a campaign is anything less than the best it can be.

3. Be able to to see a project from up close and from a bird’s-eye view

This is something my previous supervisor taught me and is now something I look for in every new hire and encourage the team I work with to think about often. It’s common for many people to lean towards one or the other. For me, it depends on the project but I lean towards being able to see a project from a birds eye view easier than each individual moving piece. Others are the exact opposite. 

It is so important to see a project from both angles because if you can’t see the beginning and the end at the same time, you may forget the end goal while you are focused on the little details. And the opposite applies as well, you can’t just focus on the big picture or the small things may be lost along the way and cause unnecessary stress towards the end of the project.

4. Be curious

I believe curiosity is key in any role, no matter the field, but in a marketing role, it’s by far one of the most important qualities. 

The world of marketing and advertising is constantly evolving, and without staying on top of the industry and seeking out new opportunities or skills, you will quickly be left behind. 

The same goes for continuing education, which goes hand in hand with following the trends. It’s so important to continue the education you have in your specialty and grow your skill set each year.

5. Be able to expect the unexpected

In all marketing roles, this is very important, but especially on the agency side of marketing. There are so many moving pieces day in and day out due to the many projects and many clients. 

Not a week goes by with at least one “fire drill” that could have been caused by a multitude of reasons. Remembering to have this mindset daily will help greatly with your reaction when something unexpected happens, and give you the ability to jump into action quickly and (somewhat) calmly to fix or adapt to whatever it is that is going on.

6. Be open to new ideas

This is easier for some people than others, and to be honest, something I have not always been great at. Being able to hear other people out when working on the strategy for a project or campaign is only going to improve the final result.

7. Be engaged

Be engaged, be present. Show up to every meeting, presentation, conversation, etc. ready to participate and listen. Don’t distract yourself with your eyes on your inbox or phone when working with others or listening to others, and when you do that, you will gain so much more from that experience.

8. Be able to work as a team

Last but not least, being able to work as a team could arguably be actually the most important quality on this list. With an agency background, I have learned that no matter what, if you aren’t able to work with the other people on your team well, you’re going to have a hard time getting what you need. 

Even on days where you may be having trouble getting what you need from someone, continue to communicate with a positive attitude and show your ability to work together to get things done. Nothing in an agency is done without the help of the team behind you, making it a quality in every marketer that cannot be forgotten.

So, there you have it, eight qualities that I believe every marketer should embody. Now that you know a little bit more about the mindset a marketer strives to work from every day with these core qualities, are you ready to dive into marketing yourself? Check out our Marketing 101 Checklist to get a head start on your first marketing campaign!