9 Marketing Careers You Should Consider – Forbes Advisor

Professional marketers are known for their people skills and keen ability to present a purchase as an investment rather than an expense.

If you’re good at communicating and persuading, professional marketing might be the career for you. Explore this guide to discover different marketing careers and which degree you need to land your dream marketing position.

What is Marketing?

Marketing is the act of conveying the value of a product or service to a specific audience in order to convert them into paying customers. It encompasses all of the strategies a company uses to encourage the purchase of goods and services by consumers or other businesses.

The overall goal of a marketer is profit maximization. However, they engage in various activities to achieve this goal, including:

• Create buyer personas
• Monitoring market trends to understand customer needs
• Development of targeting and pricing strategies
• Creation and management of advertising campaigns
• Analysis of campaign effectiveness and reporting of key results
• Writing attractive sales texts
• Creation of editorial calendars for social media platforms

Salary and job prospects for marketers

Careers in Marketing can be high paying and fast growing. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasts 10% job growth Marketing Manager from 2021 to 2031 – double the projected national job growth rate. The BLS The median annual salary for marketing managers is $135,030.

Keep in mind that advertising and marketing managers occupy the upper rungs of the corporate ladder and therefore their annual income exceeds that of entry-level marketing professionals.

types of marketing

brand promotion

Brand marketing is about promoting an identity and not just a product or service. Its purpose is to raise awareness and reputation of a company. A brand marketer defines brand identity by carefully choosing colors, slogans, and tones that differentiate the company from the competition.

content marketing

This type of marketing focuses on creating and distributing printed or visual content to attract, retain, and retain customers. Content marketers use various mediums including social platforms, websites, podcasts, apps and print publications to reach and connect with their target audience.

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is the use of the internet and other forms of digital communication (televisions, computers, phones, tablets) to deliver advertising messages. In a digital marketing career, you’ll use some or all of the above digital channels to strategically increase brand awareness and generate leads.

event marketing

Event marketing or experiential marketing is when companies host or attend events to promote their products or services. At such events, brand representatives interact directly with customers and show them how they can achieve tangible results with the products on display.

market research

Businesses generally rely on market research data to determine the feasibility of a new product or service. Therefore, market research involves collecting and analyzing data about products, prospects, competitors, and other sales trends. Market research analysts interpret the data and support clients in making strategic business decisions.

product marketing

Product marketing increases demand for a product. To achieve their main goal, a product marketer researches products, identifies their selling point, and creates a launch plan for a specific audience.

What skills do you need to work in marketing?

In order to be successful in a marketing career, special soft skills are required in addition to technical know-how. Below are the most important skills that marketers must possess.

• Analytical skills. Marketers at all levels need to be able to analyze data and recognize patterns in order to decide on profitable advertising strategies.
• communication skills. A marketer must learn to communicate persuasively with prospects and team members.
• hearing skills. A marketer needs to listen to customer feedback to understand their pain points and criticisms of the products.
• Creativity. Marketers need to be able to generate interesting ideas that will resonate with their target audience.
• Cooperation. A marketer must be open to collaborating and communicating with other members of their organization to gain proper insight into a product or service.
• Organizational skills. Marketing managers must learn to manage time and advertising budgets and delegate tasks to team members.

The best degrees for marketing careers

Bachelors in Marketing

A Bachelors in Marketing covers the essential skills and knowledge to land an entry-level job in marketing. Typical courses include Marketing and Digital Media, Introduction to New and Social Media, Consumer Market Behavior, Strategy Development, Sales Management and Market Research.

Most schools offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree Marketing Majors. While the BA in marketing programs tends to focus more on humanities, the BS in marketing programs focuses on the technological and mathematical aspects of marketing.

A bachelor’s degree in marketing takes about four years and 120 credit hours to complete.

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)

A Bachelor of Business Administration What makes it different from a bachelor’s degree in marketing is that it offers a broader perspective of the business landscape that goes beyond marketing. Therefore, a bachelor’s degree in business administration can expand your career opportunities.

Most BBA programs offer specializations that allow students to gain in-depth insight into a specific field of business. As a budding marketer, you can choose to specialize in marketing.

Marketing BBA programs prepare students to excel in entry-level marketing positions through courses such as business communications, marketing principles, marketing channels and institutions, and strategic marketing management.

A BBA program provides graduates with leadership, critical thinking, communication, and project management skills.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing

An MBA program in marketing builds on foundational knowledge to prepare graduate students for advanced careers in marketing. This degree typically includes courses in strategic marketing, branding, business forecasting and organizational development.

MBA students also acquire important skills, including leadership, critical thinking, decision-making, and communication, that will enable them to be successful in their future roles.

An MBA program takes approximately two years and 60 credit hours to complete.

Marketing careers to consider

Salary data below is from Payscale.com unless otherwise noted.

Brand manager

Average annual salary: Approximately $75,500
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration or a related field
Job description: Brand managers ensure their companies’ identities are consistent across platforms. They also develop strategies that strengthen the credibility of their organizations.

copywriter

Average annual salary: Approximately $56,500
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Communication
Job description: A copywriter creates editorial content that engages customers and drives demand for a product or service.

event marketer

Average annual salary: Approximately $49,800
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Communication
Job description: An event marketer plans, promotes, and runs events to promote a company’s products. You will also secure event sponsorships, manage budgets and coordinate with internal teams to achieve event goals.

market researcher

Average annual salary: Approximately $59,600
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Social Sciences or Marketing
Job description: Marketing analysts study and interpret market conditions to help employers make informed business decisions.

marketing strategist

Average annual salary: Approximately $64,500
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Business Administration
Job description: This marketing professional relies on research to develop marketing plans to achieve company-wide goals.

Online community manager

Average annual salary: Approximately $60,400
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Communication, English or Marketing
Job description: An online community manager builds and nurtures a brand’s digital relationship with its customers through regular interaction and support.

Product Marketing Specialist

Average annual salary: Approximately $67,000
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Business Administration
Job description: This marketer is responsible for developing and executing advertising strategies that drive demand for one or more products.

Search engine optimization (SEO) specialist.

Average annual salary: Approximately $49,800
Required Education: Degree in Digital Marketing or certification
Job description: An SEO specialist optimizes a company’s website for search engines through regular testing, analysis and optimization.

Social Media Specialist

Average annual salary: Approximately $48,800
Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Journalism or Communication
Job description: Social media specialists develop and implement strategies to increase brand awareness and engagement across various social platforms.