Full-Stack Marketer

Here's the funny thing: my job title is "Marketing Specialist." But if you ask me what I do, it's more like a bit of everything!

Every young person at the start of their journey has doubts about which path to take. Some are fortunate enough to know exactly what they want, but for the rest of us, making a decision that will impact the rest of our lives when we know so little about life carries a huge weight on our shoulders.

I could never pick just one thing I liked. Also, I wouldn't say I like it when people ask me about my favourite this or favourite that. Having favourites limits me and my personality to one choice that ultimately stamps a label on my forehead and puts me in a box. Humans are more complex than just our favourites, and for that reason, I make a point not to name just one thing I like, but many.

You want to know my favourite colour? In which context? Is it for clothes, for interior design, for my phone case, when I'm sad, when I'm happy, in summer, or in winter? And I would pick a different colour for all of these scenarios.

My professional journey was the same. "Pick one thing and stick to it," they said! But I love human psychology, biology, design, capturing moments with my camera, and playing with numbers to get different results, almost like a magic trick. Because I couldn't just pick one thing and had to choose, I chose something practical yet creative: economics.

Little did I know that while still struggling to be a specialist and failing, this path would lead me to marketing. Yes, marketing is a specialised department, but there is so much going on behind the scenes. We come up with ideas, give them a title, and put them into words that can touch others. We bring them to life in designs, we plan, analyse, and repeat. We create videos, take photos, organise exhibitions, work on logistics and admin, and much more that would take too long to list.

The point is, I found my specialisation in a generalistic field where I can combine a cluster of skills, abilities, and knowledge. Human psychology is probably the most important aspect of marketing, but not the only one.

In a world that wants you to be a specialist, I chose to be a generalist within my role as a Marketing Specialist, where I can excel at more than one thing, working with different platforms, software, types of people, static and moving designs, and so much more.

The offline world used to be our world not so long ago. Remember?

Before the 1980s, this was the general truth we lived in. However, when the internet debuted in '83, everyone scrambled to go online. Fast forward to today, and we are so deeply rooted in the digital landscape that we often forget about the offline world. This shift is affecting our mental health, as we navigate a constant bombardment of notifications, emails, and online interactions.

I stumbled on this article from Semrush talking about what it means to be a full-stack digital marketer.

As I was doing an inventory in my head of all the responsibilities I have, I realised something: it’s missing the offline side of things. While the focus is heavily on online strategies, there’s still a vibrant world happening offline that marketers must engage with.

So, I thought I would share my own take on what it means to be a full-stack marketer. Today, online and offline marketing must work hand in hand. But can you imagine crafting a marketing strategy without the tools we have today?

Picture sketching a brochure design by hand or employing someone to distribute flyers for new campaigns. Times are changing rapidly, and we need to be more adaptable and flexible than ever.

The flexibility of a full-stack marketer extends beyond just digital strategies. We’re expected to seamlessly manage both online and offline approaches, which truly sets us apart in the field.

In Brenna Kelly's words (the Content Writer for Semrush): "This flexibility is a hallmark of full stack marketers, who combine the broad capabilities of marketing generalists with the specialised knowledge of T-shaped marketers."

And I think that’s what makes full-stack marketers so valuable. We’re not just versatile; we’re strategic. We can pivot, adapt, and solve problems in real-time, ensuring that campaigns don’t just launch, but that they deliver results and evolve with the business.