In this article, we look at what it takes to be a successful performance marketer. The aim is to identify and distil the absolutely essential core skills, mindset and equipment that unites the very best performance marketers.
Think of this as a checklist of the key tools you need in your kit to be truly successful within this industry.
Equipped with
Phone: Standard, but essential. Successful performance marketers work with clients around the globe and need to stay connected.
Laptop: The central point of everything they do. This is the tool that allows them to work on the go, control their process and leverage results.
Full Stack Martech Software: Including, but not limited to, lead management software, affiliate tracking software, a landing page builder. These are the core tools all performance marketers need to be running.
A black book of publishers and advertisers: Harder to come about, but more valuable and rare than anything else. Once they have this book, proving they are able to keep strong relationships with everyone in it.. and keep adding new people to it, the sky is the limit!
A bank of high converting landing pages ready to roll: The best performance marketers will know exactly what converts. They will be experts in conversion principles and be able to create the very best landing pages to get the very best results. They will also have amazing Advertorials, social banners and email creatives ready to go on-demand.
Key skills
Fluent in multiple technologies: Not only must a performance marketer be in possession of a full stack of marketing software, but they must also be highly skilled in using them to achieve the best results.
Understands elements of the law in relation to GDPR: Without knowing how GDPR works, a performance marketer could be liable to receive HUGE fines. Legal knowledge in this area is absolutely essential!
Excellent at communication: The most important job a performance marketer has is building relationships with clients and keeping clients happy. Being able to communicate effectively is absolutely key to achieving this.
Inspires trust: If people are going to buy leads from you they need to trust you. This isn’t necessarily something you can learn…but if you ensure you have as many of the other keys skills and equipment as possible then it’s a good start.
Mentality
Embraces change: The most dangerous phrase a performance marketer can use is “We’ve always done it that way.” That’s fine for average performance, but if you want success, you must be ahead of the curve and be open to new ways of doing things. You must search out the new, embrace it and run with it.
Knows and can demonstrate the value they add: To inspire trust in clients, a performance marketer must be able to show exactly what they offer and the value they add. This will increase new clients, client retention and enable them to constantly improve performance.
Is at the cutting edge of technological developments: Technology is the key to success within the world of performance marketing. It is a constantly evolving market and the most successful performance marketers will be at the cutting edge of this market.
Time management
Spends time building relationships: Time is money. A successful performance marketer spends both well and wastes neither. One of the most important ways of spending time is building relationships with clients.
Spends their time driving traffic: The second important way of spending time is driving the very best traffic.
Automation is their secret weapon: In order to spend their time doing what really matters, the most successful performance marketers will automate every single aspect of their workload that possibly can. If you’d like to learn more about Automation read Lead Management Automation Will Skyrocket Performance.
Summary
To be a successful performance marketer you need to be in possession of all the tools, skills and qualities listed above. You need to be at the cutting-edge of every technological and industry development and you need the mindset to embrace change and lead, rather than follow.
If you’d like to employ some practical steps to start utilising the secret weapon of any performance marketer or lead generator, download The Lead Generator’s Automation Checklist for Free and start focusing on everything else on the list once you have.
