Jill Fratianne is the Sales Rep at HubSpot. Here are her thoughts on digital marketing:

1. What do you consider essential skills for a marketing team these days?

   Today's marketing team has to be driven by data-o-holics who have a passion for content creation and the ability to learn and leverage new technologies. They have to be able to consume large amounts of data rapidly, have an obsession with metrics, and possess the writing and editing skills of professional journalist. (Check out our interview with the Director of eCommerce at Elastic Path to gain learn from her data-driven approaches.)
   
   They have to master social channels, video, web, email, CRM software, marketing automation software, pivot tables, blogging, power point and spreadsheets, all while proactively communicating with their sales teams. 
    

2. What do you feel are the most underrated skills in a marketing team these days?

   The ability to learn and leverage new technology quickly. Most companies are implementing new marketing, sales, and operational software that require someone to drive results. The most effective marketers dive in with no fear and make it happen.
    

3. How did you get the background and skills necessary?

   I learned on the job. My background actually has nothing to do with marketing or sales. I received my undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Performance. 
    

4. What do you see as the biggest challenges for marketing professionals over the next year?

   The biggest challenge that will continue to haunt marketers is to continually come up with fresh, new, interesting content that their prospects and customers will love. The ability to deliver unique, interesting, and sharable content will continue to be the hardest marketing task. (Learn about content marketing and other digital marketing programs at the P.A.C.E. Digital Marketing Training Workshop.)
    

5. What advice would you give to young people who want to become digital marketer some day?

   First, read "Inbound Marketing" by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shaw. It was the first marketing book I had ever read and changed my life forever. You must have your own blog, Twitter and Linkedin presence, and start learning how to generate quality content on a consistent basis. Get a Google Analytics account and start to learn all of the free information you can. Start to attend workshops and demonstrations of the latest marketing software and don't be afraid to start following VPs of marketing and shamelessly asking for internships at the best companies you can find. Go after it, the world needs you!

    

   
   Jill Fratianne (LinkedIn, Twitter) has been a top performing HubSpot Sales Rep for over 4 years and has been instrumental in the development of HubSpot’s own sales organization on multiple fronts.  She was one of the founding members of HubSpot’s International Division, responsible for developing the Asia Pacific Market.  She helped expand HubSpot’s first business development program.  She has been a featured speaker on sales strategies at HubSpot’s Inbound Conference.  Today, Jill currently works on the HubSpot Partner team assisting agencies countrywide in growing their business.