Marketing is a highly creative yet data-driven industry perfect for those who love brainstorming big ideas, using new technologies and enjoy working with the finer details to execute projects to a high standard. It’s a diverse sector ideal for a range of people, with solid growth and future-proofed career prospects.
Becoming a Marketing Manager is an excellent way to work across a wide range of different projects and use your strong communication, organisation and leadership skills to help businesses achieve success by increasing sales and improving market share. Marketing managers need to implement traditional and digital marketing plans, and ensure they are understood by the communications and social media teams.
A Marketing Manager is a broad role that allows you to bring together your leadership capabilities and creativity to drive tangible outcomes for the business.
Marketing Managers may undertake project work for specific campaigns or perform ‘always-on’ marketing, which focuses on day-to-day marketing needs. Marketing Managers may focus on specific areas such as digital marketing, including social media marketing.
Both written and verbal communication are among the top skills employers look for when recruiting Marketing Managers and will be used daily Click To TweetThe Marketing Manager’s responsibilities can include exploring and evaluating potential marketing opportunities for the business and thinking strategically to design and develop marketing communication plans. A primary part of the job is to establish and monitor the business’ overall marketing mix. A manager working in digital marketing will oversee digital media such as email marketing, websites, blogs and social platforms.
Research and analysis is another crucial part of the role, with the Marketing Manager involved in researching consumer attitudes and buyer behaviour, as well as overseeing and analysing market research. This may also include looking at insights from a brand’s digital content, such as organic monthly Instagram reach or email open rate.
Both written and verbal communication are among the top skills employers look for when recruiting Marketing Managers and will be used daily. Marketing Managers often need to communicate with a wide range of stakeholders and need to be able to write persuasive marketing copy for print, digital and audio.
One of the most important skills for Marketing Managers to possess is a passion and aptitude for learning. Both traditional marketing and digital marketing are subject to frequent changes, meaning marketers need to keep across these in order to achieve the best results and be compliant with industry rules.
They work cross-functionally with other business areas, particularly with senior management, operations and finance, to present strategies, brief new campaigns or report on the success of previous marketing activities.
The typical career path of a Marketing Manager can vary depending on their individual experience and the type of business they work in. However, most Marketing Managers would follow a career path similar to the one outlined below:
The role of Marketing Manager can mean different things depending on the business. In some businesses, the role is usually assigned to the person with the most responsibility in the marketing team. Larger companies will have roles above this, such as Director of Marketing or Chief Marketing Officer. These roles are leadership and senior management focused, with less work ‘on the tools’.
In digital marketing, senior roles can be Digital Marketing Manager, Head of Social Media or Digital Marketing Strategist. Regardless of whether you work in a purely digital marketing role or a more generalist one, all marketing roles now require a strong level of digital skills, particularly around social media.
The main difference between traditional Marketing Managers and Digital Marketing Managers is that digital marketing tends to be more focused around performance and data, simply because it’s easy to track metrics digitally. It can also be more ‘hands on’ whereas traditional marketing can focus more on bigger-picture strategies and the planning and overseeing of campaigns, rather than the execution.
There is a range of study options for those looking at becoming a Marketing Manager, including double degree options like a Diploma of Marketing and Communication (BSB50620) and a Diploma of Social Media Marketing (10904NAT).
A double diploma is an excellent way to improve employability and ensure career longevity, allowing you the flexibility to work in various areas within the business. The course length is shorter than doing two single diplomas, meaning you can learn the skills you need and start earning sooner.
The well-rounded double diploma option from CAL focuses on practical skills learnt through units such as:
Currently, the demand for skilled marketing professionals in Australia is forecasted to increase by over 20% in the next five years, according to Seek.com. The Australian Government has reported via JobOutlook.com that future marketing and advertising industry growth is very strong.
Average salaries for Marketing Managers in Australia are $100,000, and people in this role report high levels of job satisfaction. The average for the industry is approximately $90,000. The industry has a relatively even gender split, with 61% of professionals in the field being female. (payscale, joboutlook)
Due to the skills required to be a successful marketer, the industry is well protected from changes in technology or developments in artificial intelligence. Marketing Managers rely heavily on communication and leadership, making it difficult to be replaced by technology in the future. Instead, Marketing Managers can take advantage of technological advancements to help them better understand data, track results with accuracy and make better predictions. They can also utilise the range of new and current digital media tools, such as social media and automation platforms. These skills help improve outcomes of their marketing activities and create strategic roles that are more enjoyable by taking away tasks that would have previously needed to be done manually.
Working as a Marketing Manager in Australia is the ideal career for those who enjoy strategy, creativity and leadership. No two days are the same, and there is scope to work within various industries throughout your career. An area with strong future growth, marketing and in particular, digital marketing, is a future-proofed career option with excellent earning potential and opportunities to advance throughout your career.
