How to find a 10x Marketer – Part 3: Hard Skills

10x marketers are rare. You can expect to pay more but get more. A 10x marketer is a jack-of-all trades. Many people don’t spend their time learning a lot of different things, but rather focus on being an expert in one main area. This is what makes a 10x marketer unique. In a pinch, this person could fill almost any role in your organization.

In parts 1 and 2 of this series, we defined a 10x marketer and what qualities this person should have. A 10x marketer is a T-Shaped resource that can cross industries and has acquired a variety of skills. This person should not only be outstanding but upstanding. But, what are the actual skills you’re looking for?

If you’re looking for someone who has expertise in Digital Marketing, you’re in luck. Of the 300+ million members in LinkedIn, 42.9 million, or 16 percent, report having expertise in Digital Marketing. That is a lot of people to consider for your organization. If you’re looking for a 10x marketer, you must narrow down your search. Some example skills to look for are expertise in the following areas: Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Lean Six Sigma, Agile, HTML and SEM. Your list will vary depending on your organization’s specific needs. Layering these example skills together narrows the pool of qualified people. What was once a broad group of about 42.9 million is now only around 12,600 or 0.0042%.

Google offers the Analytics and AdWords certification exams for free. Google Analytics and Google AdWords are widely-utilized, key tools for Digital Marketing measurement and advertising. A 10x marketer should be well versed in both and maintain their certifications. Lean Six Sigma is a methodology utilized in manufacturing, where following process is especially critical. Agile is a best practice for the software development industries. SEM, or Search Engine Marketing, is the large umbrella that includes being proficient in tasks such as search engine optimization (SEO), content creation, email marketing and digital advertising.

This is what the breakdown looks like:

1. Digital Marketing = 42,900,000
2. Digital Marketing + Google Analytics = 1,990,000
3. Digital Marketing + Google Analytics + Adwords = 604,000
4. Digital Marketing + Google Analytics + Adwords + Lean Six Sigma = 26,700
5. Digital Marketing + Google Analytics + Adwords + Lean Six Sigma + Agile = 17,900
6. Digital Marketing + Google Analytics + Adwords + Lean Six Sigma + Agile + SEM = 13,300

 
If you identify with more than six skills, the number of people remains about the same. Only six skills? That sounds pretty low. When you pull apart the areas of expertise, you start to see where the combination is not so common. Skills such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and Agile might seem off target to digital marketing, and at one point they would have been, but Marketing Technology as an industry and profession is becoming more widely accepted and understood. Having a technically inclined resource that can manage strict process, measure results and optimize a team is vital. You should be looking for marketers that are process-oriented, yet flexible. LSS and Agile combined sound like a contradiction, but the two skills complimentary. A digital marketer should also be creative and solution-oriented. If the process isn’t working, a 10x resource will think on their feet and ensure that the trains keep moving with little disruption.

In the next part of this series, we will take a deeper dive into the skill set and what to do with it.

Katie Lioy
Manager, Marketing Technology

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