Marketing continues to be one of the fastest-growing fields, and marketing professionals are in high demand. For those interested in making a career change to marketing, there’s no better time than now. To begin your marketing career, you’ll need training or education to give you the knowledge and skills required for your new job.
There are many ways to transition into a marketing role, so read on to find the right option. We’ll cover topics such as what kinds of marketing roles exist and different education paths, including an Online Master’s in Marketing. You’ll also learn about the specific skills you need for marketing jobs.
What is marketing?
Marketing promotes a brand, product or service to achieve the desired outcome. In the simplest terms, marketing is what gets products to those who need them. Marketing aims to create value for leads and customers and is intended to make companies profitable.
Marketing can include creating compelling ads and branding campaigns. It could also mean formulating pricing strategies, product design and distribution methods. Ultimately, you want to lead consumers to the desire to purchase. In summary, it’s crucial to any business’s success.
Marketing is for everyone, but perhaps you never realized it. It’s for consumers, investors and employees. Everyone’s affected by marketing. For example, consumers use marketing when they shop for groceries and carefully select which brands to buy. Investors rely on marketing to make the best decisions when investing, and companies use marketing to help to engage and take care of employees.
Marketing careers
Many different marketing jobs exist if you wish to pursue a career in marketing. Below are some of the most common marketing roles:
- Advertising: This marketing field involves finding and purchasing space for advertisements in various media. Advertising specialists might run advertisements on TV, radio, print, or streaming platforms.
- Brand management: A brand manager or director manages a company’s image. This could involve creating a brand persona or developing the ideal profile of customers.
- Social media:<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> A social media job involves managing a brand’s social accounts. This means creating content to share on social media pages and developing an engagement strategy on social platforms.
- Public relations: This marketing position involves promoting a company’s brand image and gaining positive coverage in the media. PR specialists might create and manage press releases, speak at conferences, or host networking events for exposure.
How to become a marketer: Skills required
Successfully transitioning into a marketing career requires specific skills, knowledge, and abilities. These depend on the type of marketing job you plan on pursuing. However, most jobs require the following core skills:
- Analytical skills: Successful marketers gather information, analyze data and make conclusions based on the findings.
- Creativity: Marketers must develop new and innovative ideas for products and marketing campaigns.
- Communication skills: In all marketing roles, you should be able to clearly and effectively communicate with others.
- Initiative: Successful marketers must be able to work independently. This reality is especially true in remote and hybrid positions.
Marketing job titles
Depending on the type of marketing job you pursue, your job title could vary. Below are some of the most common job titles in marketing:
- Account executive: Account executives oversee creating or managing a company’s advertising accounts.
- Brand specialist: A brand specialist manages a company’s image. They may create marketing campaigns, design logos, and work on branding.
- Campaign manager: You would create and manage an organization’s marketing campaigns in this position. It includes designing materials and marketing strategies.
- Communications manager: A communications manager oversees a company’s public relations efforts for good press.
- Content creator: Content creators manage the content on a company’s website. This could include writing blog posts or creating a marketing plan.
- Distribution manager: A distribution manager handles a company’s distribution methods or creates a product distribution strategy.
- Marketing analyst: You would analyze data and provide marketing insights in this role. This could include evaluating sales statistics, product data, surveys, and polls.
- Marketing director: Marketing directors oversee marketing efforts. They have their hand in developing strategies, managing budgets, and hiring brand specialists.
- Product manager: A product manager handles a company’s product development. This could involve creating new product designs and overseeing product rollouts.
- Product designer: A product designer oversees designing new products. In this role, you could create product designs based on customer feedback.
Marketing degree options
The level of education you pursue depends on the marketing job you want. While you don’t necessarily need a degree to become a marketer, many employers ask for a bachelor’s degree or higher. Below are the types of degrees you can seek to become a marketer:
- Bachelor’s degree: A Bachelor’s degree in Marketing is a common choice for marketing professionals. This degree gives you a general education in marketing concepts and skills.
- Master’s degree: A master’s degree in Marketing provides you with a more in-depth education in marketing concepts and skills.
- Marketing certification: If you’re not ready for a degree, you can pursue a marketing certification. This usually takes less time and is a great way to break into the field.
Love business, but not sales
Marketing is a great field to enter if you’re interested in a business career but don’t want to go into sales. In most companies, marketing is responsible for helping to generate sales. Moreover, it’s an area that’s involved in almost any and every aspect of the company. This would allow you to engage with the R&D team and the sales, operations, and finance teams. As a result, marketers must have the skills to sell their ideas to company leadership and customers.
The best way to transition into a marketing career is to read material written by marketing experts, attend conferences, and network with others. You may even want to consider informally being mentored by a senior marketer in your company. That way, you’ll better understand what more senior-level jobs and challenges entail. Marketing is a popular field and expected to grow, so now is a great time to transition into a career in marketing.
