Marketing seems simple on the surface but becomes complex when you look deeper. What do marketers do every day? What has technology done to the marketing industry? How can you get a job in marketing? Is it possible to switch marketing fields? Apply Branding & marketing jobs.
Marketing is fun, let me tell you. Marketing a company involves basically saying “Hey!” with a bullhorn. Marketers love this company. Here’s why! Marketing has a place for everyone, no matter what your creative or analytical skills are.
How to be a marketer
There is no one path that leads to every job. Marketing includes people from all walks of life, including psychology, journalism, and many others. Because it is the easiest way to get into marketing, I have mapped out my career path. I will discuss how to get a job in marketing later in this article.
Education
A bachelor’s degree in marketing is the best way to get a career that will allow you to grow and diversify your work. The four-year program teaches you the skills and competencies required to excel in the fast-paced, competitive marketing industry. This includes public speaking, logistics, sales, analytics, and logistical problem-solving.
These degree programs could lead to a career as a marketer:
- Marketing
- Management
- Business
- Economics
- Psychology
- Communications
- Public Relations
- Journalism
Internships and co-ops
A degree may not be possible for you but an internship or coop is. Internships are a great way to get real-life experience.
Skills and aptitudes
The patience and stability of surgeons is remarkable, while psychologists and chefs are great listeners and have a good memory. Great marketers have a specific set of skills, just like any other professional position. These skills can be acquired from birth or learned through education and practice.
Whatever your marketing role, these skills and abilities are required:
Creativity. Creativity is essential in marketing. It’s not easy to grab consumers’ attention in today’s market. Marketers must constantly find new ways to draw their audience and convince them to buy. Great marketers are creative.
Problem-solving. Imagine the dilemma faced by marketers when DVR was launched and commercials stopped working. How about the massive shift to mobile over desktop? These market trends forever changed how businesses sell to us. Marketers were at the forefront of these shifts, working together to find solutions to new problems. Great marketers solve problems.
Passion for numbers. Passion for numbers. Even the most well-intentioned marketers can have a passion about ROI and numbers. How can companies find out if their promotions are effective? Marketers live and breathe metrics, whether they are tracking click-throughs, retweets or video views. Marketers who excel at analysis can show the value of their work.
Curiosity. Businesses have endless opportunities to promote their products in exciting and new ways every day. The marketing landscape is constantly changing. Marketers wouldn’t be able take advantage of these opportunities if it wasn’t for their curiosity. Great marketers are always learning and remain curious.
Marketing Jobs and Careers
A marketing department can have many different positions, goals, and projects. There can be a huge difference in these roles depending on the medium they are working with, what they are promoting and who they are promoting.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is marketing via digital channels such as search engines, email, social media, and mobile apps. The rise of smartphones and the internet has changed the marketing and promotion of companies’ products and services in the past 30 years. This has led to many new careers in marketing.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Specialist
Search engine optimization is the process of optimizing your web content organically so that search engines index it and you can be found easily by your audience. Search engine marketing involves paying for advertising space on search engines. SEO, SEM and their ever-changing trends are so important in online marketing, people specialize in them — and companies hire for it.
Email Marketer
Although email marketing may seem older, its effectiveness is still very strong. Email marketing uses one channel to reach potential and current customers. It involves creatively-written emails as well as digital promotions.
Growth Marketer
Hacking, also known as growth marketing, is a new term that refers to marketing that targets all tiers of the funnel. Growth marketing considers retention as a key factor in growth. Therefore, it prioritizes customer success as well as customer acquisition.
Content Marketing
Since content marketing is primarily done online, it could be considered part of digital marketing. However, the career path is so important that it deserves its own section.
Content Marketer
Blogs, white papers and whitepapers are all critical parts of an inbound marketing strategy. Content marketers are those who create them. Content marketing is marketing through long-form content, blogs, websites, and audio and video content.