Developers, Mastering the Art of Marketing

In today’s digital world, being a developer with marketing skills is a powerful combination. As a digital entrepreneur, you need to not only create a product but also know how to effectively bring it to market. This unique set of skills is rare, yet highly valuable.

In addition to product development, it’s essential for entrepreneurs to have a deep understanding of various aspects related to marketing, such as website creation, Facebook page setup, email sequencing, and setting up ad campaigns. These skills fall under the umbrella term “webmaster.”

While it’s not mandatory for entrepreneurs to possess all of these skills, it’s important to note that this post discusses creating a business without relying on employees. Of course, you have the option to hire external experts to handle specific tasks, but there are considerations to keep in mind:

• It can be a distraction as you search for trustworthy individuals with the right expertise at a price you can afford.
• You have to allocate a budget to pay these contractors for their work.
• It can become a never-ending cycle, as technical issues will continually arise, and you may be reliant on an external person who handles tasks you don’t fully understand, as you initially delegated too much responsibility.
• Consider the consequences if the person you depend on suddenly becomes unavailable.
• Many of these tasks should be an integral part of your core business, something only you can manage effectively.

In general, if you lack the skills to perform a task, you will need to outsource and pay someone else to do it for you.

The rest of this post will provide a general overview of the essential skills you need, allowing you to delve deeper into each topic. Personally, I started as a programmer/webmaster and eventually became a web marketer out of necessity. If you possess more soft skills, you can approach it the other way around. Thanks to numerous available tools, it’s now possible to create perfect websites and landing pages without writing a single line of code.

However, it’s vital to understand that anything crucial to the success of your business must be mastered. Otherwise, your product and brand may be perceived as unmanaged, amateurish, or unappealing. You have two options — invest time in learning these skills yourself or spend money to hire industry professionals who can deliver results.

I strongly recommend learning everything required for your business because although techniques may change, the underlying concepts will remain timeless. You can’t delegate foundational elements of your business to others. Even if you decide to outsource, having a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter is necessary. It enables you to identify precisely what you need and distinguishes it from what is extraneous or unnecessary.

Tags: marketing, web development, digital entrepreneurship, webmaster