Will Learning a Bit of Coding Help My Career as a Digital Marketing Manager/Product Manager?

It's a Distraction.

When it comes to excelling as a digital marketing manager or product manager, the focus should be on understanding your customers, their needs, and their behavior. Engage with your team to identify solutions that can meet these needs more efficiently and effectively. Often, the request for specific skills will come from within your team, guided by their current projects and challenges.

No one will say, 'we need you to learn how to code.'

Potentially, Yes.

Learning is a crucial part of professional development, and every manager should aspire to keep up with the latest trends and techniques in their field. However, the type of learning that matters most for a digital marketing or product manager might not be traditional coding. Instead, consider focusing on analytical and script-based skills that can enhance your ability to manage data and automate tasks.

Why Coding Can Be Beneficial

Learning to code, especially for analysis, can provide significant benefits in your role. It enhances your problem-solving skills and helps you understand complex data more effectively. Here are some specific areas where you can start:

Data Analysis

Use tools like pivot tables and conditional formatting to better understand large Excel sheets. Learning a programming language like Python or R can also help you analyze big data more efficiently. These skills are not only useful for managing and interpreting data but also for automating repetitive tasks.

Scripting for Automation

Consider taking a class in scripting. This can be particularly helpful in automating tasks that you and your team perform on a regular basis, such as renaming files or processing data. Scripting languages like Python can be applied to many scenarios in your role.

Personal Examples

For instance, imagine you have 3 or 4 thousand photos of your family. Automating the renaming process using a script can make it much easier and more efficient. A script might look something like this:

script  "folder_name   sequence_number"

By breaking down a process into logical steps, you can think like a programmer. This type of script shows how procedural logic works, and it's a practical skill that can be applied in various contexts.

To implement a simple script like this, you can use tools like A Better Finder Rename for Mac or similar products for Windows such as Advanced Renamer. These tools allow you to create customized renaming scripts, making file management more efficient and less error-prone.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while you may not need to become a professional programmer, learning to code for analysis and automation can significantly enhance your skills as a digital marketing or product manager. The key is to apply these skills in a way that directly impacts your projects and clients. By doing so, you can stay ahead of the curve and provide valuable insights and solutions.