Two of the hottest talent commodities in the marketing realm right now are marketing analytics experts and data scientists.
It’s easy to understand why: data-based decision-making is quickly becoming the status quo for successful marketing operations. The only way is to have the right talent in place through sophisticated marketing analytics recruitment and equipping them with the right tools.
But for organizations that don’t already have a robust system for gathering, processing, reading, and using Big Data, understanding where to start is an intimidating task.
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If you are not well versed in its modern application, it may be difficult to recruit the right marketing talent for your organization. A large enough company will almost definitely require a combination of marketing analytics staffing and data science staffing skills to obtain the whole picture and maximize the ROI from the data it has gathered. However, distinguishing between the two and identifying what you want of each is not easy. Here is what we look for as marketing analytics recruiters when assisting our clients in finding the right talent for their needs:
Fundamental Differences
Data science and analytics are complementary fields that need a wide range of skills. However, there are significant distinctions that set them apart. Understanding the duties and responsibilities of each will assist you in determining the kind of people and tools you require to support your marketing efforts.
At its most basic, marketing analytics operations are more tactical, whereas marketing data science is more strategic.
Analytics oversees the practical and technical processes of gathering, cleaning, sorting and studying your data. Experts help develop and acquire the infrastructure, systems and programs your organization needs to effectively handle and “read” historical data. Marketing analytics staffing is adept at identifying past trends and showing you the results of your previous marketing campaigns.
On the other hand, data science is more responsible for understanding how the data you’ve accumulated can have meaningful insights for your company. It is more concerned with anticipating coming trends or forecasting the impact of a particular business decision than looking backwards. Marketing data scientists staffing and executives are often more classically trained in business and management so they can effectively translate your data into actionable advice for the rest of the organization.
Both kinds of expertise are needed to understand the complete story your data has to tell; otherwise you risk getting an incomplete (and probably deceiving) picture.
Additional Nuances Marketing Analytics Recruiters Look For
Marketing Data Analytics
Analytics skill in marketing extends well beyond Google Analytics consultants. Marketing analytics experts are often concerned with what has previously occurred and why.
To do this, they are frequently tasked with obtaining the data you want, either through first-party systems (usually preferred) or acquired from a third party. The data are then verified as trustworthy and “clean” before being integrated into your databases and compared to other information.
Marketing analytics is a relatively well-developed discipline, though it continues to evolve on a constant basis. There are certainly far more data analysts than there currently are data scientists. Still, there remains a huge gap marketing analytics skills gap that leaves many organizations with empty seats that desperately need to be filled.
Marketing Data Science
Data science isn’t a brand new discipline, but it’s one that has only started taking off in popularity in recent years. Even so, it has already grown to be one of the most in-demand of all professional jobs, and data scientist recruiters are having a hard time finding enough talent to keep up with demand.
Your data scientist staffing will typically yield experts more interested in predicting the future: upcoming seasonal cycles, unexpected demand spikes, potential competitive threats, etc. They also want to anticipate the effects of your current and planned marketing campaigns: the number of new customers expected from a new commercial, the effects of a new logo, the reaction to a brand announcement, etc.
Data scientists are typically the ones who represent the data team at senior management meetings, announcing findings and displaying results for the benefit of their less data-savvy colleagues. They are also more likely to be involved in sophisticated data mining techniques, as well as the development of machine learning projects.
Whether you plan to hire a long-term or short expert, knowing the difference between data science and analytics will save you time and resources. You don’t even have to do it alone. Top marketing executive recruiters will be able to answer any questions you may have and find you the right talent in no time.
Though it’s not more important than analytics, data science is certainly more trendy. It was recently named “The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century” by Harvard Business Review, and demand for experts with this job title is spiking.
