As marketers, we're all obsessed with tighter, more precise, and more perfect targeting — and we want to use it to drive better results. But to do that, we need meaningful data. Targeting and ad placement can no longer rely on vague guesswork; they need to be approached through real, meaningful data.

The problem is, that "meaningful data" doesn't just appear out of thin air. To collect, track, and analyze such data, you need to install various tracking "instruments."

So how do you install those instruments? Through development methods and approaches. "Ah, I see! Then I'll just ask the developers for help!" you might think — but the problem isn't that simple.

Why Not?

1. First of all, what about companies that don't even have developers? Who do you ask?
2. Developers are always busy with their own development work.
3. The perspective gap between marketers and developers: what we request and what they deliver can be quite different.
4. Data changes rapidly — you can't just keep requesting and waiting around every time.

On top of that, the data you need changes depending on KPIs, campaigns, and various situations. So you have to keep adjusting tools and settings to collect the right data — and you can't keep making repeated requests to developers.

So the bottom line is: marketers need to equip themselves with basic development knowledge and learn to apply it on their own.

But what kind of development knowledge is actually needed, and how? For someone like me who had zero connection to development or programming, being told I needed dev skills was puzzling and overwhelming. The only tech terms I'd ever picked up were things like "C language" and "Python"... "Wait, do I need to learn C or something now?"

Where on earth do I start? What exactly does "basic development knowledge for marketers" mean?

HTML/CSS and JavaScript

A marketer's — specifically a digital marketer's — main arena is the web and apps. The web is the most fundamental domain, while apps involve slightly different tools and are a bit more specialized. So personally, I thought it made sense to study web first and then move on to app environments as needed.

There's certainly no shortage of things to learn, but from my experience as a beginner digital marketer, the key takeaway is this: "At the very least, you need to study HTML/CSS and JavaScript."

What Is HTML/CSS?

HTML is the most basic code used to create the web pages we see and use every day.

To help with an intuitive understanding, let me borrow a great analogy from a book I read:

"If a website were a building, HTML would be the basic structure and framework of the building, while CSS handles the exterior and interior design — together, they're responsible for the building's 'appearance.'"

Every web page we've been using is built with HTML. Google, search engines like Naver, online shops — every single web page out there! (And these days, you can even build desktop and mobile applications based on HTML.)

We've actually been using HTML without even knowing it — because posting on blogs or websites is essentially creating HTML documents.

So Why Do Marketers Need HTML/CSS?

HTML is actually the most fundamental first step in web development — like learning the alphabet before learning English. Once you study HTML, you'll be able to see the overall structure of web documents, and it becomes the foundation for learning JavaScript later on. Just as you need to know the alphabet before you can read words and form sentences.

Alright, So How Do We Get Started?

Even learning the alphabet requires a book and a pen.

1. Get an HTML/CSS book

   People around me recommended the "Do it!" series, but I bought a different book from a used bookstore. As long as it's a recent edition, any book should work.

2. Install Google's browser, Chrome

   As an aspiring digital marketer, you need to get comfortable with Google. If you haven't been using Chrome, install it and start using it now.

3. Install a code editor too!

   The most commonly used editors are Visual Studio Code and Atom. Install whichever you prefer, and download the version that matches your operating system from their respective pages.

Download Visual Studio Code

Download Atom

"

Welcome to HTML world!

And that's it — you're all set to start learning HTML/CSS. Next time, we'll dive into the actual study methods. For now, I'll wrap up this post here.