If you haven’t experienced the magnificence that is Bufferchat, you’re totally missing out. Bufferchat is a weekly Wednesday Twitter Chat hosted by the “simple and powerful social media scheduler” Buffer. And it’s awesome. Every week they host a guest to discuss topical social media subjects.

This week, they actually chose to host their own Director of Marketing, Kevan Lee. The subject? T-shaped marketers.

Ok, so, seriously – we had no idea what a “T-shaped” marketer was. We had to take a step back and wander around on Google before the chat started to really get a sense of what the heck was going on. It was a great topic choice. And apparently, we weren’t the only ones completely lost by the term.

What did we go over? The basics: what does it mean to be a T-shaped Marketer, how many marketing skills should one have, what are the foundational skills of a marketer, etc.

Basically, what we learned was that a “T-Shaped” Marketer means specializing in a couple of specific aspects but truly knowing a little bit about everything. It means being the Master & Commander of a variety of things; you’re an expert at some, and simple knowledgeable about the others. But the point is: you’re well-rounded.

One of our previous guest writers, Jeff Renoe had a great answer, read below…

@buffer It means you’ve realized the truth that things change so fast that expertise is a false idea, and you’ve become well rounded. #BufferChat pic.twitter.com/WxhD6pgR9w

— Jeff Reno(e) (@Renoe) April 5, 2017

This term was great because what we started to notice is that most of the marketers in the chat were in fact, T-shaped marketers. We probably shouldn’t be that surprised. When you think about it, isn’t that where the world of marketing is headed?

With the introduction of new tech or the advancement of any social network, the realm of digital marketing is constantly evolving itself. As a result, marketers must evolve with the chancing landscapes. It makes more sense to have a variety of skills rather than to be an expert in just one specific area.

@buffer A2: Always be learning! Nowadays, marketers need to be creatively flexible. The more skills, the better. #Bufferchatpic.twitter.com/U6qGPzDcCe

— Yelling Mule (@YellingMule) April 5, 2017

It’s the truth though, isn’t it? We need to always be learning. How do we keep constant with the ever-changing social media world? Well, mostly tech and social media news.

Here’s a no-nonsense list of our favorite places to keep up to date with everything happening out there in the world:

• Buffer
• Hubspot
• Social Media Today
• Social Media Examiner
• Mashable’s Social Media Section
• Madalyn Sklar’s Twitter Feed
• AdAge
• Forbes
• TAXI
• Mari Smith’s Twitter Feed
• Julia Campbell’s Twitter Feed
• Express Writers

Overall, we learned a lot from this particular Twitter Chat. It was interesting to see everyone’s perspectives on the ever-changing marketing world. And even more interesting to see everyone’s opinions on what marketing foundation skills were most important for marketers to have.

We’ll leave you with this awesome illustration from Buffer. Be sure to tune in and chat with us at #Bufferchat every Wednesday at 12PM EST. 

Do you consider yourself a “T-Shaped” Marketer? And if so, why?

Check out our other posts about Twitter.