In September, HubSpot CTO and co-founder, Dharmesh Shah, boldly stated that salaries for marketers are poised to double. At first glance, Shah’s statement seems brash; however, within the context of explosive marketing technology growth – this prediction may prove accurate.

Massive proliferation in marketing technologies has pushed the modern marketer to double as a full-time technologist. Day-to-day tasks require the marketer to navigate maze of software systems. This chart from MarTech lends an idea to the crowded, complicated marketing technology environment today.

The Rise of The Unicorn (Chief Marketing Technologist)

Demand for tech-savvy marketing talent is so great, that an entirely new position title has emerged, the marketing technologist. A marketing technologist is a hybrid role, one that pairs brand savvy marketing talent with strong technological ability. It’s a rare combination, so much so, that the marketing technologist has a nickname, The Unicorn.

Fortune 500 companies are rushing to hire the in-vogue hybrid marketer, and the statistics are striking, with 81% of big companies reporting a recent CMTO hire. 

Marketing Technologist Facts:

• 91% of marketing leaders believe that in two years they will be competing primarily on the basis of the customer experience
• 92% of the companies that have a chief marketing technologist have allocated money from their marketing budget for innovation ? as compared to 43% for those who don’t.

(Data from Laura McLellan of Gartner, How the Presence of a Chief Marketing Technologist Impacts Marketing)

At Yottaa we’ve seen that a main driver of this trend is the decoupling of web and mobile applications from IT. As marketers seek to take greater control over their applications they are finding that friction and lacking communication with IT keeps them from executing on their plans. The marketing technologist is a key missing link that can promote efficiency and execution by weighing the needs of both groups.

4 Traits that Define the Marketing Technologist

The recruiting market for marketing technologists is red-hot and big firms are spending to snap up top talent. Whether you’re an industry giant or not, look for these traits when evaluating a marketing technologist hire.

• A Bridge Builder: the goal of a marketing technologist is to maximize production from a company’s technology stack. An effective candidate must draw from both the marketing and IT worlds; moreover, they must possess excellent communication skills to bring these teams together.
• Data Driven: The goal of all marketing technology is to maximize revenue, but often the multitudes of data sets coming from different software systems can be overwhelming and do more harm than good. A data background is a big plus for
• Skilled Software Navigator: The marketing technology maze continues to grow. Without a skilled Marketing technologists at the helm, a company can only hope to choose the right path.
• Hyper-Organized: Management of a diverse technology stack requires vigilant dat-to-day attention to detail.

You might not have the resources to hire a top headhunter to track down that perfect candidate. Keep in mind, the best unicorns may already be in your office. Look for a problem solver that exemplifies these traits. Test their skills, they might be a perfect fit.