Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Soft Skill Every Marketer Needs
When marketers talk about skill-building, the conversation usually focuses on the obvious: analytics, SEO, conversion rates, storytelling, paid ads strategy. It becomes a to-do list of certificates to get, and tools to learn. These are the measurable, tangible parts of the job, but what often gets left out of the conversation is emotional intelligence.
Sure, its not as flashy as a Google Analytics report or as satisfying as nailing a viral content strategy, but after reading Emotional Intelligence and Public Relations: An Empirical Review by Weiwu Zhang and Oluseyi Adegbola, I’m convinced EI belongs at the top of every marketer’s skill sets. Their review of research in this area shows that emotional intelligence (the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions as well as others) isn’t just nice to have in communications-focused fields like PR. It’s essential.
And the more I think about it, the more I realize how true this is in digital marketing, too.
We don’t just create content. We create messages that travel far beyond our control, who will interpret our message though countless different perspectives. The potential for misunderstanding is baked into the work. A post meant to sound witty might come off flippant. A campaign intended to feel urgent might trigger panic. Emotional intelligence gives marketers the awareness to see these risks, adjust their approach, and lead with empathy, before the audience reacts.
And when things do go sideways, EI becomes the most important skill in the room. It’s not just about explaining the problem in an email or during a client call, it’s about reading the room, understanding the client’s stress, validating their concerns, and guiding the conversation toward reassurance, not panic.
I’ve been in those moments.
Like the time a client was convinced their site had been hacked. The alerts they saw made the situation feel urgent and dangerous, but thanks to solid security protocols, there was no real threat. The technical fix was easy. The human part, like the phone call where we had to explain, carefully and calmly, that everything was fine, took longer. It mattered more. Because at that moment, they weren’t thinking like business owners. They were worried, frustrated, imagining worst-case scenarios. And they needed to feel heard before they could hear the solution.
The research Zhang and Adegbola reviewed makes a strong case: organizations that invest in developing EI and cultural intelligence (CQ) preform better. Their teams adjust faster, solve problems more smoothly, and connect with diverse audiences more authentically. The skills make a difference not just in how you talk to clients or customers, but also in how you work internally, manage your team, handle conflict, and make decisions under stress.
And here’s the truth: this applies to every kind of marketer, not just those in public relations.
Whether you’re writing website copy, running an ad campaign, optimizing SEO, or managing a multi-channel strategy, you are always communicating: with your team, with your clients, and with an invisible audience you hope to reach. Emotional intelligence makes all of that communication clearer, more effective, and more human.
The best marketing isn’t the loudest or the cleverest, it’s the most resonant. The kind that understands what the audience feels, what they hope for, what they fear. That’s emotional intelligence, too.
Maybe it’s time we start treating this soft skill like the competitive advantage it really is.
