Marketing involves the processes and activities of delivering goods and services to prospective purchasers. This aspect of business includes advertising, promotion, pricing and other strategies to attract those in the market or particular segments to a company’s wares. The marketing manager job description portrays the duties, skills, qualifications and experience needed to oversee a company’s marketing efforts.

What Does a Marketing Manager Do?

Within the marketing manager job description lie the functions of analyst, planner, strategist and leader. Marketing managers must stay informed of conditions in their industry and the economy, consult and work with others in the company and direct marketing and selling activities. Communication and creativity also constitute important abilities in the marketing manager role.

Job Duties

• Fashion and evaluate overall marketing strategy, including the pricing and distribution of products or services.
• Formulate, supervise and coordinate marketing activities or guidelines.
• Analyze trends in markets, economy, industry; forecast sales and monitor business or economic developments.
• Start, oversee and analyze market studies.
• Compile lists and descriptions of company’s products and services.
• Identify potential markets for company’s products and services.
• Oversee hiring, termination, training and development of sales and marketing staff.
• Coordinate or collaborate with promotions, advertising and product managers for marketing.
• Participate or guide trade shows and promotional activities.
• Obtain advice from buyers in the organization on matters such as consumer or purchaser preferences for product or service features and prices and environmentally-friendly or sustainable products.

Marketing Manager Job Essential Skills

Analytical: The marketing manager job description includes forming and examining strategies. Accordingly, marketing managers need the ability to analyze market data and information, trends in the industry and economy and demographics. Using the information and analytical skills, marketing managers can decide upon marketing approaches, pricing and other elements of the marketing program.

Creativity: New and innovative ideas for drawing and persuading customers require creative skills. Additionally, marketing managers may need to consider what words, descriptions or graphics attract the attention of potential buyers.

Communication: Marketing managers speak to managers and staff in other departments, such as sales and production. Communication involves listening to advice, feedback and information provided from these employees to fashion or improve marketing strategies. With effective communication, marketing managers can also persuade customers and other staff or management in the company.

Becoming a Marketing Manager Professional

The marketing manager job description blends education and experience in business fields such as marketing, sales and purchasing. Applicants for these jobs should demonstrate in their work history the use of computers and a working knowledge of computers.

Qualifications and Training

Typically, marketing managers hold at least a bachelor’s degree. ONET reports that approximately 56 percent had bachelor’s degrees and 24 percent held master’s degrees.

Majors include business administration, economics, business law, statistics, computer science and mathematics. By taking business law courses, marketing managers become able to anticipate consumer law issues such as warranties, accuracy of representations and pricing. Computer science classes help prepare marketing managers create words, designs and other methods to generate online traffic and sales.

Marketing managers in securities firms are likely considered securities professionals. As such, certification by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a prerequisite to such positions in the securities industry.

Experience

Building a work history, especially in marketing or sales-related fields, can lead to a position as a marketing manager. According to Rasmussen College, from July 2013 to July 2014, approximately 13,000 job openings were available to candidates with less than two years of experience. Nearly 62,000 postings sought prospective marketing managers with two to five years experience.

Marketing managers usually have filled roles such as sales representatives, marketing analysts, marketing account representatives and buying or purchasing agents. For those seeking employment with online retailers, experience in e-commerce, social media, pay per click marketing, emails or other forms of online marketing can prove beneficial.

Working Hours

According to ONET, roughly eight out of ten marketing managers logged more than 40 hours per week. Work hours may extend into evenings and weekends, especially as deadlines for marketing campaigns approach. The marketing manager job description may also involve significant travel to meet clients, media representatives or fellow employees or managers of other departments in different locations.

Salary

Marketing Manager salaries in the United States vary widely based on experience, location, education, and other factors. Salary.com reports an average salary of $116,933, with the range typically between $102,450 and $134,033 per year.

Advancement Opportunities for Marketing Manager

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of marketing managers should grow by nine percent, or 18,200 additional jobs, through 2024. However, among electronic shopping and mail-order establishments, the growth of marketing managers could reach above 49 % by 2024. Other areas of high percentage change include, but are not necessary limited to, general merchandise stores (27.9 percent), home health care services (60.7 percent) and securities, financial and related investment activities (22.1 percent).

Marketing managers occupy key roles in companies’ efforts to generate revenue. As such, these professionals are more likely to survive downsizing efforts in companies than other managers.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that, as of May 2015, marketing managers earned on average $140,660 per year. At $207,770 per year, marketing managers in the securities and commodities exchange industry were the highest earners. Overall, the top ten percent of earners made more than $187,200 per year, while one in four marketing managers had salaries over $175,060.

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Conclusion

To sum up, given their roles in generating revenues for their companies, marketing managers should enjoy strong job security relative to others in management. Job prospects should be high among online retailers and other in e-commerce due to the prevalence of the internet and mobile devices in shopping. Depending on the sector and company, pay could go above $200,000.

Marketing managers need skills in analysis, communication and also the creativity to develop and execute plans for attracting customers. Prior education and experience in sales, online marketing and purchasing can afford aspiring marketing managers advantages in landing jobs. To get a full overview of the management positions, you can also read the product manager job description.

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