The article below discusses the key aspects of a career in marketing. You will learn what marketing professionals do, where they work, job duties, how to become a marketing professional and more.
What We Do
Marketing professionals generally are responsible for managing the marketing of a product, service or business. They may be responsible for a single product or service, or charged with the overall marketing of the entire organization.
Marketing professionals approximate the need for services and products; distinguish possible markets for the products and services; monitor sales trends; and develop pricing and sales strategies and work with staff in public relations efforts.
Job Duties
Job duties for marketing professionals can vary a great deal depending upon the job title. Some of the most common sorts of marketing jobs today include the following duties:
- Work with the heads of business departments to work on budgets, contracts, marketing plans and which advertising media to use
- Plan promotional events including coupons, contests, social media efforts and more
- Negotiate advertising contracts with current and new vendors
- Perform or manager marketing research studies and analyze findings to understand market and customer opportunities for new business
- Lead the hiring of marketing and advertising staff and supervise their daily work
- Devise new pricing strategies for services and products that are important to the target audience
- Meet with new or potential clients to offer marketing advice
- Plan new advertising campaigns online, TV, radio and billboards
Where We Work
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, advertising and promotions managers – some of the most common marketing professionals – held 31,3200 jobs in 2016. These workers were most often employed in these areas:
- Advertising, public relations and related services: 34%
- Information: 12%
- Management of enterprises and companies: 7%
- Wholesale trade: 6%
- Retail trade: 6%
Marketing managers are another common occupation in marketing; there were 218,000 of these jobs as of 2016 in these areas:
- Professional, scientific and technical: 22%
- Management of enterprises and companies: 16%
- Manufacturing: 12%
- Finance and insurance: 10%
- Wholesale trade: 8%
How to Become
Most professionals who are employed in marketing, promotions and advertising have at least a bachelor’s degree in advertising, marketing, journalism or a related field. Many marketing professionals take courses in marketing, consumer behavior, sales, market research, communications and the visual arts.
However, marketing managers will also usually need a business background, with courses often in economics, finance, accounting, mathematics and statistics. For professionals who wish to become higher level marketing managers, an MBA in marketing can be an excellent choice.
Employment/Salaries
Below is salary and employment information for the most common types of marketing professionals today:
- Advertising, promotions and marketing managers: Job outlook is above average through 2026 with 10% growth expected. More of these professionals will be needed in online marketing work to increase the effectiveness of promotional campaigns. Median salary in the field is $100,800 with the top 10% earning above $200,000.
- Market research analysts: Job growth in this field will be excellent through 2026 with 23% job growth expected. Employment increases are being seen because of the importance of data and marketing research in most industries. There is more need to understand the needs and wants of customers and to manage the effectiveness of business and marketing strategies. Median pay in this field is $62,500 with the top 10% earning $121,000 per year. ‘
- Public relations specialists: This marketing related field is expected to grow by an average 9% through 2026, which is about as fast as average. Organizations will keep on stressing customer relations and community outreach as ways to maintain and boost reputation and visibility in the ever more competitive marketplace. Public opinion shifts fast online, and good PR specialists will be needed to respond quickly to new developments in the marketplace. The median salary in this field was $58,000 in 2016 with the top 10% earning $110,500 per year.
- Public relations and fundraising managers: Job outlook for these PR professionals is expected to rise by 10% through 2026, which is faster than average. Social media is growing in importance, so more PR managers are needed to address both bad and good news for their organization. The median salary in this field is $107,000 with the top 10% earning $205,000 per year.
- Art directors: These marketing and design professionals will see average 5% job growth in through 2026. Art directors, while not needed as much for print publications, are needed more than ever for online and Internet work. There should be nothing but high demand for jobs for web and mobile platforms. The median salary in this field was $89,000 in 2016 with the top 10% earning $166,000 per year.
Career Paths
Some of the other career options for marketing professionals include:
- Marketing director: This is a common and good job title for smaller companies that do not have a large marketing staff. Marketing directors can be charged with everything from managing social media campaigns to content writing to handling public relations duties. This job is usually given to those with several years of marketing manager experience.
- Sales manager: This marketing and sales professional directs how products and services are delivered to consumers, which involves setting up sales territories, and also setting quotas and sales goals. Sales managers are responsible for overseeing staff training, developing better strategies for the sales team and pushing sales members to make sales targets.
- Brand manager: This marketing professional is tasked with managing a brand or brand family that may involve one or several products or services for a company. It is their task to install the essence of the brand, map out what the competition is doing and identify new marketing opportunities and gaps in what is offered in the marketplace.
- Content marketing director: Responsible for setting the marketing strategy for the content that appears in publications, websites, TV and radio for an organization. Should have high level of skill in both management and content writing and copy editing. Work with teams to develop the content strategy that aligns with other parts of the marketing initiatives.
- Product marketing manager: Responsible for overseeing and building the marketing strategy for a product or group of products, and determine best ways to sell them to generate the most revenues. Responsible for overseeing how products are advertised and viewed by the public.
- Account manager: This advertising and marketing professional is the liaison between an advertising agency’s departments and the client. The job is to manage how ads either print, online, TV or radio are done to ensure they are created on time and on budget and per the client’s standards.
- Real estate agent: These real estate professionals buy, sell and rent properties for clients. They need to have an excellent grasp of the local real estate market and the local community. Real estate agents provide guidance to buyers of homes to find them properties that fit their needs best. They also represent sellers in the sales transaction and help them to negotiate the best price.
Check out some of these job titles in marketing and advertising:
- Product manager
- Marketing consultant
- Marketing communication manager
- Digital brand manager
- Creative director
- SEO manager
- Marketing data analyst
- Community manager
- Content manager
- Creative assistant
- Web developer
- Web designer
- Graphic designer
- Project manager
Career Paths by Job Title
- Marketing Analyst Salary
- Marketing Communications Manager Salary
- Marketing Coordinator Salary
- Marketing Executive Salary
- Marketing Manager Salary
- Marketing Specialist Salary
- Director of Marketing Salary
- Chief Marketing Officer Salary
Education Requirements
Most marketing professionals have at least a bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, promotions or a related field. To work as an upper level manager in marketing, you may need to have a master’s degree in marketing, or even an MBA in marketing. Many schools are now offering online degrees in social media management and internet marketing degree programs.
Training and Certifications
Some of the certifications and training programs that you can take in marketing that may improve your career options include these:
- Google AdWords certifications, including AdWords Fundamentals, Display Advertising, Mobile Advertising, Shopping Advertising and Search Advertising.
- Pragmatic Marketing certifications: Certifications that include six different classes with different marketing certifications earned after you complete each one. This certification has been found to result in a 6% higher salary on average in marketing jobs.
- Google Analytics Individual Qualification: This examination and certification will expand and quantify your Google Analytics skills that will be very helpful to improving the results of SEO campaigns for your organization.
- Certified Trade Show Marketer: This program must be completed in person, and it requires 23 sessions and five electices. But when you are finished you will walk away with an impressive marketing professional portfolio that can help you to obtain positions in the trade show field.
References
- 7 Hot Marketing Certifications and How They Pay Off. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.cio.com/article/234622/7-hot-marketing-certifications-and-how-they-pay-off.html
- Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Managers. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/advertising-promotions-and-marketing-managers.htm
- Public Relations Specialists. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/public-relations-specialists.htm
