Tips for Lifelong Learning in Marketing

𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗜𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀—𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝗕𝗔 🎓 Most people think LinkedIn is just for job hunting. The reality? It’s the biggest learning platform that no one is using correctly. If you’re not using LinkedIn to upskill daily, you’re leaving opportunities on the table. Here’s how I’ve used LinkedIn to learn more in 3 months than I did in 3 years of formal education: 𝙁𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 📍Everyone follows CEOs & influencers, but the real insights come from practitioners—people actually doing the work. 📍Find hidden gems in your industry & engage with their posts. 📍Tip: Go to the "Activity" tab of industry leaders—see who comments valuable insights and follow them. 𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙙𝙄𝙣 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙃𝙪𝙗 📍Save insightful posts & revisit them weekly. 📍Follow hashtags like #AI #MarketingTrends #CareerGrowth to stay ahead. 📍Bonus: Many experts drop free playbooks, templates, and frameworks that aren’t in any textbook. 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 (𝙖.𝙠.𝙖. 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜) 📍The best way to learn is to share what you’re learning. 📍Write 1 post per week summarizing a lesson, industry trend, or insight. 📍You don’t need to be an expert. Teaching solidifies learning. 𝙐𝙨𝙚 𝘿𝙈𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙨 📍Instead of sending generic connection requests, ask: 📍“Hey [Name], I loved your post on [Topic]. Do you have any book or resource recommendations on this?” 📍People LOVE sharing knowledge—this starts conversations that lead to real mentorship. 𝙏𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤-𝙇𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 📍The real gold on LinkedIn is in the comment section. 📍Read how people debate, disagree, and add insights—it’s like an interactive business case study. The Best Learning Isn’t in a Classroom, It’s in Conversations. So if you’re just scrolling, you’re consuming. If you’re commenting, posting, and engaging, you’re learning. #CareerGrowth #LifelongLearning #LinkedInTips #LinkedIn

"Hey Tom," Braden messaged. "Yeah?" I replied. "Have any ideas for young folks looking to break into the marketing field?" he asked. "Say less," I said. Here's 13: 1) Start a website. Even if it's just a basic Wordpress site. Learn how to use a CMS first-hand. And set up Google Analytics for it. Spend time in it. 2) Develop a list of things you're interested in and start writing blog posts weekly. They don't have to be focused on business topics - they can be fun. But should be consistent. And writing should be high-quality so you can use it as a portfolio. 3) Buy a legit camera (used is more than okay) and practice photo/video and use post-production software like Capcut so you can see first-hand how content is made. 4) Online networking, of course. But also coffee meetings and "old school" informational interviews with real-life people in the real-life world. Practice holding actual conversations. 5) Read job descriptions daily. Understand what they expect and want. Start to learn the lingo and incorporate it into your resume. 6) Use ChatGPT in many different ways. Not just for recipes or workout ideas. Play around with it to help generate blog ideas, solve budget problems, or create HTML code for your website. 7) Take free online certifications. As many as possible. Hubspot, Codecademy, Google Ads, Google Analytics, etc. Great to add to your resume and great real-life skills outside of the classroom. 8) Cleanse your social media feeds. Stop following all the junk you've subscribed to over the years. Purge it all. Then follow very specific creators who are interesting and can teach you things. Want to be an expert in SEO? Follow the best 2-3 YouTubers who cover SEO. Watch their content regularly. Don't follow too many. It will be overwhelming and you'll give up. 9) Find one daily podcast (preferably one that's short so you can get through it quickly) that talks about a specific marketing or business topic you're interested in. Listen each morning while you brush your teeth or style your hair. 10) Post to LinkedIn. Create a list of 2-3 things you're knowledgeable in and start to post on LinkedIn 2-3x a week. Spend time finding and commenting on 10-15 posts/week who are in the same field. This builds your confidence and makes sure you stay sharp. 11 ) Find the most popular marketing technology and software. Sign up for free trials or demos. Get experience using these tools without having to work for a company that owns a subscription. Things like Loom, MailChimp, Asana, Hootsuite, and Hotjar. See my bio for a longer list. 12) Read industry news daily for 20 min. You can do this while you eat lunch. Start with Search Engine Journal, Social Media Today, and Fast Company. Even scanning headlines is helpful. 13) Build a spreadsheet of all the people who've met, networked with, interviewed with, etc. Keep files of it all so can more easily follow up, send thank yous, etc. What else is missing?  What should be #14? 👇

As I close out my 27th year in marketing, I feel like I’m still figuring out what it really means to be a marketer. Why? Because marketing is always evolving. And to succeed, you must: - Stay curious - Constantly learn - & Test your assumptions.  Here’s 5 ways make the evolution work for you, going into 2025 1. 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁: 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The field is ever-changing, so the goal isn’t necessarily to master it all but to keep adapting and improving. Surround yourself with peers, join mastermind groups, or find a mentor who can guide and challenge you. Learning from others’ perspectives can be game-changing.      2. 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆      Many of us have to navigate tight budgets. The key is showing the value of your efforts. Track and communicate ROI clearly: when you can demonstrate how your work directly drives results, you’ll find more support for bigger investments. Bosses and clients love seeing how you’re making them money!      3. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂      Gathering data is step one; using it to drive decisions is step two. Start by setting clear goals, then work backward. For example, what do you want to achieve (e.g., more traffic, sales, engagement)? Which metrics best reflect progress toward those goals? Regularly review performance and ask yourself: What’s working? What’s not? What should I try next?      4. 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗔𝗶 With so much data at your fingertips, AI can be a huge help in organizing it and uncovering insights. Tools like ChatGPT can assist in analyzing your data, brainstorming ideas, and even refining your strategy. They’re great for turning a mountain of information into actionable steps.      5. 𝗕𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 Marketing is as much about experimenting as it is about executing. Not every idea will work, and that’s okay. The key is to learn from those experiences and refine your approach. Your New Years Resolution? - Lean into curiosity - Test your ideas - And ask for help This is how you get the right product to the right people. Creating breakthrough marketing is never about knowing everything. Only about staying adaptable, resourceful and curious Would you add anything to the last sentence? - C

As a recent graduate and someone early in my career, I’m learning that education doesn’t stop after school—or even at work. Simply completing the tasks assigned to me isn’t enough to grow or stay competitive in my field. The industry evolves fast, and to stay relevant, continuous learning and upskilling are non-negotiable. That’s why I’ve developed a few strategies to keep learning every day, and in this video, I’m sharing them with you: 1️⃣ Follow Industry-Specific Pages and Thought Leaders: Staying connected with trends and innovations inspires new ideas and helps me see the bigger picture. 2️⃣ Learn on the Go: Whether it’s reading an article during gym breaks or listening to a podcast while driving or cooking, finding small windows for learning can make a big difference. 3️⃣ Dive into Online Courses: Platforms like Coursera and Udacity offer targeted courses in many topics. These have been game changers for expanding my technical skills. 4️⃣ Make Learning a Habit: Consistency is key. Even dedicating 15-30 minutes a day to learning keeps you growing and adapting. These habits are helping me stay ahead, and I hope they inspire you to create your own learning routine! Watch the video for more tips, and don’t forget to share your own learning strategies in the comments below.👇🏾

What I wish I knew ten years ago about staying relevant in my industry. If you’re standing still, you’re already falling behind. In today’s fast-paced world, the best professionals don’t just adapt to change, they anticipate it. The secret? A relentless commitment to lifelong learning. Think about it. The skills that got you here won’t necessarily get you there. Technology evolves. Industries shift. Markets demand new ideas. Those who thrive aren’t the ones who wait for change to knock on their door, they’re the ones already holding the keys to unlock the next opportunity. But here’s the challenge: With overflowing inboxes, back-to-back meetings, and endless to-do lists, how do you make time for growth? Here’s what works for me: 1. Dedicate time weekly for learning. Whether it’s 30 minutes for a podcast, a chapter of a book, or an online course, treat learning as a non-negotiable. 2. Stay curious about emerging trends. Follow thought leaders, attend webinars, or dive into articles outside your industry. Growth often comes from connecting the dots across disciplines. 3. Surround yourself with growth-minded peers. The right network doesn’t just encourage you to grow—it challenges you to dream bigger. Here’s a question for you...What’s one resource, habit, or mindset shift that’s helped you grow? Is it a podcast that reshaped your perspective, a book that fueled your ambition, or a routine that keeps you sharp? Drop your answers in the comments below. Let’s build a space where we inspire each other to keep climbing. Because staying still? That’s no longer an option. #Tolulopemichael #CareerGrowth #LifelongLearning #FutureOfWork #PersonalDevelopment