What traits should you be looking for when recruiting an extraordinary inbound marketer for your team? A background in marketing, graphic design, programming, copywriting, public relations -- or something else? An extraordinary inbound marketer could have any of the listed backgrounds because part of what makes dynamic inbound marketing teams successful is their diversified experiences, backgrounds, and talents.
However, the below attributes remain consistent regardless of an inbound marketer's background. Look for these 12 traits to determine whether your inbound marketing candidate is extraordinary or not.
1. Able to utilize both sides of the brain effectively, but left-brain dominant
2. Writes blog posts prolifically
3. Reads blogs prolifically
4. Naturally displays a high level of passion for their work
5. Maintains a real-world network of other inbound marketers who are just a phone call away
6. Are well respected online community members
7. Working knowledge of HTML
8. Working knowledge of Photoshop
9. Data-driven – able to parse through analytics to develop action items
10. Possesses acute personal and company brand awareness
11. Understands the sales funnel and how it translates online
12. Workaholic – does inbound marketing at home, in the office, and on the go
Until the inbound marketing career path matures and the role is better defined, Marketing Directors, VPs of Marketing, and CMOs will continue to struggle in their pursuit of highly skilled inbound marketers. Paul Roetzer, the author of The Marketing Agency Blueprint, does a great job shedding light on the future of this hybrid marketing professional. In the meantime, look to the above 12 attributes for identifying an inbound marketer extraordinaire.
Image Credit: Troels Dejgaard Hansen
