It’s the final week of Praxis module 1, so I’m starting to think about module 2! The focus of the second month is on a portfolio project, something I can use to establish hard or soft skills in my repertoire that are immediately relevant to the role area I’m most interested in working in.
First, I want to take a look at the broad skill requirements in the marketing role.
Marketing
At its core, marketing is about recognition.
A good brand is well-known, the result of a successful marketing campaign or good word-of-mouth. Primarily, this is accomplished by knowing who wants or needs your product and then directing your efforts towards those potential customers. It does not serve you or your company to uncritically blast your advertising to the wide world in hopes that the people who need your product will see it. Even worse would be choosing the wrong venue!
There are many vital aspects of marketing, but I believe the following are most important:
- Crafting a business’s narrative
- Implementing technology (Facebook ads, email lists, etc.)
- Staying on top of your lists
Portfolio Project
Here’s the fun part! Now I want to think about the skills and mindset that I want my portfolio project to highlight. So, that means making another list!
- Written and verbal communication
- Design
- Analytics
- Creativity
- Organizational Skills
Okay, that’s a pretty good list. I’ve come up with five portfolio project ideas that could help me showcase some of the skills on this list.
Project #1: Re-write Ad Copy
Investigating the method of writing copy, analyzing the email ads sent out by a handful of companies, and re-writing them using what I’ve learned.
Project #2: Create a Podcast
Hosting a podcast that looks at the history of marketing over the past 50 to 100 years and analyzes the shifts in culture and methodology over time.
Project #3: Learning Marketing Tools
Creating a recording of my learning process with Mailchimp or other email marketing services.
Project #4: Analyze Brands’ Presence Online
Following several brands on all their social media branches and analyzing how they cater their message to the specific characteristics and limitations of the venue. After doing this, I’ll break down my analysis in a video.
Project #5: Develop a Marketing Campaign
Reaching out to small businesses and offering to build a marketing campaign for them for free in order to put my marketing skills into hard practice.
I am thrilled to start one of these projects for module 2 and I look forward to developing and strengthening the skills I need. This whole journey is going to be logged right here on my blog, so if you’re interested in seeing where this takes me, stay tuned!