What Skills Do You Need for Marketing in 2024?

Are you interested in the fast-paced world of marketing? Digital marketing can be a rewarding career for people wanting a creative and analytical position. To enter the profession, you'll need a mix of marketing skills. Earning your degree in marketing and communications is a solid first step toward achieving your professional goals. Read on for the top skills you’ll need to start a career in marketing and tips on how to build those skills.

What Do Marketers Do?

Marketers are instrumental in promoting products and services through a series of strategic steps. They begin by conducting thorough market research to understand consumer preferences, market trends, and competitor strategies. By identifying target audiences based on demographics, consumer psychology and behavior patterns, marketers can tailor their campaigns effectively.

Collaboration is a key aspect of a marketer's role. They work closely with teams across departments to develop cohesive branding strategies, engaging advertising initiatives, and impactful promotional activities. Leveraging data analytics tools allows marketers to measure the success of their campaigns accurately and make data-driven decisions to enhance future marketing endeavors.

The ultimate goal of marketers is to enhance brand visibility, boost sales figures, and cultivate lasting relationships with customers through innovative marketing tactics that resonate with their target audience. By staying abreast of industry developments and consumer insights, marketers can continuously refine their strategies to stay ahead in an ever-evolving marketplace.

Where Do Marketers Work?

The marketing field is incredibly dynamic and vast, offering a plethora of opportunities across industries and work environments. In each type of work environment, your role as a marketer contributes uniquely to promoting products and services. Whether you’re a content creator, a data enthusiast, or a brand strategist, there’s a place for you in this exciting industry. Here’s a breakdown of typical places marketers might work:

Corporate Offices

Many marketers operate within corporate offices, collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop and execute marketing strategies. Whether it’s a tech giant, a consumer goods company, or a financial institution, corporate environments provide a hub for creativity, data analysis, and campaign planning.

Advertising Agencies

These bustling hubs are home to creative minds, copywriters, and graphic designers. Marketers in advertising agencies work on client campaigns, crafting compelling messages, designing visuals, and strategizing media placements. The fast-paced agency life keeps them on their toes.

Digital Spaces and Remote Work

In today’s digital age, marketers thrive online. They manage social media accounts, create content for websites, optimize search engine rankings, and run email campaigns. Remote work is becoming increasingly common. According to Statista, 35% of Americans were offered a remote job in 2022. Working in a remote position within the marketing field allows employees to contribute from anywhere in the world.

Field Marketing

Field marketing encompasses face-to-face interactions with potential buyers. It involves street promotions, experiential marketing, pop-up events, and more. It’s about connecting directly with the audience, whether through billboards, flyers, or engaging events.

Market Research Firms

Market research is essential to the marketing field. When working at a market research firm, you’ll dive deep into data. Market researchers analyze consumer behavior, conduct surveys, and interpret market trends. Armed with insights, they guide companies in making informed decisions.

Retail and E-Commerce

Retailers need marketers to drive foot traffic and boost sales. E-commerce platforms rely on digital marketing wizards to optimize user experiences, enhance conversions, and increase online visibility.

Nonprofits and NGOs

Even organizations with a social mission need marketing. Marketers in this sector raise awareness, attract donors, and advocate for causes.

Freelancing and Consulting

Some marketers choose independence. They offer their expertise as freelancers or consultants, working on diverse projects for multiple clients.

Foundational Skills for Marketers

Core competencies are those foundational skills and interpersonal abilities that make you a more effective worker. They include an easy ability to talk to people, move between projects or departments seamlessly, and mentor others. Unlike technical skills like digital marketing or data analysis, these competencies do not merely equip you with job-specific knowledge; instead, they enhance your overall performance. As the global job market evolves, employers increasingly recognize and prioritize these versatile skills, particularly within the marketing realm. In a field that demands the ability to sell, overcome objections, up-sell to established clients, and make agile decisions, foundational marketing and interpersonal skills play a pivotal role.

To thrive in a marketing career, honing your critical thinking ability and understanding diverse marketing strategies is essential. Successful marketers are not only adept communicators but also possess an intuitive understanding of their clients' needs. Other essential marketing skills include:

Communication

How well do you connect with people? Are you comfortable pitching ideas to strangers? Do you get a thrill when you can sell someone more than they initially intended to buy? If so, you may have a bright future in the marketing industry. These are all examples of what can happen when you have good communication skills.

In the world of sales and marketing, being an extrovert helps. However, it's not necessarily a requirement. Communication skills can be learned, just like anything else. Coursework in public relations, video storytelling, and public speaking can all help you improve your interactions with others.

Creativity and Problem-Solving

Success in marketing requires you to think on your feet. For example, you may have to change course during a sales pitch if you sense it's not working. You may have to get creative when selling a product or service with much competition. A clever marketing campaign can boost a product's profitability immensely. Take, for instance, the popularity of the tagline, "Every Kiss Begins with Kay," for Kay Jewelers or the recognizability of Flo from Progressive Insurance. Both were brainchildren of highly creative marketing specialists, and both have helped their respective companies sell millions, or even billions, of dollars worth of goods and services.

Attention to Detail

As a marketing specialist, you may design email campaigns, campaigns that re-target internet searchers, and content for websites, blogs, and print materials. Creating multiple campaigns will require attention to detail. Spelling and grammar will be important, as will using inclusive language. You'll also be required to meet strict deadlines. The better you spot mistakes and tweak ad copy, the more successful you may become.

Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are the ones you use when you interact with other people. They include your body language, facial expressions, manners, and choice of language. But they also describe how and when you moderate your voice when you speak, whether you're confrontative, and how well you listen to the other person.

Good interpersonal skills help you build positive relationships, such as friendships and mentorships. They can make you someone that people enjoy talking to. Conversely, they can make you the person everyone tries to avoid. In the marketing world, your interpersonal skills can be a huge help or a significant hindrance to your success.

Leadership

Leadership skills are helpful in every industry, and marketing is no different. The ability to instill confidence in others could make you a stellar salesman. It also puts you in the right position to become a marketing trainer, sales manager, or corporate marketing executive.

Adaptability

Adapting quickly to new situations is another valuable skill that may help you succeed in marketing. Making decisions or changing direction on a moment's notice sometimes comes with the job. Having the ability to be flexible is a definite plus in this industry.

Valuable Technical Skills for Marketers

Along with your core competencies, you'll need what employers call "hard skills. These technical skills are the ones you'll learn in school and through work experience. Technical skills, combined with your core skills, may help you go far as a marketing specialist.

 

Writing

Writing is critical because much of today's marketing takes place online and involves creating content for blogs or pages for websites. For instance, if you become employed by an ad agency, you may be assigned specific accounts for which you must compose monthly blog posts or social media entries. Your writing should be spot-on and engaging and encourage readers to convert, which, in marketing, means making a purchase.

Data Analysis and Analytics

You may be in charge of monitoring website performance for one or more of your agency's customers. In this role, you'll use analytics to record page views and visitors. You'll analyze the data your analytics platform collects and make recommendations for improvement. For example, you'll understand which web pages users regularly visit, which make them linger, and which ones cause them to convert.

Project Management

Marketing involves many projects, including putting together different campaigns and testing them to see how they work. You may manage these types of projects in your marketing role. You'll need skills and experience in leadership, along with the ability to manage people and to get things done on time.

Research

How are your research skills? You may want to dust them off and give them a little practice before applying for a marketing job. You may be responsible for researching competitor sites to see what's working for them and then using those techniques with your clients.

SEO/SEM

Search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) are both techniques marketers use to drive traffic to their clients' websites. Once users have landed on the intended page, other marketing techniques, such as coupon codes or descriptive text, encourage them to purchase or convert.

SEO helps get your clients noticed by getting them onto the first page of Google's search results. To do this, you must be familiar with Google's ever-changing algorithms and keyword usage. Meanwhile, SEM gets your client noticed through internet ads that appear when someone runs an internet search. You'll need specific knowledge of both marketing strategies to become a successful marketer.

Social Media Marketing

Social media sites like TikTok and Instagram are powerful platforms millions of prospective customers use daily. By getting your client's name and products onto social media, you'll help them gain brand awareness. Brand awareness can often be improved through frequent social media posts across platforms that link back to the client's website. You'll need a clear understanding of the top social media platforms, which users visit regularly, and how to compose compelling posts.

Email Marketing

Email marketing involves contacting customers or prospective customers via email. You'll need knowledge of how to compose intriguing subject lines that convince readers to click through and how to wiggle past email filters so your target sees your email. You'll have to devise ways to collect those email addresses, too.

Visual Marketing

Images matter, especially in the marketing world. Color psychology, fonts, graphics and branding all play a role in the marketing field. As a marketer, you'll need an innate knowledge of visual marketing to help you understand what does and doesn't convert.

Website Management

In today’s digital age, having an online shop or website is key for marketing. Keeping your website up to date is critical for driving sales. You may be responsible for building or maintaining your client's website, so experience in website and content management is a must.

How To Upgrade Your Marketing Skills

There are many ways to build foundational and technical marketing skills. Upskilling is an integral part of personal and career growth for both marketing beginners and experienced professionals. Ready to elevate your marketing game?

Workshops and Certifications

There are numerous workshops you can take and certifications you can earn online to help you become a better marketer. Most are paid, but some are free. More popular options include certifications in Google Analytics, Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, Meta Blueprint Marketing, and Hootsuite Social Marketing.

Pursuing Higher Education

Earning your degree in marketing is another proven method of dusting off your marketing skills. Champlain College Online offers an Online Bachelor of Science in Marketing & Communication – an ideal solution for working adults and nontraditional students.

Practical Experience

Freelancing is another option for those who wish to become more adept at marketing. Becoming a freelance advertising copywriter or signing up for a marketing internship can bring you valuable industry skills.

Start Your Marketing Journey Today

Are you ready to improve your marketing skills and learn more about the field?  We invite you to earn an online degree in marketing & communication at Champlain College Online. All coursework may be completed entirely online, with the flexibility you need to work around life and work responsibilities.

At Champlain College Online, we're helping shape and mold the leaders of tomorrow. Explore our many online degree options or request more information today. One of our knowledgeable admission counselors will be happy to answer any questions you have regarding enrollment.