The power of storytelling is not limited to words alone. Numbers tell stories that can often only be seen in the right light, and a good marketing analyst knows how to present the numbers to draw out the message within.

I have always been a creative person, but data makes more sense to me than shapes or colors. Without hard data, running a business and making marketing decisions is like shooting in the dark. No one knows how it might turn out.

Marketing analytics has a bad rap because many people think it’s strictly number-crunching, but organizing the numbers is what opens the gateway to strategy. It is an artful craft that marries creativity and math, making meaning out of chaos. When there is so much noise online, comparing consumer behavior with actual data trends is the only way to make effective marketing decisions.

Building My Skills

My marketing education focused on consumer behavior but I’m a firm believer that’s something that can only be learned in the field. Working as a barista for the past year and a half, I have been able to observe and interact with consumer behavior firsthand. I’ve found that true strategy emerges from the combination of data and a real-world understanding of consumer behavior. Without one, you cannot have the other.

Although I learned concepts and theory, I am lacking experience in the technical side of marketing. That’s why I have designed a project to bridge the gap between what I learned in school and on-the-job application.

I’ve drawn data from the cafe that I work at to better understand the items customers buy, the times they buy them, and what kind of new options might draw interest. I’ve compiled lists of specific food and drink items, paired with the peak times they are ordered, compared against less popular items, to find what does and doesn’t work. I have also collected data on the new drink combos that rolled out this year and once I have analyzed and ordered said data, I will present it alongside a strategy consultation.

I worked with Excel, Google Analytics, and data visualization through Tableau during school, and plan to test these skills on real-world projects like the one described above. To expand my skill set, I am reviewing core Excel functions and picking up SQL and Looker. I have also revisited some marketing foundations that are key to all success.

Next on the list is a Google Analytics certification. Although collecting certificates is not a guaranteed way to prove knowledge, it will further flesh out my professional social media and improve my credibility.

Unexpected Challenges

Information overload has been difficult to overcome. Cutting through the excess and finding out what I really need to know is both exciting and challenging. It takes a certain mindset to think like a marketing analyst, someone who can sift through seemingly countless data points and uncover the real stories beneath. I aim to capture that mindset and put it to good use.

While I have experienced many setbacks already in my marketing journey, I continue onward with a positive outlook: progress, not perfection. There are some days where I am completely dissatisfied with my work and others that I am amazed at how far I have come. I hope that you, too, will keep moving forward despite the setbacks.