Why Every Marketer Should Learn to Code (But Not Become a Programmer)
Programming basics for marketers: from Markdown to JavaScript. Learn what you really need to automate tasks and communicate better with developers.
Hey marketer! 👋🏻
I hope the title didn't scare you off too much. 😁 I try to write newsletters that are understandable even for beginners - and suddenly here I am talking about programming. Don't worry, I'm not trying to turn you into a programmer, but it makes sense for you to have some basic understanding. At least the fundamentals.
I started with graphics and visual things myself. I built my first websites in Front Page Express, but quickly hit limitations. I wanted to customize something, fine-tune details, but the editor wouldn't let me. So I reluctantly started learning HTML and CSS. Later, when WordPress came along, I occasionally needed to modify template source code and it helped to understand PHP. And so I gradually learned and experimented.
Today I benefit greatly from this knowledge. I can't program complex applications, but I understand what everything is built on and how it works. And this significantly helps me in my work as a marketer.
You don't need to become a programmer. It's enough to understand the basics. Think of it like learning a foreign language - you don't need to be a translator, but when you understand basic phrases, it makes traveling in a foreign country much easier. And that's exactly how it is with programming in marketing.
It will change your way of thinking
This might surprise you, but programming isn't just about writing code. It's primarily a way of thinking. It teaches you to break down complex problems into smaller parts and solve them systematically step by step.
Structured problem solving
When something breaks on your website or tracking isn't working, programming thinking helps you proceed logically - find exactly where the problem is, how to reproduce it, and how to fix it. Instead of chaotically trying everything possible, you'll proceed systematically.
Automation instead of manual work
Programming teaches you to ask: "Isn't there a way to do this automatically?" Instead of manually downloading data from Google Analytics every week and preparing reports, you'll start thinking about how to simplify this or automate it completely.
"You don't need to be a programmer, just stop being afraid of code and understand the basics. It will save you tons of time, money, and stress."
You'll better understand the technologies around you
You should navigate today's digital world and try to keep up with the times. As applications become increasingly user-friendly, we somewhat lose sight of the technology behind them. But it's still there. Even when we use AI coding tools, we need to manage and instruct those tools.
Better communication with programmers
When you understand the basics, you can explain to a programmer more precisely what you need. You won't say "make it somehow different," but "I need to change this specific element and add an onclick event here." This saves time for both you and them.
You know what's simple and what's complex
Basic programming orientation helps you estimate whether your request is a "five-minute job" or a "two-week project." This comes in handy for planning, budgets, and communicating with clients.
Greater independence
You'll be able to make many small adjustments yourself, instead of waiting for a programmer or paying for simple interventions. Like CSS style modifications, adding tracking code, or minor website changes.
What specifically to learn and how it will help you
Let's go through technologies from simplest to more complex. You don't need to master them all - but each can make your life easier in different areas.
Markdown - the simplest beginning
Markdown is a great place to start. It's a markup language that allows you to quickly format text without clicking around in editors.
Why learn it: Markdown is used by tons of tools - Notion, Obsidian, GitHub, Basecamp, Substack, and others. When you know it, you can quickly create clean and structured content anywhere.
What it enables: Instead of searching for buttons for headings or links, you simply write # Heading or link text. You'll master the basics in a few hours and then use it naturally when writing articles, notes, or documentation.
HTML and CSS - web literacy basics
This is basic literacy for any marketer working with the web.
HTML helps you understand the structure of web pages. You'll recognize what's a paragraph, heading, link, or image. You'll know how to add text, modify structure, or change element order.
CSS controls website appearance. It allows you to change colors, sizes, hide or show elements, modify layout. You'll often solve minor design adjustments yourself.
JavaScript - key to interactivity
JavaScript opens up many possibilities:
Tracking codes: Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, various tracking scripts - they're all JavaScript snippets. When you understand the basics, you know what you're inserting and why.
Google Tag Manager: Without JavaScript basics, it's like Chinese. With them, you can set up advanced tracking.
Interactive elements: Forms, animations, showing and hiding content.
You don't need to write JavaScript from scratch, but understanding what specific code does will help you significantly.
XML - structuring data
XML will be useful mainly for:
Sitemaps: Every website has an XML sitemap for search engines. When you understand the structure, you can check or modify it.
Data feeds: For e-shops (comparison shopping engines, Google Shopping, Facebook catalog) - they're all XML files with products.
API communication: Many services send data in XML format.
Configuration: Various tools and services use XML configuration files.
PHP - for WordPress and advanced modifications
If you work with WordPress (which most marketers do), PHP basics will be useful:
Template modifications: Design changes, adding functions, modifying content display.
Custom functions: Creating simple functions for your website without needing a plugin.
Debugging: When something breaks, you'll understand error messages and can find the problem.
Python - automation for advanced users
Python is great for automating marketing tasks:
Data retrieval: Automatic data gathering from Google Ads, Search Console, social media via APIs.
Reports: Generating regular reports without manual work.
Bulk data work: Modifying thousands of products in an e-shop, analyzing large datasets.
SQL - database language
SQL is useful for working with data:
Analytics: Creating advanced reports in Google Analytics or BigQuery.
Segmentation: Intelligent customer division based on behavior.
E-commerce: Sales data analysis, product performance.
Regular expressions - advanced searching
Regular expressions (regex) are patterns for searching and replacing text. Useful for:
Filtering data in Google Analytics
SEO audits - finding specific patterns in URLs or texts
Large text modifications - like bulk formatting of product descriptions
How to start and not give up immediately
Start with Markdown
It's the simplest and you'll use it immediately. Try writing a few articles or notes. You'll master the basics in a week.
Go slowly
Don't rush everything at once. Better learn one language properly than try everything simultaneously and end up with superficial knowledge.
Use online courses
There are plenty of quality - even free - resources. Find a course that suits your learning style. Start with something you can immediately apply.
Practice on your own projects
You learn best when solving real problems. Need to modify a website? Automate a report? That's an ideal learning opportunity.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes
All programmers make mistakes and Google solutions. That's not failure, it's a normal part of the process. Plus AI tools will help you significantly speed up learning - you can have any piece of code explained or ask for help with specific problems.
Let's do this!
You don't need to become a programmer. Just stop being afraid of code and understand the basics. It will save you tons of time, money, and stress. And who knows - you might even enjoy it! 😉
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Until next time, keep experimenting!
Jan Barborik
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