find out which marketing role is your ideal fit ?
Marketing Roles: Analytical vs Creative
When I was applying for jobs, I found it hard to figure out what each different marketing role meant and what skills they required. So I have made this guide to help anyone going through the same process. It goes over each role, what they do, a typical day in life, and the skills required. In future, I would update this or make a totally new blog post highlighting what courses you can take to build skills specifically for each role.
Social Media Manager
Role Type: Creative with a sprinkle of analytics
Contract type: Freelance, In-House, Agency
What they do
Develop and execute a social media strategy
Manage content calendar and posting schedule
Create and post engaging content
Respond to comments and messages
Monitor social media conversations and trends
Analyse social media performance
Day-to-day scenario
A social media manager for a clothing company might start their day by checking social media analytics to see how their latest campaign performed. They might then spend some time creating new content for the company's social media accounts. In the afternoon, they might respond to comments and messages from customers. Finally, they might end the day by monitoring social media conversations and trends to see what people are talking about.
Skills needed
Copywriting
Video editing skills (usually Capcut, InVideo, or more advanced Adobe Premiere Pro)
Graphic Design (mostly Canva)
Knowledge of social media platforms and algorithms
Ability to create engaging content
Customer service
Analytical skills
Understanding of niche customer behaviour and interests
Other possible job titles:
Social Media Coordinator
Social Media Specialist
Community Manager
Debby’s Note
Social media management is a great starting point into the marketing industry, as you tend to pick up other marketing skills like content writing, SEO, influencer marketing, and even content creation skills like video editing
SEO Specialist
Role Type: Creative and Analytical
Contract type: Freelance, In-House, Agency
What they do
Optimise websites and content for search engines
Conduct keyword research
Build backlinks
Monitor website traffic and rankings
Analyse SEO data
Run paid search campaigns
Day-to-day scenario
An SEO specialist for an e-commerce company might start their day by conducting keyword research for a new product launch. They might then spend some time optimising the company's website and content for those keywords. In the afternoon, they might reach out to other websites to build backlinks. Finally, they might end the day by monitoring the company's website traffic and rankings to see how their SEO efforts are performing.
Skills needed
Knowledge of SEO principles and algorithms
Ability to conduct keyword research using tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, etc
Ability to build backlinks
Analytical skills
Writing skills
Knowledge of the following tools or similar
Answerthepublic, SEMrush, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Moz, etc
Other possible job titles:
SEO Analyst
SEO Strategist
Paid Search Specialist
Debby’s Note
SEO specialists work closely with content writers, copywriters, and developers.
PPC Specialist
Role Type: Analytical and Creative
Contract type: Freelance, In-House, Agency
What they do
Create and manage pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns
Conduct keyword research
Set budgets and bids
Write ad copy
Track and analyse campaign performance
Day-to-day scenario
A PPC specialist for a software company might start their day by checking the performance of their PPC campaigns. They might then make adjustments to their campaigns, such as changing their budgets or bids. In the afternoon, they might collaborate with the graphic designer or copywriter on new ad copy. They might end the day by tracking and analysing their campaign performance to see how they can improve their results.
Skills needed
Knowledge of different PPC platforms and algorithms
Great knowledge of different paid-per-click models
Ability to conduct keyword research
Ability to write effective ad copy
Analytical skills
Data analysis skills
Other possible job titles
Paid Search Specialist
SEM Specialist
Paid Ad Specialist
Social Media Ads Manager / Paid Socials Expert
Role Type: Analytical and Creative
Contract type: Freelance, In-House, Agency
What they do
Run and optimise social media ads
Determine the best creatives and placement for ads
Set budgets and bids
Target the right audience
Track and analyse campaign performance
Day-to-day scenario
A social media ads manager for a travel company might start their day by creating a new social media ad campaign to promote a new travel destination. They would set a budget and target audience for the campaign. In a few days, they would track and analyse the campaign performance to see how they can improve their results.
Skills needed
Knowledge of social media advertising platforms and algorithms. Mostly meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok ads.
Ability to set budgets and bids
Ability to target the right audience
Knowledge of key KPIs used to track results
Data analysis and reporting skills
Other possible job titles
Paid Social Specialist
Social Media Ads Manager
Meta/Facebook Ads Manager
Debby’s Note
For roles like this, make sure your CV shows results, i.e. how much budget you have dealt with in the past, the ROAS, etc. Pro tip: if you are a social media manager and have had to boost posts, etc, you can mention that as well.
Marketing Analyst
Role Type: Analytical and Creative
What they do
Collect and analyse marketing data
Identify trends and patterns
Measure and forecast the effectiveness of marketing campaigns
Report on marketing results to stakeholders
Day-to-day scenario
A marketing analyst for a clothing company might start their day by collecting data from the company's website analytics and social media accounts. They would then analyse the data to identify trends and patterns, such as which products are selling best or which social media platform is driving the most traffic to the company's website. In the afternoon, they would create a report on their findings and share it with the marketing team. Finally, they might end the day by meeting with the marketing team to discuss their findings and develop strategies for improving the company's marketing campaigns.
Skills needed
Web analytics: Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, etc.
Analytical skills: Excel, Python, SQL
Data analysis skills
Reporting skills
Communication skills
Marketing knowledge
Other possible job titles
Web Analyst
Marketing Data Analyst
Marketing Research Analyst
Performance Marketing Analyst
Debby’s Note
For this role, you're either a data scientist embedded in the marketing team or a web analyst overseeing PPC campaigns and assessing their effectiveness. During my job search, I found that most companies seeking web analysts or digital analysts were interested in candidates skilled in tools like Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Adobe Analytics, SEMrush, etc. For roles leaning more towards data science, proficiency in SQL, Tableau, and Python was also valued.
Growth Marketer
Role Type: Analytical with a sprinkle of creativity
What they do
Develop and execute growth strategies to increase user acquisition, engagement, and retention
Growth strategies, i.e. running paid ads, designing and iterating landing pages, building out referral schemes, and running conversion tests etc
Experiment with new marketing channels and tactics
Analyse the data to identify opportunities for growth
Collaborate with other teams, such as product development and marketing, to drive growth
Day-to-day scenario
A growth marketer for a SaaS company might start their day by analysing website traffic data to see where users are dropping off. They might then experiment with new landing pages or signup forms to try to improve conversion rates. Later in the day, they might develop a new content marketing campaign to attract new users. Finally, they might end the day by meeting with the product development team to discuss user feedback and identify opportunities to improve the product.
Skills needed
A/B Testing
Analytical skills
Data analysis skills
Experimentation skills
Marketing knowledge
Technical skills
Creativity
Other possible job titles
Growth Hacker
Growth Strategist
Growth Marketing Manager
User Acquisition Manager
Influencer Marketing
Role Type: Creative
Contract type: In-House, Agency
What they do
Identify and partner with influencers to promote a brand or product
Develop and execute influencer marketing campaigns
Work with PR agencies to gift influencers
Track and analyse campaign performance
Manage relationships with influencers
Day-to-day scenario
An influencer marketer for a cosmetics company might start their day by identifying influencers who are relevant to the company's target audience. They might then reach out to those influencers to see if they are interested in partnering with the company. In the afternoon, they might develop an influencer marketing campaign for a new product launch. Finally, they might end the day by tracking and analysing the campaign performance and managing relationships with influencers.
Skills needed
Ability to identify and partner with influencers
Stay updated with trends, and know who is hot and has a strong community in their niche.
Ability to develop and execute influencer marketing campaigns
Ability to track and analyse campaign performance
Relationship management skills
Marketing knowledge
Other possible job titles
Influencer Marketing Specialist
Creator Marketing Manager
Social Media Marketing Manager
Content Marketing
Role Type: Analytical and Creative
Contract type: Freelance, In-House, Agency
What they do
Create and distribute high-quality content to attract and engage potential customers
Content could be blogs, video content (tutorials, explainer videos, podcasts, white papers, brochures, case studies, Infographics, webinars, etc.
Develop and execute content marketing strategies
Manage content calendars and editorial processes
Track and analyse content performance
Day-to-day scenario
The day-to-day work of a copywriter varies significantly depending on the industry and product. A content marketer for a software company might start their day by brainstorming ideas for new blog posts or webinars about a topic relevant to the company's target audience.
They might go on to write the blog post themselves or pass it down to a content writer, depending on the size of the team.
On another day, they might work with the sales team on brochures and sales decks for potential clients.
Towards the end of the month, they would potentially track and analyse the blog post's performance to see how it resonated with their audience.
Skills needed
Writing skills
Editing skills
Content marketing knowledge
SEO knowledge
Social media marketing knowledge
Analytical skills
Other possible job titles
Content Creator
Content Writer
Content Strategist
Content Editor
Product Marketing
Role Type: Analytical and Creative
Industry: Tech companies mostly Saas
What they do
Develop and execute marketing strategies for specific products
Collaborate with the product, sales, and marketing teams to launch and promote new products
Create and manage product messaging and documentation
Conduct market research and competitive analysis
Track and measure product performance
Day in the life of a product marketer for a Saas Company**
Morning: Meeting with the product development team to discuss the upcoming launch of a new product feature.
Before Lunch: Develop marketing materials for the new feature, such as blog posts, social media posts, and landing pages
Afternoon: Work with the sales team to create a sales pitch for the new feature.
Before closing: Track the performance of the new feature and analyse customer feedback.
Day-to-day scenario
A product marketer for a SaaS company might start their day by meeting with the product development team to discuss the upcoming launch of a new product feature. They could go on to spend some time developing marketing materials for the new feature, such as blog posts, social media posts, and landing pages. Later on, they might work with the sales team to create a sales pitch for the new feature. Finally, they might end the day by tracking the performance of the new feature and analysing customer feedback.
Skills needed
Strategic Planning
Business ABCs
Market research and analytics
Copywriting
SEO
Data Analysis
Customer Empathy
Problem-solving
Understanding of product marketing principles and practices
Possible job titles
Product Marketing Manager
Product Marketing Specialist
Technical Product Marketing Manager
Go-to-Market Manager
Product Launch Manager
Email Marketing
Role Type: Analytical and Creative
Contract type: Freelance, In-House, Agency
What they do
Create and manage email marketing campaigns
Segment email lists
Write email copy
Test different subject lines, CTAs and email copy
Track and analyse email marketing performance
Day-to-day scenario
An email marketer for an e-commerce company might start their day by segmenting the company's email list. They would then create a new email campaign for a new product launch. In the afternoon, they would write the email copy and design the email template. Finally, they would send the email campaign and track and analyse its performance.
Skills needed
A/B Testing
Email personalisation
Contact list segmentation and cleaning
Copywriting
Analytical skills
Data analysis skills
Design skills: template editing
Light coding: CSS, HTML
Other possible job titles
Email Marketing Specialist
Email Marketing Manager
Email Marketing Campaign Manager
Brand Marketing
Role Type: Creative
Contract type: Freelance, In-House, Agency
What they do
Develop and manage a brand's identity and image
Create and execute brand marketing campaigns
Manage brand partnerships
Track and analyse brand performance
Day-to-day scenario
A brand marketer for a clothing company might start their day by reviewing the company's brand guidelines. They might then develop a new brand marketing campaign for a new product line. In the afternoon, they might meet with a potential brand partner to discuss a collaboration. Finally, they might end the day by tracking and analysing the company's brand performance.
Skills needed
Brand marketing knowledge
Creative skills
Marketing knowledge
Project management skills
Analytical skills
Other possible job titles
Brand Strategist
Brand Manager
Brand Identity Designer
Generalist Marketing Roles
Generalist marketing roles, such as marketing associate and marketing executive, typically involve a mix of tasks from different marketing disciplines, such as social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing etc.
What they do
Assist with a variety of marketing tasks, such as social media marketing, content marketing, and email marketing
Manage marketing budgets and develop marketing plans
Conduct market research and analyse data
Create and distribute marketing materials
Assist with event planning and execution
Day-to-day scenario
A marketing associate for a startup might start their day by checking social media accounts and responding to comments and messages. They might then spend some time creating new content for the company's blog or social media accounts. In the afternoon, they might work with the marketing manager on developing a new marketing plan for a new product launch. Finally, they might end the day by attending a networking event or helping to set up for an upcoming event.
Skills needed
Strong writing and editing skills
Knowledge of social media platforms and algorithms
Ability to create engaging content
Analytical skills
Data analysis skills
Marketing knowledge
Project management skills
Communication skills
Other possible job titles
Marketing Coordinator
Marketing Specialist
Marketing Executive
Digital Marketing Specialist
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a combination of most of the marketing roles highlighted previously. It is generally any marketing activity done online.
What they do
Develop and execute digital marketing campaigns across multiple channels, including social media, email, search engines, and websites.
Analyse data to track the performance of campaigns and make adjustments as needed.
Stay up-to-date on the latest digital marketing trends and technologies.
Work with other marketing team members to develop and execute integrated marketing campaigns.
Day-to-day scenario
A digital marketer for an e-commerce company might start their day by checking social media analytics to see how their latest campaign performed.
They might then spend time creating new content for the company's blog or social media accounts.
Later in the day, they might work on developing a new email marketing campaign.
Skills needed
Data Analysis
Writing and editing skills
Social Media Marketing
Email marketing
Search engine optimisation (SEO)
Web design and copywriting ( in some cases)
Understanding of digital marketing principles, practises and how they can work together.
Other possible job titles
Online Marketing Manager
Digital Marketing Specialist
Web Marketing Specialist
Internet Marketing Manager
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Manager
Debby’s Note
I hope this serves as a helpful guide for job applications, etc. I'm currently working on another blog listing marketing courses that can benefit anyone entering these fields. If you're curious about the tools used, I've put together a marketing toolkit with my favourite tools and included some courses as well.
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