Future-Proofing Your Career as a Paid Media Specialist
In the ever-changing world of paid media marketing, remaining ahead of the curve and future-proofing your career are essential for success. To shed light on this topic, we've tapped into the expertise of Tim Searle, a seasoned professional and Account Director at Vervaunt. Tim's insights into the critical skills required to thrive in today's environment provide valuable guidance for paid media specialists. In this article, we will delve into these essential skills and explore how they can help you stay relevant and successful in your paid media career.
Future-Proofing Your Career as a Paid Media Specialist: Insights from Tim Searle, Vervaunt Agency.
The significance of attribution and data visibility
Privacy regulations and browser changes are impacting how we collect and interpret data. Understanding these changes and their implications is essential for staying effective as a paid media specialist. A truly effective approach to data goes beyond the numbers reported in marketing platforms – paid media specialists should be looking to bolster their knowledge of third party tools as well as older approaches such as MMM that are seeing a resurgence.
Tim emphasises the importance of understanding attribution and modelling in a landscape where data visibility faces challenges due to these heightened privacy concerns. He highlights that a solid grasp of these concepts is crucial for effectively allocating budgets. As he puts it, “Attribution plays a pivotal role in ensuring your advertising budget is wisely invested. It’s all about connecting the dots between different touch points and comprehending the customer journey.”
Harnessing creative intelligence
With artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly automating tasks like audience testing, paid media specialists need to ensure they’re able to deliver value in other ways, with creative intelligence being a key factor that remains in our control.. Tim underscores this shift, stating, “In the era of automation, it’s imperative to invest time and effort in crafting compelling ad creatives. The quality of your creative assets is becoming a key determinant of campaign success.”
It’s also worth noting that creative intelligence isn’t limited to creating visually appealing ads. It’s about understanding your audience and tailoring your ads to resonate with them. Creative intelligence goes beyond simply reporting on what did and didn’t work, it’s about digging into why things succeed or fail, allowing us to take learnings forward to future iterations.
Embracing a testing mentality
Tim’s insights also touch on the importance of a testing mentality. He suggests that “accounts which consistently conduct tests tend to outperform others. Making data-driven decisions in controlled environments paves the way for sustainable growth.” A rigorous testing mindset is a game-changer in the paid media realm.
Testing is not just about making random changes and observing what happens. It involves the likes of structured A/B ad asset testing, testing of bidding strategies and targeting to gain insights into what truly drives performance. A successful testing strategy includes identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) and setting up experiments to directly impact these metrics.
The art of effective communication
In the realm of paid media, effective communication is indispensable. Tim points out, “being able to explain complex concepts without yourself, or others, getting lost along the way is important when trying to get stakeholders to buy in to your strategies.” Clear and concise communication is essential for gaining buy-in on your strategies and a crucial skill in the paid media world when presenting to a client or colleague that may not possess this technical knowledge.
Expanding on this, effective communication also includes the capacity to translate data into actionable insights. You should be able to convey not just what the data says, but what it means for the business. This involves presenting data in a format that is easy to understand and making recommendations that align with broader business goals.
Mastering organisational skills
Tim acknowledges the growing trend of platform diversification. He advises paid media specialists to be highly organised, stating, “With marketing stacks expanding across various platforms, it’s essential to manage your time, effort, and budgets efficiently.” Effective organisation ensures you can expertly juggle multiple platforms and continue to drive results in all areas.
Effective organisation extends to setting up efficient workflows, project management, and task prioritisation. It’s about managing your time and resources to ensure that you’re not only present on multiple platforms but that you’re optimising your performance on each of them.
Optimising your career for the future
The world of paid media is evolving rapidly, and staying ahead of the curve is paramount for career growth and longevity. By focusing on attribution, creative intelligence, testing mentality, effective communication, and organisational skills, you can future-proof your career as a paid media specialist.
The digital marketing landscape will continue to change. By embracing these core skills and remaining adaptable, you can position yourself as a valuable asset in the dynamic field of paid media marketing. Stay curious, keep learning, and always be ready to embrace the next evolution of the industry.
