Who Works in Marketing?

Image from Lyndi&Jason under CC BY-SA 2.0

How many times have you been convinced to buy an item from an advertisement, commercial, or promotion? Whether you know it or not, there’s a very complex process that goes into making these advertisements. This process is called marketing, and its purpose is to get people interested in certain products or services that a company has to offer.

When it comes to marketing, there’s a variety of positions and skills needed to make up this field. The types of people who work in marketing typically acquire strong skills like communication, creativity, and research. These are very important, as marketers need to be able to think on their feet, have good attention to detail, and be comfortable pitching ideas. In this case, being an extrovert is one asset that is key to a successful marketer.

In this article, we will go over the most common types of people who work in marketing and how each position has a very special role.

Marketing executive

The typical masterminds in marketing are marketing executives. Marketing executives strategically craft unique ways to go about promoting and selling products. This role has a multitude of responsibilities, such as planning, keeping account of changes in the market, organizing events, gathering information from research, and developing products. This role is fit for someone with good communication, technology, copywriting, and analytical skills. These skills are highly important, as marketing executives are constantly creating new products that require detail-oriented people who communicate well.

Advertising specialist

To make a good advertisement in marketing, there must be someone who can specialize in creating and executing compelling messages. This specific role is called an advertising specialist. Advertising specialists focus on creating ads in traditional media such as television and newspapers, as well as digital platforms such as online advertisement and social media. A lot of work goes into this role, as advertising specialists must research a target audience, analyze competition, design websites, and figure out which platforms will result in the most positive response. On top of all of this, advertising specialists have to test these ads and keep track of the results they receive.

Because of the significant work that goes into this role, advertising specialists are expected to possess keen skills such as good knowledge of trends, originality, and being flexible and adaptable to changing demands.

Visual content creator

To create a compelling message, visuals are just as important as the words themselves. According to an article by Venngage, “56.2% of marketers said that visual content plays a very important part in their marketing strategy.” This seems to be a very popular opinion, as the article also states that “91% of consumers prefer visuals more than plain text.” Visual content creators work hard to create these effective visuals in order to support a brand’s message or service. This role requires skills in art, creativity, design, precision, and technology. Visual content creators are often strong photographers and work to capture events and products related to their brand. With the help of visual content creators, advertisements are turned into eye-catching, appealing promotions that result in increased audience engagement.

Market researcher

A vital key to good marketing is knowing the competitors and consumers. The amount of research that goes into this is so extensive that it has its very own role, which is a market research analyst. Market researchers get most of their information through interviews, public polls, questionnaires, and focus groups. Through these methods, market researchers are able to gather crucial information on competitors’ products and marketing strategies as well as habits and trends of consumers. This information helps marketers know the certain threats in the market and how to develop the perfect advertisement that will appeal to all.

Social media manager

In this day and age, social media is one of the most looked-at platforms for advertising. According to an article by Sociallybuzz, “49% of internet users say they are likely to purchase from brands they see advertised on social media.” Because social media is so widely used in marketing, a role dedicated to managing websites is needed, and these people are known as the social media managers. Social media managers use different types of online tools to oversee all engagement in a product on social media. They work online to promote products, respond to consumers, develop strategies to increase the audience, and analyze any feedback. Social media managers are expected to be very knowledgeable in media production and communication, attention to detail, and business management skills and to confidently use software.

SEO specialist

To make sure an advertisement that is posted on social media is seen, a search engine optimization (SEO) specialist uses SEO analytics and keyword integration to increase online engagement. SEO specialists have advanced understandings and knowledge of search engine optimization that are utilized in making sure online advertisements are promoted and easy to find. This role requires skills in technology, management, detail orientation, and an ability to develop creative, engaging content. SEO specialists play a huge role in social media marketing, as they are essentially the whole reason for its success.

PR manager

While marketing is all about advertising, promoting, and selling products and services, a public relations (PR) manager is needed in order to keep a good reputation of the brands or organizations. PR managers actively work on building and managing relationships between brands and various stakeholders such as the media, the public, and customers. PR managers organize interviews, coordinate press opportunities, and respond to negative feedback to develop a good corporate image. This role is required to possess strong skills in writing, leadership, empathy, and being relational. Through the role of a PR manager, brands and organizations are made sure to be accurately depicted in their wanted image.

Conclusion

Although there are only a handful of roles listed in this article, it is important to know that roles in marketing are constantly evolving and adapting to advancements in technology and society. There are endless opportunities in marketing, and good marketers are driven, communicative, relational, creative and can turn strong ideas into great success. Whether it’s a marketing manager or a PR manager, each role plays a special part in the promotion of a product and makes up the backbone of success.