What Qualifies Someone as a Marketing Expert?

How many times have you seen an advertising agency or a marketing firm refer to themselves as just that…a professional marketing group, a social media firm, a marketing consultant..in today’s day with technology, it can be easy to confuse what actually qualifies someone as a marketing expert.  Business owners should do their homework when spending their hard earned money on a company who claims to be a marketing expert, but has no education to back it up.  Lately we’ve heard of agencies or consultants who market themselves as specializing in advertising, marketing, social media, public relations, etc.  So how do we truly know these so-called experts are truly knowledgeable in this field?  For starters, having a bachelor’s degree in one of these fields should be required.  In school, students learn how to strategize, create, brand, research, etc. and having the knowledge and insight behind what you do, is definitely needed to utilize these marketing tools.

Having experience in a corporate environment and using these types of marketing vehicles, such as communicating messages though different vehicles like mass email, building your website presence, creating and maintaining your image or products through social media, creating your brand, executing your strategy…these are all tools to promote brand awareness and drive sales to your business.  These skills will build a successful marketing plan for your business.  The bottom line is a business should do their homework when it comes to spending their hard earned money on hiring someone to brand their business, execute their vision and follow through on their marketing strategies.

As a business owner, you simply cannot afford to hire anyone who does not have the education, knowledge and experience to promote your brand effectively and efficiently.  After all, would you hire a heart surgeon to fix your car even if he promoted himself as a heart surgeon?  Credibility is key!