what is a marketing manager?
As a marketing manager, you promote a brand, service, or product. You ensure the company communicates the right message to retain and attract prospective customers. You specialize in all things marketing-related and oversee and plan various activities in this role. Your job will be to launch marketing activities like social media campaigns, events, and email marketing.
Marketing managers lead marketing teams to ensure their efforts are fruitful. Your job is to estimate the market demand for your employer's products or services and develop a creative strategy for driving customer interest through multiple channels. Most companies develop a marketing process to simplify and ensure their strategies align with the company policies.
As a marketing manager, you work in various industries. If you are interested in financial services, you could supervise financial services sales agents and insurance agents. Alternatively, you can work for retail businesses or manufacturing and focus on finding big clients for bulk purchases.
With the dynamic marketing industry, most employers prefer marketing managers with expertise in digital marketing techniques. You don't need specialized qualifications or expertise in the business sector, but you must adapt to the changing consumer needs to keep up with the competition.
Would working as a marketing manager suit your skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a marketing manager role.
view jobs near youaverage marketing manager salary
Would you like to know what a marketing manager earns? Where the highest salaries are paid for a marketing manager? Then check out this salary comparison tool and find out all about the salary of a marketing manager in the USA.
types of marketing managers
Some of the types of marketing managers include:
- brand marketing managers: You build a company's brand awareness as a brand marketing manager. You find marketing strategies that positively market your company, highlighting the benefits of choosing the brand over its competitors.
- content marketing managers: As a content marketing manager, you supervise the creation and publication of content. Your job is to drive traffic to the organization's website and provide value to customers with helpful content.
- digital marketing manager: As a digital marketing manager, you develop and implement marketing campaigns for online channels. You improve social media advertising and search engine rankings of the company to improve visibility and the company's online presence.
working as a marketing managers
The work of the marketing manager is to get the word out and improve the visibility of a company in online and offline marketing channels. Let's explore the specific roles and duties of a marketing manager.
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marketing manager job description
Some of the tasks and duties of a marketing manager include:
- designing and managing marketing campaigns: As a marketing manager, you conduct market research and generate ideas on the best marketing methods. For instance, you study competitors, ensure the marketing campaigns address consumers' problems, and build hype around your products. When you implement the marketing strategy, you measure performance and adjust the strategy to optimize performance.
- implementing new marketing strategies: As a marketing manager, you follow the strategic plan set up by an organization. The marketing director creates most of the marketing strategies, and you implement them by prioritizing campaign activities with the best results on the marketing roadmap. When you implement the strategies, your company can achieve or maintain a competitive advantage in the market.
- overseeing the creation of campaigns and content: Every business wants to deliver the best campaigns to gain a competitive advantage over its completion. As a marketing manager, you are responsible for the campaign creation process from idea generation to execution. You ensure every marketing effort aligns with the company's strategic objectives. You also set the content strategy, create the editorial calendar, and review content created for marketing purposes. Your task is to ensure every piece of content conveys the right message and tone and improves the company's visibility.
- handling external communication: As a marketing manager, you rely on external communication to build brand awareness and improve the sales of various products. You create a relationship with the media to promote the company's message. You also engage with advertising agencies, partners, and vendors when building brand loyalty and expanding the market share.
- managing budgets and cross-functional teams: As a marketing manager, you manage budgets for the campaigns utilized by your team. You also coordinate cross-functional teams and ensure they understand their roles in the marketing plans. You assist content creators and graphic designers or support the sales teams to move customers along the buyer's journey.
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marketing manager work environment
A marketing manager works in an office environment most of the time. In large companies, the employer may create an open-plan office arrangement for the marketing team to allow brainstorming sessions and a free flow of ideas. You can work alongside your team or have a private office as a marketing manager. You organize product launches and marketing events outdoors to build awareness during marketing campaigns. Due to the dynamic nature of your role, sometimes you have to work in off-site locations to supervise content creation or production of marketing videos. Marketing managers also make TV appearances and talk to the press during product launches and other campaigns. While you may perform some of your duties from home, it is challenging to supervise marketing teams remotely.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer, your colleagues might include marketing executives, marketing coordinators, the head of marketing, brand managers, public relations officers, production assistants, and social media managers. You may also work with sales promoters, sales managers, media sales executives, and events managers as well as other specialists. These specialists include digital marketers, content writers, product managers, and program managers.
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work schedule
As a marketing manager, you typically adhere to a 40-hour workweek, following traditional office hours and avoiding the need to work evenings and weekends to fulfill your responsibilities. However, the dynamic nature of your job often presents deadlines and last-minute projects, creating an unexpected schedule that may require you to put in additional hours during evenings or weekends to accomplish your duties.
While most marketing managers hold full-time positions, some work on short-term contracts, offering you flexibility in your employment. Regardless of the type of employment you have, your role as a marketing manager often involves traveling to attend meetings and preparing content in off-site locations. This aspect of your job allows you to engage in face-to-face interactions with clients, collaborate with team members, and gain insights from various locations.
It's worth noting that overseas travel is relatively rare for marketing managers like yourself, as your responsibilities typically involve supervising smaller teams. However, this may vary depending on the organization you work for and the specific marketing initiatives you are undertaking.
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job outlook for marketing manager
As someone interested in becoming a marketing manager, you can join the role after gaining experience in sales or marketing teams, acquiring the necessary skills to lead teams effectively. This position serves as your first step towards managerial positions, providing you with the opportunity to progress further up the career ladder. For example, you could aspire to become a branch manager, regional marketing manager, head of marketing, or marketing director. Additionally, you have the option to specialize in specific marketing aspects, such as digital or social media marketing, honing your expertise in those areas. By focusing your skills and knowledge, you could become an expert and leverage your specialization in your role. Overall, pursuing a career as a marketing manager offers you promising prospects for growth and development. It allows you to transition from sales or marketing backgrounds to leadership positions, while also offering avenues for specialization and proficiency in various marketing domains.
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benefits of working for randstad as a marketing manager
Working through Randstad offers you a range of benefits:
- being paid weekly
- flexibility
- always a contact person you can fall back on and ask for help from
- many training opportunities
- a range of jobs in your area
Want a permanent contract? But you wonder why it would be interesting for you to work with a staffing company? A temporary job as a marketing manager is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers, thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad, too!
marketing manager skills and education
To embark on the journey of becoming a marketing manager, it is essential for you to obtain a bachelor's degree. Consider pursuing a bachelor’s degree in marketing or business management or an associate degree in communications, which will equip you with the foundational knowledge needed for success. Your coursework encompasses crucial subjects such as advertising, pricing, research, consumer behavior, sales, and online retailing. To enhance your versatility and adaptability, you may also opt to take courses in technology or visual arts, which can expand your skill set.
While not obligatory, completing an internship during your degree program is highly recommended as it allows you to gain practical experience in the field. This hands-on experience should complement your academic knowledge and provide you with valuable insights into the real-world dynamics of marketing.
Furthermore, obtaining an MBA could greatly distinguish you in the competitive job market. You have the option to pursue a specialized MBA in marketing, which focuses specifically on marketing strategies and tactics. Alternatively, a general MBA program can provide you with a broader understanding of finance, leadership, and human resources, complementing your marketing expertise and positioning you as a well-rounded professional.
Consider supplementing your core coursework with additional courses in technology or visual arts to enhance your knowledge base. Pursuing an internship and, if feasible, obtaining an MBA can further enhance your qualifications and set you apart in the field of marketing.
skills and competencies
As a marketing manager, the following skills are instrumental:
- leadership: Your responsibility is to lead and motivate your team towards achieving specific goals.
- technical skills: The marketing field requires expertise in utilizing specialized software, tools, and equipment for designing, manufacturing, and distributing marketing materials.
- organizational skills: Your ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously is crucial. You will need to make decisions regarding various assignments at different stages of development.
- communication: You would regularly interact with coworkers, team members, and the company's customer base. Your strong communication skills are essential for effective collaboration.
- creative skills: Marketing is a creative endeavor, and as a marketing manager, you must generate unique and captivating strategies to promote products and elevate brand awareness.
- people skills: As a manager, your people skills play a vital role in your success and the success of your team. Effective communication and interpersonal skills are essential for building strong relationships with your team members, fostering trust, and creating a positive work environment. By actively listening to your team, providing constructive feedback, and addressing concerns, you could establish open lines of communication and ensure that everyone feels valued and heard. Your ability to motivate and inspire your team members is also crucial in driving productivity and achieving goals.
FAQs about working as a marketing manager
Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about marketing managers.
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is becoming a marketing manager a good career path?
Yes, a marketing manager is a great choice if you’re looking to grow your career in marketing. There are many opportunities for marketing managers to take on leadership positions, have direct oversight, and be responsible for groups of people. A marketing manager's career path could even include becoming a chief marketing officer.
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what percentage of marketing managers in the United States are female?
Approximately 55% of marketing managers in the US are female. This is a 19% increase over 2010. There are approximately 157,000 female marketing managers in the United States compared to approximately 124,000 male marketing managers.
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what should you know before a marketing manager interview?
It is good to research your prospective company. Familiarize yourself with current trends in marketing, and digest all of the information the company has on its website. Pay close attention to the products and services they offer.
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is being a marketing manager a stressful job?
As a marketing manager, you have a considerable amount of responsibility as deadlines are important. Depending on your exact responsibilities and the size of your company, you may be responsible for overseeing a large group of people. As a result, you need to understand how to build programs, create campaigns, and report to your oversight on marketing metrics. There can be a steep learning curve for someone new to the job. However, once you are able to develop a rhythm at your company and create a system that works for you, you will likely find that far from being stressful, the challenges the job presents are rewarding, especially as you see the results of your work.
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what other professions are similar to being a marketing manager?
As a marketing manager, your job responsibilities could overlap with those of marketing analysts, email marketing managers, and product managers. In all three positions, you are responsible for observing and analyzing aspects of a company’s marketing campaign. You need to be up-to-date with trends and be able to communicate those findings to a marketing team.
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how do I find a job as a marketing manager?
Applying for a marketing manager job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our marketing manager jobs for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV. If you do not have a resume, no worries. Just check out our resume builder. This state-of-the-art tool will help you to create your own resume. Need help with your application? Check out all our job-hunting tips!
submit your resume
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