Imposter Syndrome In Marketing

Imposter Syndrome always seems to be a buzzword in marketing. I remember hearing it several years ago, at the very start of my marketing career. But what is it?

Imposter syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be.

Even now I still have the overwhelming feeling that I’m not good enough for my job, inferior, and ultimately a fraud. Am I just blagging myself through a career? Do I really fit in with these people?

These questions fit all to well with the day-to-day work of digital marketers. It is a stressful job after all; not all your successes can be explained in detail and there’s no quick fix solutions for most of the marketing types that matter. It’s easy to think you’re not good enough.

Personally, I struggled with this massively from the moment I joined a social media agency. I worked hard, kept my head down, and tried to keep learning wherever possible. But there was still an overwhelming feeling that I just didn’t fit in. I’ve tackled the idea of imposter syndrome several times on this blog, mainly due to the belief it needs to be talked about and normalised.

To older generations, imposter syndrome can sound a little bit silly. But as employee care and wellbeing continues to become a priority for most businesses worth their grain. I’d love to see more support for those going through the motions of imposter syndrome.

So how and why do we feel this way?

Marketing is a highly competitive function coming with comparison. In fact, every campaign is measured, compared, benchmarked against what is being done in the industry. This in itself can lead to a feeling of inferiority, insecurity, and more; again fueling the imposter syndrome.

Also, digital marketing is a fast moving field. You constantly need to stay updated; the whole aspect of Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is very real. Here I must add that sometimes, you can get easily swayed to imposter syndrome, when peers in the industry share screenshot of their ad account. You start to think you are less capable when seeing peers managing thousand dollars accounts.

Digital Marketing includes a variety of niches and mastering all can be very challenging (if not impossible). This is something driven by the industry and companies hiring generalists at Junior level. The T-shape marketing career path is also encouraging imposter syndrome because it urges individuals and companies to push people to mastering all channels within a short delay.

The sides effects of Imposter Syndrome are even worse. Burnout, lack of focus and motivation, not being able to plan things are few examples of these side-effects.

The lack of understanding of what digital marketing is also contributes to the Imposter Syndrome. This one is by far the most common one among marketers. They constantly need to demonstrate their contribution to the firm (which is normal, yes. But needs to be done in a proper way) considering marketing being seen as a cost-center. This increase the insecurity of marketers and impact on confidence.