Posted by There are many people who want to move ahead in Marketing. They want a better job. They want more pay. They want a better title. They want to manage more people. They want to work on more interesting business. I hope you’re one of those people.
Why do I wish that for you? Staying where you, are and doing what you’re doing, and being paid what you’re being paid to do the same thing next year won’t do much for you. It won’t move you to another level, it won’t push you spiritually, it won’t push you creatively, and it (probably) won’t make you a better person. If you’re not striving to grow, learn and push yourself, you’re not living (sorry to get all Tony Robbins on you, but it’s true).
There was a problem with trying to get ahead in Marketing…
Prior to the Internet, if you strived for more in Marketing, it wasn’t easy to find the tools, networks and people to help you get ahead. You would have to (at best) take a course, pass it and then prove to your managers that you have the new skill sets required to move ahead. You could read some of the trade and industry magazines and newspapers and (hopefully) be able to prove some of the ideas you picked up in your client (or brand) work. You could attend a few industry events and conferences and bring that knowledge back to work. There were few (and limited but always expensive) ways to get the information you needed to push ahead.
There’s no longer an excuse not to up your game.
We are here now. There are no more excuses. If you wanted to learn more, network with people and get some ideas and new skill sets, the only thing stopping you is you.
You can…
- Spend all day and night reading Marketing, Advertising and Communications Blogs from the sharpest minds.
- Connect to amazing people on Twitter (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc…).
- Watch hours of Marketing and advertising videos on YouTube.
- Rent documentaries on iTunes (have you seen Art And Copy yet?).
- Listen to audio Podcasts (do you listen to Marketing Over Coffee, For Immediate Release, Jaffe Juice, The Beancast, etc…?).
- Watch video Podcasts too.
- Add you thoughts by commenting on individual’s Facebook pages, Blogs, Podcasts, etc…
- Start your own Blog or Podcast to experiment with how you think and get others to help you crystallize your perspective.
- Attend an unconference like PodCamp and meet, learn and share with people "in their protein forms."
- Subscribe to a ton of free e-newsletters (iMedia connection, eMarketer, ClickZ, SmartBrief on Social Media, Marketing Charts, etc…).
- Attend online webinars.
- Take an online course (look at what they’re teaching over at Market Motive… and look at who your teachers can be).
The things is…
You have no more excuses for not upping your game. The craziest part? The majority of the ideas listed above are free (or close to it). They are all available – at your disposable – right now, forever and 24-hours-a-day. Your organization, boss, management and peers may never help you move forward. You’re not stuck. You don’t need them. All you need is the commitment, time, effort and true desire. It doesn’t matter if you are an entry-level employee, middle manager, senior executive, business owner in start-up mode or an entrepreneur with thousands of employees, there is still valuable learning skills and people to connect to at every level. Personally, no business books, courses or marketing conferences have held a candle to how the Internet has helped me upped my game (and I’m just getting started).
What are you waiting for? Up your game.
Never another podcast episode or article 
Thanks you. As an entrepreneur running my business for less than two years, your article has inspired me and reassured me that the time I have been putting into learning from free resources online is a good road to go down.
I know that I have to learn more about marketing to take my business forward. Great info!
Very inspiring and true. Thank you!
This is not to suggest there aren’t others who want to help us. But no one can want it more than us. And we have to do the work.
Mitch,
You are so right. You never stop learning.
So I posted a blog: http://chasethis.wordpress.com/
Thanks… Michael
LOVE this post! I tell clients, partners, and team members all the time that there are “no secrets” anymore, no guardians to knowledge, no gate-keepers. If you are willing to put forth the effort you can glean any knowledge you need.
Every time I enter a new area of business, I investigate who the thinkers and movers are, subscribe to their rss feeds, listen to them on twitter, and see who they are conversing with.
It’s all out there, you simply have to grab it!
I’m waiting ’til tomorrow to up my game…Saturday mornings in bed permit me to clear my mind, so I think that Sunday will be my “game upper day”. Thanks Mitch, as always.
Sass
I think part of the problem IS that there’s so much good material out there. If I read while eating and give up sleeping, there’s STILL not enough time to take it all in and also make use of it. Which leads to two ways to procrastinate:
1) I can read (watch/chat/listen) all the time and never actually implement any of it.
2) I can select a few blogs, etc to keep up with so that I have time to implement, but then dither and avoid because “I might missing something important.”
We need some way to, in the words of Switch (by Chip & Dan Heath), direct the rider: decide on a single clear path that can be followed without constantly rechecking to see if you’re doing “the right thing”
Don’t forget about plain old boring books! Since I’ve started reading a book or two per month, my horizons have expanded exponentially!
Mitch – what books do you recommend?
Keep plodding along. The links and resources are everywhere… All around you.
Thanks for making it through the maze on my mind and the output of it in a blog post.
The good news is that the resources and information has been democratized and decentralized. It’s there for the taking.
Good luck with the Blog. Do what can to generate interest, attention and engagement. It’s not easy, but the rewards are bountiful.
It’s a big shift. Before all of this stuff, we locked the brains in the office and held them like a “secret sauce.” I like this newer world more. The sharing, caring and the back and forth.
That’s ok, the rest of us will keep on keeping on and lap you 😉 Kidding!
Good advice! I was encouraged to see that most of your suggestions are things I’ve been doing to tap into the wealth of info out there. I’ve never understood how people are content without being proactive learners! There’s always something new to learn!
There’s no doubt that “filter failure” is an issue. That being said, you have to ease up. I’ve become very comfortable with the reality that I can’t – and will not – ever be able to consume everything. With that comes a solace. I’m good with consuming what I can. If something new comes along, it means something else has to give. Take solace in your time limitations. And, never let the consumption of media get in the way of execution and going to market.
If you do a search for “business book” in the top left corner, you’ll find multiple Blog posts with links to lots of lists of great business books.
Books are great. Sadly, most people buy them with the best intentions and only a few read them… Even less do something with the content.
There’s that classic saying: “stay curious!”
It’s never been easier to spot the real game makers from the wannabes, has it?
When you have such easy ways to really improve yourself, to grow, if you choose not to you really are going to miss out so much.
There is one slight challenge: you have to ensure that the quality of the content that you’re consuming is good and of quality. All too often people follow those who are popular vs. those that have experience… and there’s a huge, large and scary chasm that is often between those two. Many people – sadly – fall into the chasm or wind up on the wrong side.
People always ask me, “How do you find the time…” And I point out that I don’t find the time, I make the time. (Hmm, reading smart blog posts while watching football on Sunday afternoon perhaps?).
We’ll all busy. You just have to prioritize learning. As you quite well put it, “the only thing stopping you is you.”
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again (ok, I didn’t say this, but I love the saying!): “people always make the time for the things that are important to them.” Its like for family, business and charitable work. Always.
It’s been my first year in this business and it has been very rewarding. I gave up watching TV and doing a lot of the things I wanted to do. However, I now run a successful web development business. Mitch is absolutely right, the gatekeepers no longer hold the keys. Study hard, bring your A-Game, and get into business for yourself. Anyone can start a blog and get their ideas into the world.
It’s important to figure out first if you are an entrepreneur. It’s easy to decide that you want to start a business… it’s much harder to be that type of person. This Blog post was not about becoming an entrepreneur… it’s about making yourself better, smarter and fast (whether you own a business or work for one).
Terrific post. One tip I like to share with people looking to get smart in social media quickly is to go back and read Mashable for the last two years. Just scroll through the headlines in chronological order and you’ll get a great feel for important cultural milestones and catch an amazing array of “how-to” articles that’s pretty much like a degree in a box.
or – for that matter – any Blog that you currently find interesting as well. Going back and reading the early days from the Blogs of your choice gives a whole new perspective.
Hi Mitch, long time listener, first time commenter. Thanks for all that you provide and share. As a Creative Director in radio (which offers a very limited amount of professional development budget) I tell my writers all the time to do these same things. And as others have said above, there is always the old standard books. Not sure who said it but it’s sadly true…and I’m paraphrasing here but…by reading just 2 books this year, you could potentially be one of the smartest people in your industry!
Thanks again for all that you do to better our industry!
LOL – you’re right it turns out that 2 books a year is double what the average CEO is reading!