Marketing is a colossal industry. According to Statista, in 2023, global spending on marketing hit a staggering $897+ billion. Without a doubt, marketing is an invaluable tool for fledgling startups and powerhouse brands alike.
However, no two marketing campaigns are the same. Some are more successful than others. Even if you’ve grown your marketing into a good place, you might still feel something is missing.
Maybe a competitor has launched an uber-successful campaign on TikTok? Or perhaps your latest Instagram post didn’t go viral like you hoped? Whatever the reason, hope is not lost. It’s never too late to skill up and become an elite marketer.
So, what does it take to make a good marketer great? In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know.
What makes a great marketer?
Asking what makes a great marketer can be a fool’s errand. It ultimately depends on their business, niche, wider industry, demographics, and lots of other factors.
For one marketer, creating a professional tone could be a core skill. For another, getting to grips with Gen-Z humor might be the main priority.
Understanding how to adapt to your audience, industry changes—and even company controversies—is essential for marketing professionals. In essence, the top marketers are flexible and constantly learning.
It’s also essential for marketers to keep their content unique. For example, Gary Vaynerchuk repeatedly talks about the importance of personal branding on his blog. That’s something that he’s perfected, becoming an instantly recognizable, world-famous marketer.
As a leading marketer, he’s built his brand on strong values and high-quality content. Gary promotes authenticity in marketing, encouraging creators to put their personality into their content.
How to be a great marketer: 10 steps to follow
While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to becoming a great marketer, there are some important steps to follow.
These steps ensure you’re marketing at the top of your game. You’ll be using all available social media platforms, tools, and information—and tapping into your own skills.
So, let’s find out what makes a good marketer great.
1. Take a data-driven approach
“Data-driven” has become a marketing buzzword. The term simply means that you shouldn’t pluck your marketing strategy out of thin air. Make sure it’s led by your marketing data.
To do this, you’ll need to use analytics tools to uncover insights within your data on a larger scale. Then, you can make changes to your content. For example, if you started making long-form content but find your YouTube Shorts are getting the most attention, you might want to change tactics.
If you have a website, you’ll want to use Google Analytics to track where visitors are coming from, including organic search results and social media traffic. Social media platforms typically have their own built-in analytics tools you can use too.
There are also specialized social analytics software with more tailored features. For example, Semrush’s social media tool includes competitor analysis and automated reporting.
Important metrics include:
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Conversion rate
- Likes and comments
- Engagement rate
- Sales revenue
Analytics are also essential in ecommerce. Discover how to use ecommerce analytics to boost your sales.
2. Don’t miss out on data-driven content, either
Statistics aren’t just valuable to your brand. Chances are, they’re of interest to your followers too. Some of the best marketing campaigns have come from a simple sharing of data.
For example, consider Spotify Wrapped. Spotify users love sharing these to their social profiles at the end of the year. Music stats are a great way for people to show off their personal taste on social media.
That’s not the only great example of “data-driven” content. The dating site OKCupid shares dating insights on its blog, some of which are in collaboration with other brands and organizations.
In one popular collab with Opendoor, OKCupid explored post-break-up behaviors, particularly in relation to homes. One insight showed that people would typically rather move back in with parents (80%) or couch surf (75%) than live with an ex.
These kinds of insights are infinitely sharable, as people find statistics that resonate with their experiences.
This is relatively easy to apply to your own content. What content resonated the most with your followers this year? If you’re marketing a side hustle, what were the most popular products in the past month? Perhaps you’ve found that 60%+ of your comments and likes come after 11 pm. Why not connect with followers about the perks of being a night owl?
Of course, you shouldn’t share confidential business data. That’s off-limits. But more general, relevant insights from your industry could inspire your followers and get them sharing.
3. Learn from the experts
Marketing takes time to learn, so don’t be afraid to seek guidance from the experts. Experienced marketers offer courses, coaching sessions, and supportive communities to help you develop your marketing skills. You’ll find plenty of helpful resources on Whop.
For example, Alex Sedlak has 2.1 million followers on TikTok. He offers two online marketing communities (Media Labs and Print Money W TikTok). These feature detailed courses, coaching calls, and more, helping TikTok creators to link up with brands. Plus, you won’t need to reach a set follower count to join.
Check out Alex Sedlak’s seller story to learn how he grew his empire.
4. Keep an eye on trends
While you shouldn’t be tempted to blindly follow trends, they can play an essential role in your growth if they’re relevant to your brand. Timing is of the essence, though. Trends move quickly online, and if you post too late, you run the risk of coming across as “out of touch.”
Fortunately, there are plenty of tools out there to help you track trends. For example, Semrush .Trends gives you industry insights to stay ahead of market trends, competitor content, and more. It’ll set you back a bit, though. You’ll need a paid Semrush subscription, and then the .Trends add-on costs an additional $289 per month per user.
If you’re just starting out, don’t worry. There are other options for trend-tracking tools. Google Trends, for example, is absolutely free.
For example, a quick search on Google Trends shows that U.S. searches for “cryptocurrency” in the past 12 months peaked between March 3rd and 9th, 2024. The term was also most popular in the District of Columbia and California.
5. Understand your sales funnel
From ecommerce to local businesses, the shopping process doesn’t stop with marketing. You also need to consider sales. Understanding what happens after your social posts or PR articles is key to creating killer campaigns.
But don’t worry, you don’t have to switch to a career in sales to do this. For one thing, reach out to your sales team and tap into their mindset. How do they close a sale? What do customers value about your product or service? They have insider knowledge that you won’t have access to.
Beyond this, there are plenty of online courses and communities to learn sales skills. For example, Her Last Call Academy offers training and a vibrant community for women in high-ticket sales.
6. Break marketing rules
Learning how to be a great marketer means you sometimes need to think outside the box. Don’t be afraid to tread new ground and break traditional marketing rules. That’s not to say you should be too controversial—that can backfire badly for brands.
But, pushing against industry boundaries (where needed) is an essential part of elite marketing. For example, consider the fast food chain Wendy's, which has built a reputation for roasting other brands on X.
Or what about Oatly’s 2023 campaign where they set up a website centered around their negative press? (You can read more about this in our guide to great marketing campaigns.)
Again, that’s not to say you should copy these strategies, as they won’t work for every brand. However, these examples clearly show the benefits of doing something different with your socials.
7. Make the most of UGC
You might already be using user-generated content (UGC) on your website and social media. And it’s no wonder—research from EnTribe found that 77% of shoppers were more likely to purchase products from brands that promoted via UGC.
If you’re not familiar with UGC, it refers to content produced by customers showcasing your products or services. This is different from influencer marketing, as UGC comes directly from customers and is unbiased. This can be more trustworthy to consumers, operating as a kind of social proof.
UGC covers everything from a detailed product review on YouTube to a selfie with your product on Instagram. It also includes testimonials and other types of social posts, like images and short videos.
One brand that frequently leverages UGC is the fashion brand ASOS. They’ve shared many photos from shoppers to their Instagram page, including the one below from hannahkennie. Starting back in 2014, their #AsSeenOnMe campaign influenced other clothing brands to feature user content on their social media pages.
Want to learn more? Read our guide to user-generated content (UGC) to find out how it can help your sales.
8. Leverage AI tools
Managing social media accounts can be time-consuming. If you’re wondering how to be a great marketer, you need to make the best use of your time. AI tools can help you do just that.
According to data from SurveyMonkey, 88% of marketers use AI in their role. Most use it to generate content and insights at a faster pace.
One AI tool that can transform your Instagram marketing is SocialMize. With SocialMize, you won’t have to be stuck to your Instagram all day to boost your following. Available with the Premium plan, the Close Friends Tool automatically adds followers to your close friends to increase your story viewers x4.
Plus, you can send automatic messages to new followers or any users who engage with your Instagram.
Learn how to use AI tools to sell more products online in our guide.
9. Improve your video editing skills
Video marketing is taking the world by storm. According to Statista, the number of digital video viewers has reached 3.37 billion globally. TikTok and YouTube are two of the most popular platforms—and to grow your following, you need to create high-quality videos.
That’s not as complicated as it sounds. For TikTok and Instagram, the more authentic, the better. So, it doesn’t matter if you’re just starting out with a smartphone camera at first.
With that being said, video editing skills can help you stand out from the crowd. That includes understanding how to create a narrative through your video, evoking emotions in your audience, and improving your video’s pacing.
For example, in this video from Becki and Chris, you can learn how to improve storytelling in your videos with L- and J-cuts.
10. Creative writing skills
Following on from this, you can also develop stronger narratives in your marketing by improving your writing skills. From video scriptwriting to social media copy, there are lots of ways good writing can transform your work.
On one level, using tools like Grammarly ensures that your grammar and spelling are correct, which is essential for email and social media marketing. If you want to take it to the next level, creative writing courses help you to hook and engage your audience.
If you’re looking to develop your literary skills, Forbes journalist Kaleigh Moore has training and a supportive community right here on Whop.
Learn how to become a great marketer with Whop
So, now we’ve covered how to be a great marketer, all that’s left to do is start! Making the first step is easier said than done, though. You might worry about changing your campaigns too drastically or turning away long-term followers.
As mentioned, one of the best ways to become a better marketer is to learn from the experts. Whop is a one-stop shop for digital creators, making it the best online platform for marketing insights. With Whop, you’ll find online marketing courses to boost your skills, like YouTube Portal.
In this course, you’ll be taught how to create Shorts by YouTube veterans. It also includes video templates, a private community, content reviews, and more.
Beyond this, there are thousands of other whops with marketing courses, communities, eBooks, coaching sessions, and more to choose from.
Discover social media communities, marketing courses, success coaches and more on Whop.
