Before You Become a Marketer, Learn to Think Like One

Lessons from a Conversation with a Future Public Relations Professional

By Steve Shaner

A few years ago, I had a conversation with a student that reminded me why I enjoyed teaching so much. I had the opportunity to sit down with Elaina, a student who was interested in learning more about research, writing, public relations, and what it really means to become a professional communicator. Her questions took me back to many of the conversations I had with students during my years as a professor of mass communication. As I answered her questions, I found myself thinking about something I wish every young person entering marketing, advertising, or public relations could understand: This business is about a whole lot more than being creative. Yes, creativity matters. Writing matters. Knowing social media matters. Understanding advertising matters. But underneath all of those skills is something even more important—the ability to think. And good thinking begins with good research.

Don’t Just Have an Opinion. Find Out.

One of the first things Elaina asked me was why marketing and public relations professionals conduct research. The answer is simple: because we don’t know everything. Before a public relations professional launches a campaign, he or she needs to understand what people already know, what they believe, and how they feel about the organization or brand being represented. That might involve consumer surveys, focus groups, interviews, or other forms of research. Why? Because you shouldn’t build a communication strategy based on what you think people believe when you can find out what they actually believe. That may sound obvious, but it is one of the easiest mistakes for young marketers to make.

We live in an age when everybody has an opinion. Social media has made it possible for almost anyone to publish that opinion instantly. But having an opinion doesn’t make you an expert. A professional communicator learns to ask another question: “What does the evidence tell me?”

That’s where research comes in. Don’t just have an opinion. Find out.

Learn to Be a Skeptic—Without Becoming a Cynic

That led naturally into another topic that concerns me deeply: the credibility of information. One of the biggest challenges facing public relations and marketing today is the enormous amount of information being distributed through the Internet and social media. Some of it is accurate. Some of it is poorly researched. Some of it is simply wrong. And some of it may be intentionally misleading. That creates a tremendous responsibility for anyone working in marketing communications.

Don’t believe something simply because you found it online, and don’t repeat something simply because everybody else is repeating it. Learn to ask: Who said it? Where did they get the information? What evidence supports it? What might their motivation be? Those questions aren’t just academic exercises. They are professional survival skills. Your reputation as a communicator is built one piece of information at a time. If you become known as someone who passes along questionable information, it won’t take long for people to stop trusting you. And in public relations, trust is everything.

Read. Then Read Some More.

Elaina also asked about the research resources I use. My answer probably wasn’t what a student might expect from a professor. I told her that I read a lot on the Internet, including professional publications and blogs. But I also gave her an important warning: Not everything you read is equally valuable. Anybody can start a blog. Anybody can post an opinion. Anybody can sound authoritative. Your job as a young professional is to learn the difference between somebody who knows what they are talking about and somebody who simply sounds like they do.

That’s why I have always encouraged students and young professionals to read constantly. Read books, professional publications, research, newspapers, blogs, things you agree with, and, perhaps most importantly, things you don’t agree with. Our industry changes too quickly for any of us to think we have it all figured out. I’ve been in this business for decades, and I still feel like I’m trying to keep up. Technology changes. Media changes. Consumer behavior changes. Communication channels change. The moment you decide you know everything you need to know about marketing is probably the moment your career begins to fall behind.

Learn to Write Like a Professional

We also talked about writing. I told Elaina that one of the most important things students can learn is AP style—the Associated Press style of writing. That may sound like a small technical detail, but it represents something much larger: Professional communicators pay attention to details. They care about the words they use, they care about accuracy, they care about grammar, they care about how information is presented, and they understand that the way something is written can affect how an organization is perceived.

You don’t have to be the world’s greatest novelist to work in marketing. But you had better be able to communicate clearly. A great idea poorly written is still a poorly communicated idea. Learning the fundamentals of professional writing gives you a foundation that will serve you throughout your career, regardless of how much technology or communication platforms change.

Public Relations Isn’t About Being a “People Person”

Then we got to what may be one of the biggest misconceptions about public relations. I told Elaina that one of the first mistakes students make is believing that public relations is primarily about liking people and being good at conversation. Being a people person certainly doesn’t hurt, but that’s not public relations. Public relations is professional communication. You represent an organization. You help shape its image. You develop messages. You determine how those messages should be communicated and through which channels. And sometimes, you have to do it when things have gone terribly wrong.

That’s where crisis management enters the picture. Imagine working for a company whose product suddenly injures someone. Imagine an automobile manufacturer discovering a serious safety problem. Imagine a company being accused of dishonesty. Suddenly, your job isn’t about creating a clever Facebook post. It’s about protecting the organization’s reputation while communicating accurate, truthful, and useful information to the public. That’s a very different skill set, and it requires someone who can think clearly when everyone else is panicking.

The Marketer’s Real Job

That’s probably the biggest lesson I hope young marketing professionals take away from our conversation. Your job isn’t simply to make things look good. Your job isn’t simply to sell something. Your job isn’t simply to create content. Your job isn’t even simply to communicate. Your job is to understand the organization, understand the audience, understand the problem, research the facts, develop the right message, choose the right communication channel, and then measure whether what you did actually worked.

That’s marketing communications. That’s public relations. That’s advertising. That’s strategic communication. And that’s why I believe the best young professionals aren’t necessarily the ones who walk into an interview with the biggest portfolio. They are the ones who walk into the room with curiosity. They ask good questions, listen, research, challenge assumptions, write well, understand people, aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know,” and then go find the answer.

What I Would Tell the Next Generation

If you’re a college student thinking about a career in advertising, marketing, public relations, or communications, I would encourage you to do something that may seem almost old-fashioned: Become a student of the business. Don’t just learn how to operate the newest social media platform. Learn why people respond to messages. Don’t just learn how to create an advertisement. Learn why the advertisement works. Don’t just learn how to write a press release. Learn why a journalist might care about the story. Don’t just learn how to generate content. Learn how to tell a story. Don’t just collect followers. Learn how to build trust.

And don’t become so fascinated with the newest technology that you forget the fundamental truth of communication: People communicate with people. Technology is simply the tool. The better you understand people, the better communicator you will become.

One Last Piece of Advice

When I look back on my years in advertising, public relations, marketing, and teaching, I’ve learned that the most valuable skill I could give a young professional wasn’t a particular software program, social media trick, or advertising technique. It was the ability to think strategically and communicate effectively. Technology will change. Platforms will disappear. New ones will replace them. The terminology will change. The algorithms will change. But the need for someone who can research a problem, understand an audience, develop a meaningful message, and communicate it clearly will never disappear.

So, if you’re thinking about becoming a marketing professional, don’t worry so much about becoming an expert in everything. Become a lifelong learner. Be curious. Read. Research. Write. Ask questions. Listen carefully. Learn from people who have been doing this longer than you. And when you finally walk into that first professional job, remember that you’re not there simply to make noise. You’re there to make communication matter.

That’s what separates someone who works in marketing from someone who becomes a marketing professional.