Marketing + Coding = Marcoding?

Seems like a weird mix, no? Why should marketers know how to code? Although marketers don’t need to be master coders, having some basics can be a very useful tool in a marketers repertoire: 

Customization 

• With coding knowledge marketers can personalize content to better fit the brand than if they were using templates. This would be useful for websites, emails, landing pages, etc. 

SEO

• By knowing HTML, marketers can improve SEO because it will improve the structure of the website. 

Fix it!

• By understanding some basics in coding, marketers can have a better understanding of how to fix issues with emails, websites, and other digital media.  

Platform Comparison 

This week, I learned how to use some basic coding/website building platforms, including Codecademy, Squarespace, Wordpress, and pineapple builder. I am going to compare and contrast these sites including strengths, weaknesses, and when to use. 

Codecademy

• This platform is a prime tool that teaches coding skills in various forms. I spent a couple hours on the course that teaches HTML. This was very useful to me as a marketing student because I was able to better understand the framework and construction of websites and how to customize them. 

Squarespace

• This platform is a website building tool that provides templates and user friendly gadgets to build a professional website. Squarespace is ideal for small businesses and personal brands and has easy tools for e-commerce, blogging, and email marketing integration.

WordPress

• This is another user friendly website that allows users to easily build themselves a website. WordPress provides tools that allow user to create a variety of types of websites, from blogs to portfolios to e-commerce, you can create it on WordPress. WordPress thrives for user attempting to do content marketing and search engine optimization because of its flexibility which allows user to optimize their site. 

Pineapple Builder

• This platform is in the “no code” and “low code” universe, I will go deeper into these concepts down below, but essentially this means that users can easily build websites with little to no coding knowledge. It features a drag and drop interface to keep things simple and clean for users.  The simplicity of this platform makes it ideal for creating and launching landing pages efficiently, launching AB tests, and experimenting with website layouts. 

No code? No problem 

Today, platforms exist that allow users that have no idea how to code, to achieve website building and other coding uses. These platforms rely on drag and drop algorithms and templates that users can customize and personalize. Squarespace and Pineapple Builder are both examples of no code platforms which is why they are ideal platforms for beginners, startups, and personal brands.  

Low Code, the Next Step 

Low code programs are a step up from no code programs. These platforms require the user to be able to do some basic coding, which allows users to have increased customization compared to no code platforms. WordPress is an example of a low code platform, and is a great tool for marketers looking to take their business, personal brand, blog, etc. to the next level. 

Turn your Weapons into an Arsenal 

How could marketers learn to use all of these platforms to maximize their personal arsenal? First, they could use Codecademy to continue building on their coding skills. In the meantime, they can use Pineapple builder and Squarespace to experiment with different web designs, conduct AB tests, create landing pages, and other tasks that are easy and quick. Next, they can use Squarespace to build a more complicated website using low code tools to combine their knowledge from Codecademy and the no code sites to create a professional and personalized online brand.