Last year a hot topic amidst the perpetual shakeups in marketing was the rise of marketing technologists. The idea behind this term is that with the proliferation of digital technology we are experiencing a groundswell of new platforms and systems that have been created to make marketing easier.

The idea continues by stating that in fact there are now so many marketing technologies out there that those who understand this landscape, "marketing technologists", are on par with the rarity of unicorns.

I felt this was a bit dramatic and so I wrote about these so-called marketing technologists. In the blog post I cited a resource called the "Marketing Technology Landscape Supergraphic" - essentially a fairly comprehensive list of all marketing technologies bucketed into categories (social media, SEO, video marketing, etc.). At the time the infographic contained nearly 1,000 technologies.

As of January of this year, this number has grown to 1,876 companies. Here is the latest edition:

Don't Let the Chart Fool You

When you look at the chart you likely feel a bit overwhelmed - but not to worry, don't go hiring a "marketing technologist" just yet. The bottom line is that likely all of the categories above have about 5 main frontrunners. There are 43 categories. Do the math and we are looking more around 220 companies that you'd need top pay attention to.

Couple that with the fact that you may only need items in a few of these categories along with budget/prioritization considerations, and suddenly the list of what you need to know is much, much smaller.

This mindset translates into my larger point - we are not in the age where marketing technologists will reign supreme - rather, we are in the age where hybrid marketers will be the desired, go-to resources.

What is a Hybrid Marketer?

In short, a hybrid marketer is someone who knows just enough to be dangerous in the main categories of marketing. Every aspect of marketing has its own language and intricacies. Hybrid marketers can speak the language but don't necessarily need to know the intricacies (that's a bonus).

What I have quickly found out in my career is that marketing itself is the embodiment of wearing many hats. Marketing, perhaps more than any department in a company, experiences touchpoints across virtually all aspects of the business. If you want to excel in this industry, you need to be comfortable with trying on new hats and building your repertoire.

Professionals in copywriting, design, social media, SEO, etc. have fairly defined niches of expertise. Hybrid marketers are a unique case where their niche is not really a niche at all.

Hybrid marketers will become (if not already) the ideal archetype for a marketing manager or consultant because they possess the ability to be nimble and effective across multiple, simultaneous projects.

How to Become a Hybrid Marketer

Ah, the million dollar question. While there is no perfect answer, there are many ways in which you can help shape yourself into a hybrid marketer - here are a few core tactics:

• Exit your comfort zone - this is key. The reason hybrid marketers are so valuable is they have the courage to do what others would rather avoid - exiting their comfort zone. Actively seeking new experiences and responsibilities in your organization is one of the best tactics you can take.
• Read - continued learning is the name of the game. Identify the areas you want to expand your knowledge in and then simply pair a book with each. In a future post we will give you a list of recommendations by topic to help you in this process
• Network - you don't know what you don't know, but you can learn what others know and you should at least be aware of what others know. I.e., learn from others and if you don't know something be able to point to someone who does. With those two things you will always have an answer and will position you as a subject matter expert to be counted on

And of course, good old passage of time in your role. There really is no substitute for this one - but the key is to not just let the experiences happen. Always be looking for and documenting (unless you have an amazing memory) learnings and takeaways in each project you work on to put yourself in a cycle of continuous improvement.

What are your thoughts on the idea of hybrid marketers? What tactics have you taken to position yourself as one? Let us know in the comments below!