In the modern world, marketing has become an integral part of business, serving as a key component alongside the production of goods and the provision of services. It has also become one of the most in-demand areas of online business, as reflected by the over 10,000 job openings in this field in Russia alone.
If you're considering a career in marketing, it's important to understand this dynamic field. We'll cover the various marketing specializations, essential skills for a successful marketer, and educational requirements in detail.
This material will also be useful for managers and entrepreneurs making strategic business decisions. We'll highlight key aspects worth knowing about marketers: their role in companies and the skills required for successful performance.
The Role of a Marketer: Key Functions
According to Philip Kotler, marketing is the satisfaction of needs through exchange. In this context, a marketer is a specialist focused on understanding customer needs and developing strategies to meet them. The marketer's job also includes convincing consumers that the product solves their problems and encourages them to purchase.
A marketer strives to create conditions for increasing a company's sales. They decide on the selection of promotional tools and channels and monitor their effectiveness.
Marketing encompasses a wide range of tools and specializations. When companies seek a marketer, they may need a variety of specialists. For example, a performance marketer might improve a website, launch advertising campaigns on social media and search engines, and attract customers. Meanwhile, a brand marketer can change consumer perceptions of a brand, even if this doesn't immediately lead to increased sales.
Here are some key areas of work for marketers:
- Target audience analysis.
- Study of the product and competitors.
- Creation of landing pages and websites.
- Search engine optimization.
- Contextual and targeted advertising.
- Advertising in the media, radio and television.
- Outdoor advertising.
- Promotion in social networks.
- Analytics, including web analytics.
A marketer's responsibilities depend on their specialization and business needs. In this article, we'll explore the most in-demand marketing specializations.
Types of specializations in marketing
The most common and in-demand specializations include full-stack marketer, internet marketer, traffic manager, brand marketer, and marketing analyst.
Fullstack Marketer A generalist marketer takes on the full range of product promotion tasks. While they may focus on one area, such as SEO or contextual advertising, they are able to develop strategies and cover all marketing tools.
Internet marketer Focuses on working with digital promotion channels. Their expertise includes SEO, contextual and targeted advertising, SMM, media placement, and other online tools. The terms "internet marketer" and "digital marketer" are often used interchangeably.
Traffic manager Specializes in attracting traffic through various channels. Its primary goal is to maximize the number of visitors at the lowest cost. This may include setting up contextual and teaser advertising, analyzing and optimizing its effectiveness.
A performance marketer also works with advertising, but focuses on achieving sales, not just traffic acquisition. Their job is to evaluate customer acquisition costs and strive to reduce them using quantitative data. In this sense, they can be compared to a brand marketer, who is focused on building and strengthening a brand but is less focused on numbers.
Brand marketer A brand marketer is responsible for brand development and image. They often use outreach advertising aimed at a broad audience, even if this doesn't lead to immediate sales. A brand marketer analyzes brand loyalty, brand awareness, and its impact on consumer opinion.
Marketing analyst Specializes in data analysis. They use end-to-end analytics, combining traffic and sales data to make decisions aimed at increasing profits. A marketing analyst can suggest changes to product offerings, discontinuing ineffective advertising campaigns, or optimizing landing pages to increase conversions.
There are many other specializations in marketing, such as SMM marketer, content marketer, Zen marketer, email marketer, CRM marketer, and others.
Choosing a Marketer: Business Objectives and Specialist Competencies
Choosing the right marketer for your business depends on the company's specific goals. For example, a traffic manager is ideal for successful promotion through targeted and contextual advertising. If a comprehensive strategy with a focus on improving sales and branding is needed, a full-stack marketer may be the optimal choice. It's important to choose a specialist based on the company's specific objectives and goals.
For those planning to become marketers, it's important to determine their preferred specialization. For example, a traffic manager, performance marketer, or marketing analyst might be suitable for those who enjoy analyzing numerical data. A brand marketer is suitable for those who strive to create a recognizable company image. Working in social media might be of interest to those who specialize in SMM marketing or focus on promotion on specific social platforms.
Marketing Skills: From Basic to Advanced
A marketer's skills can be divided into two groups: basic and applied.
Basic skills — These are the fundamentals of marketing, such as an understanding of various tools and methods. They form the foundation for developing a promotion strategy and evaluating results. This includes knowledge of marketing fundamentals, understanding the target audience, and the ability to develop marketing strategies.
Applied skills These are practical skills, or hard skills. They depend on the specific specialization. For example, an SMM marketer must be able to set up advertising on various social networks, while an email marketer must be knowledgeable about various email types, web layout, copywriting, and analytics.
Dmitry Frolov, President of the Association of Digital Agencies Development (ARDA), emphasizes the importance of systemic thinking for marketers. This helps them complete tasks more effectively and understand how various processes impact each other and the overall strategy. Systemic thinking also includes the ability to link actions into a unified strategy and understand the connections with global events and competitors' actions.
Indeed, marketers have a wide range of opportunities for professional growth. Gennady Merkouri highlights several common strategies that allow marketers to effectively advance their careers.
Standard career path This includes a gradual transition to more responsible positions. Starting as a junior marketer, a specialist can gradually advance to lead marketer positions and, ultimately, to marketing director. This path requires diverse experience and mastery of various aspects of marketing.
Multidisciplinary approach This career path involves development across multiple areas. A marketer can become an expert in several areas, providing them with a broader range of competencies. This path leads to the position of Marketing Director, which requires a comprehensive approach to managing marketing strategies.
Specializing in one tool is also an option. Narrowing the focus to one area of marketing can lead to becoming an expert in that field. This path often leads to leadership positions in departments that require a deep understanding of a specific tool.
A freelance career offers another opportunity for marketers. Here, the primary focus is on income, and marketers can choose their own projects and clients. Self-education and a constant search for new information are key skills for a successful freelancer.
If a marketer decides to build their own business, there's another level of opportunity. Opening their own agency, marketing studio, or specialized performance marketing agency offers the opportunity to apply accumulated experience and knowledge to creating and managing their own business. However, as Gennady Merkouri emphasizes, this decision is fraught with risks and difficulties, and many companies face challenges in the initial stages.
Thus, marketers have a wide range of career paths to choose from, and the choice depends on each professional's individual goals, interests, and skills.
Marketer's work: within a company, in a marketing agency, and through outsourcing
A full-time marketer plays a key role in the organization, fully overseeing business promotion processes. This specialist takes on a variety of tasks, from developing a marketing strategy to operational interaction with various promotion channels. Effective coordination of internal and external resources is crucial here.
An in-house marketer's salary is based on a fixed base salary and bonuses for achieving KPIs (key performance indicators). Typically, in-house KPIs focus on qualitative marketing performance, such as increased sales, increased brand awareness, or improved engagement with the target audience.
The disadvantages of working as an in-house marketer include the high financial costs of maintaining an in-house marketing department, as well as the limited experience and insights available from internal resources. In this case, it may be difficult for a marketer to bring in the innovative solutions and expertise that might otherwise be available when working with external agencies.
At an agency, a marketer has the opportunity to work with a variety of clients and projects, broadening their experience and horizons. Working for an agency, marketers can participate in projects across various industries, which fosters creativity and adaptability to diverse market conditions.
Here, a marketer's salary can vary depending on projects and clients. Payment is often based on a percentage of the project budget or an hourly rate. The advantage is flexibility in managing work hours and experience working with different brands.
Disadvantages of working in an agency include possible lack of income stability due to fluctuations in the number of projects, as well as limited control over clients' strategic decisions.
Outsourcing can hire a marketer for specific tasks, such as creating an advertising campaign, optimizing a website, or conducting market analysis. This approach allows businesses to conserve resources by engaging experts for a specific period.
Outsourcing is often billed hourly or per task. This method provides businesses with flexibility and the ability to select a specialist with the necessary skills for a specific task.
The disadvantages of outsourcing include the limited involvement of the external marketer in the company's internal processes, which sometimes makes it difficult to understand the specifics and goals of the business.
Depending on the specific needs and goals of the business, the marketer can choose the optimal format of work that ensures maximum efficiency and compliance with project requirements.
The marketing profession is a unique and strategically important link in modern business. This specialist not only creates advertising campaigns but also serves as a strategic leader, determining a brand's successful path in the marketplace. The diversity of marketing specializations offers professionals a wide range of opportunities for growth and development, from target audience analysis to mastery of digital platforms.
Whether a marketer is part of a company, works for a marketing agency, or provides outsourced services, their responsibilities include effectively managing advertising strategies, analyzing results, and continuously evolving in line with a dynamically changing business environment.
