explore your career in marketing

Marketing is the process of researching and analyzing customers to meet their needs, inform them about products and services, and turn them into loyal consumers.

Marketing professionals use a variety of tactics, including market research, product development, branding, advertising, public relations, sales, and customer service. They seek to understand the needs and desires of their target audience and identify gaps in the marketplace in order to develop strategies that meet those needs while promoting their brand.

Marketers use a variety of channels, both traditional and digital, to communicate with their target audience, build brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales.

In the marketing sector, entry-level jobs start at around $45,000. This includes marketing jobs such as social media manager, marketing coordinator, and marketing analyst. With experience, you'll be able to move into higher-paying marketing jobs, often with a management component. You can expect starting salaries in the mid-to-high $70,000 range for these roles.

If you want to have a complete list of salaries by industry, position, and region, don't forget to check our salary guide.

The marketing sector is very wide and contains many specialties. For example, we can mention:

• Digital Marketing: this marketing branch involves marketing efforts that use digital channels such as social media, email, search engines, and websites.
• Content Marketing: this type of marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience.
• Brand Management: brand management is about developing and maintaining a brand's reputation, identity, and personality through various marketing strategies.
• Advertising: this specialty includes creating and executing promotional campaigns to raise awareness of a product or service through various mediums like TV, radio, print, and digital advertising.
• Public Relations (PR): this marketing branch involves managing the public image of a company, brand, or individual through communication with the media and the general public.
• Market Research: market research is about analyzing consumer behavior and preferences to help companies make informed decisions about their products and services.
• Event Marketing: this type of marketing inculdes organizing and promoting events to raise awareness of a brand, product, or service.
• Retail marketing: retail marketing pertains to developing marketing tactics aimed at increasing customer visits and purchases within physical stores, also known as brick-and-mortar establishments.

These are just some of the many specializations within marketing. Each specialization requires unique skills and knowledge, and individuals can choose to specialize in one or more areas based on their interests and career goals.

Marketing jobs cover a diverse range of specialties. Some marketing jobs focus on analytical skills, while others are more dependent on creativity. Your day will include tasks such as:

• determining marketing opportunities
• planning or coordinating events
• planning marketing campaigns
• coordinating the delivery of marketing collateral or campaigns
• creating proposals for marketing initiatives
• strategizing the roll out of new products
• managing a website or social media
• competitive analysis and reporting
• analyzing, planning or setting marketing budgets

From startups with a handful of employees to multi-national companies with thousands on their payroll, most businesses require marketing expertise. Marketing professionals drive demand for their employer's products and services.

Marketing jobs are found from coast to coast. No matter where you live in Canada, there are plenty of opportunities to choose from. Marketing jobs exist in verticals including retail, finance, IT, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, telecommunications, and many others.

Most marketing jobs require a post-secondary degree or diploma. While not usually a requirement, a Master's degree can set you apart from others in your field. You can increase your expertise by obtaining certifications in a variety of marketing specialties.

To excel in the marketing industry, you'll need to have a deep understanding of people's behavior and psychology. In order to effectively sell products or services, you must understand how your audience thinks and what motivates them. You should have some or all of these key skills:

• enjoy collaboration
• know company products inside out
• have an eye for design and layouts
• time management and ability to prioritize
• ability to analyze data and campaign results
• strong writing, editing, and communication
• well-versed in CRM programs, spreadsheets, and other industry software

Discover the marketing skills most sought after by employers in today's market.