When working in the sales department for a digital marketing agency, it’s easy to focus only on sales and your day-to-day responsibilities. However, one of the most important things you must do is stay educated on industry news. Whether you have a background in marketing or not, it’s an industry that needs constant education and is rapidly changing. The basics and best practices of paid search really don’t shift too much, but there’s always new features being rolled out and the “buzzwords” that prospects want to hear more about.
If you don’t already have a process in place to stay updated within the industry, Google’s Performance Summit will most definitely make you reconsider. Knowing the various updates within Google AdWords and how your agency is preparing for them helps to have conversations with prospects and discuss how to leverage into more strategic planning for the account.
For example, one of the new AdWords features is Demographics For Search Ads (DFSAs). This feature allows you to set bid modifiers per age and gender. In your discussions with a prospect, you may come to find they have a specific target market. A new feature like DFSAs can be a nice boost to their account, allowing them to be more aggressive within their target market. There’s a good chance they may be unaware of this feature, so bringing something new to the table is always beneficial.
So, how do you stay connected to the new initiatives within the digital marketing world? Let’s discuss a few ways.
Talk Internally
This strategy is probably the most important thing you can do to stay up to date. Talk to people within the services department on a regular basis about various updates and how you can leverage them in conversation. Ask them about what they’ve seen within accounts, how various strategies work for different clients, etc. If you find out something new on Twitter or in reading various blogs, ask account managers about their experience with the initiative. Sharing information within the company is crucial for everyone, including the sales department.
It’s great to know all the different platforms within digital marketing and how they might fit particular situations, but knowing the intricacies of management is crucial for those more in-depth conversations. Rely on your internal team for education.
If you don’t already have a work Twitter account, I’d highly recommend getting one. A lot of people within the digital marketing world discuss new updates, trends and various strategy tactics on Twitter, and it makes for healthy discussion. You’ll also be able to follow company accounts like Google AdWords and Bing Ads, as they inform their followers of anything new within the platform.
Twitter, above all other social media platforms, is a great source of real-time information. If you already have a personal account on Twitter, I’d recommend starting a professional one so your timeline of information doesn’t overlap.
Digital Marketing Conferences
Attending conferences on a semi-regular basis is a great way to sit in on lectures and learn about new initiatives and strategy tactics. Understanding the ins and outs of the platforms will allow you to have in-depth conversations with prospects.
You’re most likely speaking to Digital Marketing Managers, Directors and the like on your prospect calls. You need to be informed about what’s taking place in the industry. These people are involved in the industry and if you aren’t they can tell right away. Being prepared for those conversations is an ongoing and never-ending process. Make sure you’re doing everything to educate yourself and being a great first impression on potential clients.
Educate Yourself
You can’t rely on other people for all of your learning. The good news is all of the information is out there to help educate you on different topics. You can:
- Sign up for a webinar during your lunch break.
- Log into Twitter on a slow day to see what’s new within the industry.
- Read up on blogs to help educate yourself and stay up to speed.
You should be setting time aside each week or every other week to help educate yourself on the industry and how you can bring these new initiatives into your calls with prospects.
Conclusion
Working sales in the digital marketing world is not your typical sales job. Your job requires a lot of knowledge and technical jargon that is hard to come by without experience. If you’ve had experience on the management side prior to moving over to sales, then you have a head start. Either way, it’s crucial to stay up to date on the industry, giving you more credibility on calls with potential clients. Knowing more of what’s going on allows you to not only speak about the topic, but also speak confidently. Set time aside to educate yourself on a regular basis. You won’t regret it.
