Diving into the dynamic world of marketing specialty, we sought the expertise of industry leaders to uncover the most coveted specialties in the field. From the perspective of a Fractional CMO and a president, among others, we explore the reasons why areas like AI, automation, and voice search optimization are leading today’s marketing landscape. Here are the top seven insights on the specialties that are shaping the future of marketing.

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Contents

1 AI and Automation Dominate Marketing Specialty
2 Social Media Marketing’s Creative Appeal
3 Sales Skills Enhance Marketing Value
4 SEO as Essential for Online Visibility
5 Growth Hacking Unlocks Rapid Expansion
6 Data-Driven Marketing as a Strategic Imperative
7 Voice Search Optimization Gains Traction

AI and Automation Dominate Marketing Specialty

The most sought-after specialties within marketing today are artificial intelligence and automation—by far.

The AI boom is in full swing, and marketing specialty is a field that’s perfect for utilizing generative AI.

Text-to-copy, text-to-image, text-to-video, and even text-to-music are all possible, though the first two are more advanced than the latter two.

I want to quickly pause here to say this is written by me—it’s not AI-generated!

But it is worth noting that AI agents with an understanding of their commands can be created to run tasks on their own.

Where you once needed a team of ten, you can now use a team of two or one.

Easy marketing specialty automations include video production, editing, copywriting, sales, outbound emailing, and correspondence, and social media.

I recently discovered a less-than-a-year-old company that uses GPT to rank for over 200,000 keywords and counting. This is a true story; I didn’t even know this velocity of SEO was possible.

I believe that marketers who have an understanding of generative AI and automation will make stories like this commonplace.

It’s for this reason that these are the most sought-after marketers, and this is the most sought-after specialty.

Edward Sturm, Fractional CMO, Edwardsturm.com

Social Media Marketing’s Creative Appeal

Social media marketing, SMM, is one of the most popular strategies in today’s marketing specialty field. Almost all major brands are desperate to create authentic connections on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where they can find billions of users surfing through their smartphones.

The key to branding success in this digital age is SMM. Its experts can create and produce viral content, cultivate active communities, and navigate the ever-changing algorithms. It is a dynamic and creative platform for people with expertise to play with data.

Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy India

Sales Skills Enhance Marketing Value

Sales. Yes, even within the marketing field, being able to sell both internally and externally will make you invaluable to your company.

For example, working in digital marketing specialty for almost a decade, I have been given many more opportunities to showcase my talent because of my confidence in meetings and on phone calls with partners and clients. Even without being the most talented individual, being confident and selling your idea is crucial to your own success.

Even if you are an internal marketer, being able to sell your ideas to management and get budget approved is a necessity for marketing specialty departments. An additional value-add is being able to work closely with sales departments. Many companies overlook this relationship, but it is so important for marketing and sales teams to work hand-in-hand on projects.

Marketing Specialty with Austin Stouffer

Austin Stouffer, Founder and Lead Consultant, Loading Leads Marketing

SEO as Essential for Online Visibility

One of the most sought-after specialties within the marketing field today is undoubtedly Search Engine Optimization (SEO). The reason is simple; people are increasingly using search engines like Google to find solutions to their problems, and businesses that rank higher on search results get more visibility and, hence, more business.

During my work, one of our clients experienced a 278% growth just within 12 months of starting our SEO strategy. This is largely because SEO not only directs more traffic to your website; it also brings in higher-quality traffic, i.e., users who are actively searching for and are ready to buy your products or services.

Moreover, as SEO focuses on attracting customers who are already interested in your offerings, it’s a much more efficient and effective way to generate leads and, hence, drive sales. So, investing in SEO is indeed a game-changer for many businesses today, making it a highly sought-after marketing specialty.

Magee Clegg, CEO, Cleartail Marketing

Growth Hacking Unlocks Rapid Expansion

One of the most coveted specialties in today’s marketing field is growth hacking, since growth hackers possess the unique skill set to not just attract potential customers into the funnel but also effectively guide them all the way through to conversion. They combine creativity, analytical thinking, and a keen understanding of technology to unlock rapid-growth strategies.

Marketing Specialty with Justin Silverman

Justin Silverman, Founder and CEO, Merchynt

Data-Driven Marketing as a Strategic Imperative

The most coveted specialty in marketing currently is, undoubtedly, data-driven marketing. In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the ability to harness data effectively sets a company apart. This approach isn’t just about collecting vast amounts of data; it’s the insightful interpretation and strategic application that make the difference.

At my company, we’ve observed a surge in demand for professionals skilled in analytics and data interpretation. These experts can transform raw data into actionable insights, enabling businesses to make informed decisions and tailor their strategies to real-time market dynamics. The significance of this trend is underscored by our own success; leveraging data-driven insights has been pivotal in enhancing our software recommendation services. By understanding market trends, consumer behaviors, and technological advancements through a data-centric lens, we’ve been able to deliver more value to our clients and increase their ROI significantly.

The reason this specialty is so sought-after is clear: it empowers companies to navigate the complexity of modern markets with precision and agility. In a world where change is the only constant, being data-savvy is not just an advantage; it’s a necessity.

Ankit Prakash, Founder, Sprout24

Voice Search Optimization Gains Traction

One of the most sought-after specialties in marketing today is voice search optimization. It’s unique because it caters to the rising trend of voice-activated devices and search queries.

With more people using voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, businesses need experts who can optimize their content to be easily discoverable through voice search. This skill ensures companies stay ahead in the evolving digital landscape, catering to the changing search behavior of consumers and increasing their online visibility.