Archive

“So You Wanna Be a Marketer? Read This First.”

So You Want to Get Into Marketing? Here’s What They Don’t Tell You

I remember the first time I heard someone say, “Content is king.” I was 21, barely awake in a 9 am class I didn’t even want to be in, and all I could think about was how much I hated group projects. Fast forward a few years, and somehow I’m knee-deep in Google Analytics reports, wondering if I’ve completely misunderstood what marketing actually *is*. Spoiler: I had.

Marketing, at least how I imagined it, was all about catchy slogans and pretty visuals. What no one told me — and what they definitely should’ve— is how much math is involved. Click-through rates, conversion metrics, CPCs, ROIs… It’s like being haunted by your high school algebra teacher, but with less mercy.

But let me backtrack a little. If you’re here, on GetIn2Marketing, you’re probably thinking about diving into the marketing world yourself. Or maybe you’re already in it and just… confused. (Been there, still there, actually.)

The Romanticized Version vs. Reality

Have you ever watched a Netflix show where someone works in marketing? They’re usually walking fast, holding a coffee, throwing out “big ideas” in a room full of stylish people. Reality check: most days, I’m sitting at my kitchen table wearing yesterday’s hoodie, trying to figure out why the open rate on my last email campaign tanked.

That’s the thing about marketing — it’s messy. Sometimes, what you think will work totally flops. Other times, the dumbest idea you almost didn’t pitch goes viral. There’s no magic formula. It’s trial, error, and lots of Googling.

Where to Actually Start (Without Losing Your Mind)

Okay, so you’re new and probably overwhelmed. Here’s a small list of things I wish someone had just emailed me when I was starting out:

Learn the basics of SEO. You don’t need to be an expert — just understand how Google “thinks.” Start here: Beginner’s Guide to SEO.
Play with free tools. Google Trends, Ubersuggest, and Answer the Public are goldmines for understanding what people are searching for.
Start writing. Doesn’t matter if it’s a blog, a LinkedIn post, or a fake ad for your cat. Just. Start. Writing.
Follow real marketers. Not just influencers. Look for people doing the work, not just talking about it. Like this guy: Neil Patel.
Things I Still Struggle With (And Maybe Always Will)

One thing about marketing that no bootcamp or YouTube guru prepares you for: the self-doubt. You’ll launch a campaign that flops and think, “Am I even good at this?” And maybe you are, maybe you aren’t—but most likely, you just need to try again with better data.

Imposter syndrome hits hard in this field, especially when you’re surrounded by highlight reels on LinkedIn. No one’s posting their failed pitches or that time a client ghosted them after 3 weeks of planning.

Also — and I’ll just say it — I still don’t fully “get” attribution models. Multi-touch, last-click, linear? It’s like trying to pick a favorite child when you don’t even know how many you have.

Why I Still Love This Job Anyway

Despite the chaos, the burnout, and the occasional existential crisis, I keep coming back to marketing. Because when does something work? That’s a high that no caffeine can touch.

Helping a small brand find its voice, watching engagement spike because of a dumb tweet I thought of in the shower — it’s rewarding. And weirdly addictive.

If you’re thinking about getting into this world, do it. But do it with your eyes open. Read, watch, mess up, adjust. And for the love of good UX, always double-check your links. (I once sent out a newsletter with a broken CTA. Still recovering emotionally.

Final Thoughts (Before I Change My Mind Again)

Marketing isn’t just one thing. It’s writing, designing, analyzing, failing, fixing, learning, and — sometimes — faking confidence until you have it.

You don’t need to have it all figured out before you start. Honestly, no one does. Just keep moving. Keep experimenting. Keep asking questions — even the dumb ones.

And if you’ve read this far? You’re probably already better off than most.

See you out there.

Marketing Isn’t Math—It’s a Feeling

Marketing Isn’t a Science—It’s a Gut Feeling You Fine-Tune

I used to believe marketing was all numbers and automation. Funnels, CTRs, ROAS, the usual. But somewhere between setting up yet another marketing funnel and obsessing over Google Analytics dashboards, I started to feel… hollow. Like I was just pressing buttons on a very fancy calculator.

But marketing isn’t a formula. It’s messy. It’s trial and error. It’s people, for god’s sake. And people are unpredictable, irrational, and beautifully complicated.

Sure, you can study all the academic frameworks, read all the SEO case studies, or quote Kotler until your voice gets hoarse. But real marketing? The kind that hits a nerve? It starts where the textbooks end.

“What if this doesn’t work?”

I’ve asked myself that question more times than I can count. Every time I publish a blog post that feels a little too honest or run an A/B test based on a hunch instead of data, that voice comes up. And honestly? That’s where the best stuff lives. The unpolished, gutsy stuff that isn’t perfect but is real.

If you’ve ever sent a newsletter at 11 pm just because inspiration hit, or scrapped a polished ad because it just felt too… sterile—welcome. You’re not alone. And frankly, I think you’re on the right track.

Education ≠ Expertise

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-education. But I’ve met folks with MBAs in marketing who couldn’t write a human headline if their life depended on it. Then I’ve seen baristas, dancers, and ex-teachers crush it in content marketing. Why? Because they get people. They get emotion. They understand timing, tone, and texture.

Marketing education is helpful—yes, but it’s only part of the puzzle. Real education happens when you publish something and no one cares. Or when you finally nail a hook after 27 tries. That’s the stuff you don’t learn in school, and frankly, it’s the stuff that matters most.

The Hidden Curriculum of Marketing

There’s this “hidden curriculum” no one talks about. Like how to trust your gut even when the data disagrees. Or how to not spiral when your campaign flops. Or how to resist the pressure to sound like everyone else online.

One time, I wrote this dry, optimized blog post. Perfect keyword density, clean subheadings, and internal links galore. It ranked. Got traffic. But you know what? No one read to the end. Zero comments. Zero shares. Why? Because it had no soul. It was technically right but emotionally flat.

Then I wrote a chaotic little piece about burnout in marketing. No optimization. Rambling. Full of typos. It got picked up by a newsletter and shared like crazy. People emailed me and thanked me. That post did more “marketing” than anything I’d written that quarter.

Lean Into the Human

So if you’re studying marketing—or trying to “get in”—remember: you don’t need to be perfect. You need to be human. That means it’s okay not to have a perfect brand voice or a flawless strategy. Sometimes, it’s better to be weird, raw, and memorable than to be polished and forgettable.

Tools help. Research matters. But your instincts? They’re worth something too. Maybe more than you think.

For the Curious Souls

If you’re hungry to learn (and unlearn), here are a few rabbit holes worth exploring:

• Seth Godin’s blog—no fluff, just real talk on marketing and creativity.
• Copyhackers—If you’re into words that sell and stories that move.
• What marketing careers look like now—a deeper dive into how messy (and exciting) the industry really is.

Whatever path you take, just know this: you don’t need permission to be here. If you care about people, language, and the way ideas spread, you’re already one of us.

Marketing is messy. Good. That’s where the magic lives.