TECHNOLOGY

Martech Learning Tools to Boost Your Skillset

By Ascend Marketing

May 3, 2022 | TECHNOLOGY

Marketers frequently struggle to keep up with the “tech” aspect of martech. The exponentially-growing avalanche of new solutions does little to keep professionals from feeling overwhelmed. Fortunately, there are more than a few ways to boost your martech knowledge in ways that will help you better understand trends in how the landscape is evolving. For example, you can look at Intelligent’s list of the ten best online marketing courses of 2022 to find some tested tutorials that fit any schedule, prior skill level, and budget. Staying ahead of the tech curve does not need to be overly difficult or painful, particularly with responsive learning tools that can give you and your employees an added layer of martech expertise.

Digital Media and Marketing Automation

For starters, being a martech expert requires up-to-date knowledge of digital media best practices. Marketers can create omnichannel experiences tailored at the individual level with the help of data-rich platforms such as CRMs and CDPs, which continue to grow and evolve. In the right hands, these platforms facilitate personalized and automated content that delivers the right message at the right time, while streamlining repetitive tasks. Knowing how to properly manage, personalize, and automate marketing content is arguably not an optional skill, and knowing the right techniques for your platform can help you make the most of your content. Today’s huge martech landscape means a proportionally vast number of online courses, with variable difficulty and quality. Here are a few good places to begin searching for helpful, relevant learning materials:

  • The American Marketing Association (AMA) offers a digital marketing certification, with broad training that covers topics such as social media, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and website optimization.
  • For those in organizations looking to implement and optimize Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), the CDP Institute provides both pre- and post-purchase workshops, which can help marketers better understand the technology and how to use and implement your chosen solution.
  • Courses on marketing automation are available on learning sites such as Udemy and LinkedIn, which cover both fundamentals and advanced concepts. See this list of five top marketing automation courses from Pete Thompson at Automational for more places to start.

Marketing Analytics

Of course, martech is not simply automation. For one, it is impossible to overstate the importance of good analytics in the practice of modern marketing. Well-trained analysts are able to ask the right questions of their digital marketing campaigns before combing through behavioral data for answers. Marketers of all kinds should have an understanding of marketing analytics, especially as newer tools can generate better insights with less effort. Skills in Google Analytics 4, for example, are immediately useful—as the new suite of functions are particularly powerful, but especially because Universal Analytics support is due to end in July, 2023. Some sources for courses that may help refine your analytical skillset include the following:

  • Wiith original and university-provided digital marketing and data courses, Google Digital Garage is a useful repository of martech knowledge. Many free courses are available alongside paid offerings.
  • In addition to courses specific to its Engage platform, Marketo offers various learning materials relevant to digital marketers and those looking to sharpen data skills.
  • Martech Alliance’s digital learning courses provide an insightful higher-level framework for learning how to develop martech strategy and build teams.
  • Attend an upcoming in-person or virtual Martech conference to ask questions and learn analytical skills from martech professionals directly. Similarly, you can attend discussions with martech experts on forums such as Martechify, sponsored by Ascend Marketing.

AI and Machine Learning

Beyond data analysis, new artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools drive better marketing experiences in numerous ways, by helping to curate content, write and proofread copy, and automate repetitive tasks of all sizes. These solutions are proliferating so quickly—and revolutionizing the customer experience so thoroughly—that learning about this emerging family of technologies may no longer be optional. Fortunately, getting up to speed is reasonably straightforward and well worth the investment.

Specialized university-sponsored courses, such as MIT’s “Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy” short course, offer an attractive certificate along with everything you need to know to get started with AI in digital marketing. Additionally, a wide variety of general and industry-tailored courses on machine learning and AI are available on popular e-learning platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, and fast.ai. Brendan Martin of LearnDataSci and Javin Paul of Medium have each narrowed this field down to a handful of top tutorials, which may be useful as a jumping-off point.

Video Marketing

Video has exploded in recent years—video ad dollars increased by a staggering 35% in 2021—with wide-ranging implications for marketing strategy. For a vast majority of businesses, video is an essential piece of overall marketing strategy in 2022 because it engages customers better. For example, many customers respond positively to demos, how-tos, and explainers, among other types of videos that can showcase products in depth without the need for an in-person demonstration. With the advent of new video marketing tools, creating presentations, films, and even animations is a much simpler endeavor. Nevertheless, it pays for any marketer to understand how video fits into the overall marketing landscape and how to use it effectively.

Learning the particulars of your favorite video editing software is only one step in one’s video marketing education. For some low-to-no-cost courses to get started, look at Yen Cabag’s list of 13 video marketing courses aimed primarily at beginners. In addition, for a deeper knowledge of video marketing strategy far beyond what you can learn in an iMovie course, William Jepma of Solutions Review offers a diverse list of 11 course options from popular platforms. All provide compelling examples of video marketing’s potential for boosting brand engagement.

Keep Reading: Identifying Martech Skills

Properly leveraging martech tools requires a wide yet particular skillset, which is why identifying applicants with the right profile of talents is essential. Hiring requires a fair amount of forethought, from crafting a targeted job description to developing objective standards and methods for evaluating candidates’ fit. Some specific strategies and tech solutions can help eliminate uncertainties surrounding the hiring process and match companies with the best talent.

For more information, learn more about our upcoming May 19th discussion, “How to Build an A-Grade Martech Team”, part of our Martechify event series. You can look forward to a lively discussion, in which industry leaders discuss best practices for hiring and supporting martech talent, as well as building well-coordinated martech teams.

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