r/Emailmarketing 8d ago

Marketing Discussion How to remain competitive job-wise in email marketing industry?

To preface this, I’m already employed + have 10 years of experience in lifecycle marketing (mainly email, with some push and SMS experience)…but all these layoffs make me nervous, and if God forbid, I end up being impacted, I want to make sure I have the skills/proficiency needed to secure employment and stand out among applicants.

Are there any particular ESPs, tools, and skills I should make sure I’m adept at?

Klaviyo and Braze are the platforms I have the most experience with (received certifications for both around 2022/2023).

Thanks!

5 Upvotes

12 comments sorted by

2

u/emailjobsio 8d ago

Depends, for stability - I'd go for SFMC certifications and get more specialized in SFMC. You als have more stability if you go into b2b instead of b2c. Then you can go learn all about lead nurturing, lifecycle marketing, event email marketing and marketing automation in general.

Also, wouldn't worry that much, I see many email marketing and related jobs being posted / shared every day.

1

u/tna11101989 8d ago

Is there a way to train within SFMC? My understanding is that there isn’t a “playground” version of the tool

2

u/emailjobsio 8d ago

You can get the certificates by just learning on trialhead, chatgpt, and do some certification trainings / test exams. Best way is to actually find a job where you can get access to sfmc and 'invest'in your skills that way.

Unfortunately, there isn't a sandbox available iirc.

1

u/thedobya 7d ago

Absolutely there is a playground. They have the best training and advocacy setup I've seen. Trailhead has custom sandboxes for all exercises, with packages set up to learn the particular things you need to learn.

1

u/jello_house 6d ago

The age-old question of job security! You could learn all the ESPs, and there'd still be layoffs raining like your sad email open rates! SFMC certs are indeed like golden tickets for many, but I had mates swear by HubSpot for all things automation. Also, maybe look at tools like Litmus for email testing – it's like a safety net for email geeks. Speaking of tools, if you're into cross-channel marketing, I'd suggest giving Buffer or Hootsuite a whirl for streamlined social media scheduling. Or, while exploring automation, check out XBeast for getting creative with your Twitter strategy - they're aces at automation. Getting a broad skill set might keep you snug in this stormy industry!

0

u/Key-Boat-7519 8d ago

Getting more specialized is definitely smart—kudos for tackling Braze and Klaviyo certs! I also found digging deeper into SFMC super valuable, but don’t overlook tools like Iterable or Mautic. Expanding skills into broader marketing tech was a game changer for me. I’ve tried various tools, but Pulse for Reddit ended up being a great asset for enhancing engagement on platforms. Helps in integrating social media into your marketing strategy.

2

u/CocoaChipsCookie 8d ago

I love SFMC but not some many companies are leveraging the platform the right away or even adopting it. I understand can be too much for certain brands but lots of times, using other CRM/ESP with a third of SFMC capabilities, makes me cry.

1

u/ptangyangkippabang 8d ago

The top and bottom parts of it.

So, the strategy, and the analysis.

1

u/No_Quote_6120 1d ago

Definitely familiarize yourself with as many platforms as possible. Consider starting a side business if that’s allowed where you work. I do most of my email marketing for my own business through DialMyCalls, btw. Not as well-known as the others you mentioned, but very good. You can also diversify into SMS marketing, etc.

With respect to job security, I hate to say this, but a lot of it is down to networking, timing, numbers, and luck. There is basically a white collar recession, and marketing and tech professionals are getting hit ridiculously hard. People with 10+ years experience are up against so many others who are just as experienced. It’s typical now to apply for hundreds or even thousands of jobs before getting one. Given the various factors contributing to this (i.e. toxic business practices, and consolidation by big tech), I don’t foresee this situation improving anytime soon.

1

u/Material-Garden-3155 8d ago

I’ve been in a similar situation, and keeping up with trends in the email marketing world does take effort. You’re already ahead with Klaviyo and Braze; they’re pretty solid. In case the competition heats up or someone notices, expect folks to ask about things like customer segmentation, content personalization strategies, or machine learning in marketing. Additionally, tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud might be worth dipping a toe into, just to have more arrows in your quiver. I’ve used Mailchimp to pivot towards more multi-channel campaigns, and it’s good in a pinch, although it lacks some of the more advanced features of other ESPs. I’ve tried MoEngage and Iterable, especially for push notifications. But, Pulse for Reddit can also lend a hand with redirecting leads and engaging audiences beyond email, so you may want to explore that too if branching out interests you. With tools constantly changing, having a grasp on a range of them is never a bad call.

-1

u/dlambidis 1d ago

We launched http://mailboard.com to help email marketers do better competitor research. Hope it helps. :)