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BUSINESS CAREER GUIDES

Marketing Specialist Career

OVERVIEW

What is a Marketing Specialist?


 

Marketing specialists help to connect a company’s brand with the right customers. Through a variety of marketing channels—including digital media, print resources, and television advertisements—marketing specialists help to capture the attention of interested individuals primed to become customers. 

As an entry-level position, the role of a marketing specialist is one of several careers attainable with a marketing undergraduate degree. Typically, the role of marketing specialist does not require much, if any, prior experience in a related field.

RESPONSIBILITIES

What Does a Marketing Specialist Do?

Larger companies often employ marketing specialists specifically for one service, like email marketing, while smaller organizations will ask marketing specialists to take on several different responsibilities.

The exact responsibilities of a marketing specialist include:

  • Assisting other marketing specialists and managers in implementing various marketing strategies.
  • Launching marketing strategies that help deliver a company’s message to qualified customers.
  • Learning critical marketing skills from senior marketing department members.
  • Gathering and analyzing data from a company’s campaigns to inform successful future marketing efforts.
  • Optimizing marketing campaigns according to customer engagement data.
  • Providing user-friendly reports to company representatives or executives.
  • Writing content to be used across a company’s marketing campaigns.

These and other responsibilities allow marketing specialists to fulfill assistive roles, helping marketing departments to satisfy a company’s marketing needs.

EDUCATION & BEST DEGREES

What Education Does a Marketing Specialist Need?

Before you can start a career as a marketing specialist, you’ll need to have the right credentials and experience. In order to be qualified for this role, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree in marketing, or a masters degree in marketing

While working on your marketing degree, you’ll develop foundational skills that will help you thrive once you start your career. Courses in digital marketing, content marketing, and sales management will help you foster abilities in communication, optimization, and data analysis — all skills applicable on day one as a marketing specialist.

What's the Best Degree for a Marketing Specialist?

Business
COMPARE

Marketing – B.S.

For those who want to lead brands and steer consumer markets:...

For those who want to lead brands and steer consumer markets:

  • Time: 60% of graduates finish within 19 months.
  • Tuition: $3,755 per 6-month term.
  • Courses: 37 total courses in this program.

Skills for your résumé you will learn in this program include: 

  • Communication
  • Marketing
  • Sales
  • Management
  • Project Management
  • Product Management

Marketing is a creative and exciting field—and one where an undergraduate degree will open better opportunities.

Business
COMPARE

Marketing – M.S.

Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either...

Two online marketing master's degree options with a focus on either digital marketing or marketing analytics.

  • Time: 61% of graduates finish WGU master's programs in 18 months
  • Tuition: $4,755 per 6-month term
  • Courses: 10 total courses in this program
  • Specialization: Students choose from two specializations to focus their marketing studies on digital marketing or marketing analytics

Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:

  • Management
  • Strategic Planning
  • Digital Marketing Analytics
  • Presentations
  • Market Research
  • Communications

A marketing master's degree will help you prepare for a wide range of exciting marketing careers.

Business
COMPARE

Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Certificate – School of Business

Enhance your résumé and showcase your skills with a digital marketing and...

Enhance your résumé and showcase your skills with a digital marketing and e-commerce certificate from the School of Business.

  • Time: 4 months from start to finish.
  • Cost: $2,250 for the certificate.
  • Courses: 4 courses total in this program.

This program is designed for individuals who want to boost their résumé with the help of a digital marketing and e-commerce certificate from WGU’s School of Business.

Whether you want to advance your career in this field, or you're just getting started, a digital marketing and e-commerce certificate can help you be ready for your next career step. You'll be prepared to work in a variety of industries including: 

  • Startups
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing
  • IT
  • Retail
  • E-Commerce

How Much Does a Marketing Specialist Make?

$51,632

The exact income of a marketing specialist varies based on several different factors. These influences can include your employer, employer’s location, years of experience, and education. The annual salary of a marketing specialist averages $51,632, with a range of roughly $38,000 to $72,000.

What Is the Projected Job Growth?

18%

The demand for marketing services should remain strong over the next decade, making the job outlook for marketing specialists a favorable one. Employment for market research analysts and marketing specialists is projected to grow 18% from 2019 to 2029, a forecasted growth rate well above the average across all occupations.pected to add product manager jobs in the coming years.

SKILLS

What Skills Does a Marketing Specialist Need?

As a marketing specialist, you’ll put various skills to use. Whether you’re communicating with other marketing specialists or analyzing data, your skillset will help you make informed decisions that benefit a company’s marketing efforts.

  • Content writing. The ability to draft, revise, and publish content to be used across a company’s various marketing channels.
  • Interpersonal communication. The ability to correspond with all members of a marketing department, as well as any other company representatives or executives.
  • Optimization. The ability to tailor existing marketing strategies in ways that help further improve their performance.
  • Teamwork. The ability to work well alongside other marketing department members, fulfilling projects without conflicting with others’ tasks.
  • Technological proficiency. The ability to proficiently use all required pieces of technology, including any computers, tablets, phones, online advertising programs, data analysis tools, social media platforms, and other digital resources.
  • Data analysis/reporting. The ability to collect, analyze, and report on data to help improve the performance of a company’s marketing strategies.
  • Problem-solving. The ability to identify and solve potential issues that a company’s marketing channels might face.
  • Critical thinking. The ability to make confident, informed decisions that help improve the quantity and reach of a company’s marketing strategies.

These and other skills help marketing specialists work well in team environments, satisfying marketing needs as they arise.

Our Online University Degree Programs Start on the First of Every Month, All Year Long

No need to wait for spring or fall semester. It's back-to-school time at WGU year-round. Get started by talking to an Enrollment Counselor today, and you'll be on your way to realizing your dream of a bachelor's or master's degree—sooner than you might think!

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Interested in Becoming a Marketing Specialist?

Learn more about degree programs that can prepare you for this meaningful career.