In the dynamic world of marketing, staying ahead requires constant learning and adaptation. One of the most valuable skills for any marketer is the ability to recognize where your knowledge might be lacking and take actionable steps to fill those gaps. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned marketing manager, knowing how to identify and address these gaps can make all the difference in your campaigns’ success.
Create a Customer Journey Map
The first step in identifying your knowledge gaps is to create a comprehensive customer journey map. Think of this as the center of your operations, much like a war room. This map isn’t just a linear path from awareness to conversion—it’s a strategic overview of every interaction a customer has with your brand, capturing the full complexity of their journey.
For example, in the awareness stage, you might focus on metrics like impressions and click-through rates, while in the decision phase, metrics such as conversion rate and cart abandonment are more relevant. By identifying these touchpoints and the associated metrics, you can clearly see where your understanding might need improvement and where the process may be bottlenecking.
Understand the Skills Behind Each Step
Once you’ve mapped out the customer journey, it’s time to dig deeper into the skills required at each stage. Every phase—whether it’s content creation, lead generation, or conversion—demands a specific set of skills. For instance, a successful website isn’t just about great design; it involves user experience (UX), graphic design, web development, and persuasive copywriting. A competent marketing manager should be able to discern which of these tasks they can handle, which ones can be outsourced, and which ones should have both their conception and execution outsourced.
Recognizing that it’s impossible to be a master of all these skills is the first step toward effective delegation. However, that doesn’t mean you can afford to be in the dark about any of them. You might not be writing sales copy yourself, but you should certainly know what good sales copy looks like. The same goes for every other skill in your marketing arsenal.
Outsource Wisely and Efficiently
Outsourcing is a crucial part of modern marketing, but it’s important to approach it with the right mindset. The goal isn’t just to delegate tasks but to use outsourcing as a learning opportunity. By understanding enough about the tasks you outsource, you can better assess the quality of work and integrate new insights into your strategy.
For example, if you outsource the creation of a landing page, you should understand the principles of effective landing page design well enough to assess the final product. This ensures that you’re not just getting the job done but also building your own understanding in the process.
Be Ready to Step In and Adapt
In today’s world of AI and lean business practices, flexibility is more important than ever. As a marketing manager, you must be ready to step in and handle tasks that might be bottlenecking your customer journey map. If your graphic designer is tied up and you need a simple graphic with a tight deadline, handle it yourself. If your web development team is swamped, roll up your sleeves and create that landing page on your own.
The goal here isn’t to replace your team but to ensure that no part of the process stalls the entire operation. Strive to learn 80% of every skill required in your marketing efforts. The remaining 20%—the truly expert-level stuff—can be left to those who specialize in it. The good news is that the first 80% can usually be learned within six months of focused effort, while the last 20% might take a lifetime to master.