Excelling in Tech as a Marketer
Written by Olusegun Enikannaye
Welcome to another edition of the ConTech newsletter! If you’re new here, thanks for stopping by! We publish insightful articles and interviews about excelling in and transitioning into tech. If you’re looking to join a network of professionals in tech, join our community here.
A few weeks ago, Peace Obinani, Product Marketing Manager at Piggytech and founder of Non Tech in Tech, spoke to the ConTech community at ConTech Corner —our monthly learning sessions. During the session, Peace shared valuable insights on how marketers can thrive in the tech sector. Find highlights from the conversation below. You can also listen to the recording here.
Important Traits and Skills for Marketers
Think like a user: To succeed as a marketer, you need to view your products through the lens of a user. This gives an insight into what your potential customers might need.
Be flexible: Flexibility is an important trait for marketers. If you have marketing experience outside the tech industry and want to transition into tech, learn about the field and understand the products in the industry. Be open to learning new approaches, rather than relying solely on your previous marketing experience.
Be creative and audacious: To succeed in any marketing role, you need to be creative and audacious. You should be ready to take risks. Not everyone will be open to your ideas, be bold and ready to defend them.
Actively seek feedback: Feedback is not criticism or condemnation. Seek feedback and work on it to become a better marketer.
Landing Your Dream Tech Job as a Marketer
Find a niche: Marketing is wide and consists of different paths. Figure out what part of marketing you want to focus on by considering what you're good at and what you enjoy doing in marketing.
Find a community: Communities provide an avenue to connect with people who share similar interests, goals, and values. They can be a great source of support and inspiration. They also offer a platform to experiment with ideas and connect with like-minded professionals in the tech industry. This can also lead to job referrals.
Offer Pro bono Services: Offering consultation services for tech companies for free is one way to get your feet wet as you take courses to improve your skill. It’ll help you build your portfolio and get other companies to notice your work.
Grow by learning: The marketing industry is constantly evolving so it’s important to stay in the loop by continuously learning. You can take online courses regularly to grow or refresh your knowledge.
Practice what you learn: Practice is crucial because marketing theory differs from marketing practice, and some courses may not suit the Nigerian market. To achieve your desired results and avoid frustration, prioritise practising what you learn.
Never oversell yourself: The rule to personal branding is never to oversell yourself as it may reflect poorly on you when recruiters realise that you cannot actually deliver on the skills you claimed to have.
Share your work publicly: Sharing your work online can help others to see and appreciate the quality of your work, which can provide opportunities for learning and growth. In addition, be ready to share your strategy for solving tasks. By doing this you show the world what you can do and how you do them.
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