Marketing is exhausting

This is how I feel some days…marketing is exhausting. Any other communication pros feeling the heat to “know more and do more” with the same resources? 😩

When I first started in marketing and communications, social didn’t exist, email was young, some organizations didn’t even have a website, and data – what data?

I needed to know how to plan, write, build relationships with media, some graphic design skills (for print), buy media (traditional media) and coordinate/manage events.

Seriously, that was pretty much it.

Fast forward 25 years and while I still do some of those things (with better technology of course), there’s a boatload more a communications pro must know how to do – many of which are technology related:

• Writing for traditional media PLUS online (website, emails, apps, social)
• Graphic design for print PLUS online (website, emails, apps, social, interactive)
• Media outreach via email phone calls, and social. There is no “deadline” anymore – it’s 24/7…and media are strapped for time and resources too, so many times PR pros do some of the leg work for them.
• Data management including database administrator, data governance, statistics etc.
• Metrics (to gauge engagement on websites, with emails and social)
• SEO and online advertising
• Video production (this is a big one since research shows 80% of content will be video by 2021, and 87% of people want more video from brands)
• Online community management
• MarTech (marketing departments now spend more on technology than on staff)

I’m pretty sure there is no relief in sight. While new technology is exciting…it can be a drain on marketing and communications staff. I’m not sure what the answer is, or if there is one, so I guess I’ll just keep swimming!