What Does a Marketing Manager Do?

If you’re both creative and analytical and have an interest in helping companies flourish, then you might consider pursuing a career in marketing. There are many different marketing-related careers, including marketing manager.

Marketing managers are responsible for the success of programs and advertising campaigns that generate interest in a product or service among consumers. They work to promote brand awareness and drive conversions (conversions occur when a potential customer becomes a customer). Here, you can learn more about the role, including the typical marketing manager job description.

In This Article:

• Marketing Manager Job Description
• Job Outlook for Marketing Managers
• Marketing Manager: Skills Required
• Working Toward a Marketing Management Career
• Recommended Books for Aspiring Marketing Managers

Marketing Manager Job Description

The specific job duties of a marketing management professional can vary from one company to the next. Their role can also depend on whether they work for a marketing and advertising agency or for an in-house marketing department at a company.¹ Those who work for a marketing firm may be placed in charge of leading all advertising campaigns for a specific brand or set of brands. 

A marketing manager job description may include the following responsibilities:

• Analyze data collected from marketing research studies
• Evaluate prospective markets and price products or services accordingly
• Lead team members in developing new marketing programs and implementing them
• Oversee all aspects of marketing program implementation to ensure all team members stay on track
• Evaluate the results of implemented marketing programs and plan adjustments to future campaigns based on the data
• Plan online marketing and coordinate marketing campaigns with sales activities

Additional marketing manager responsibilities can include handling administrative tasks and personnel issues for their department. These may include participating in the hiring process for new employees and making decisions about promotions and firings. Marketing managers may also be responsible for their department’s budget and for liaising with third-party vendors.

Job Outlook for Marketing Managers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the job growth for advertising, promotions and marketing managers is expected to be 8% from 2023 to 2033, faster than average. This indicates that employers expect to hire about 31,100 new professionals during this time period.²

Salary Expectations for Marketing Manager Responsibilities

Salary expectations for these professionals can vary depending on a number of factors, such as geographic location, employer, years of experience and so on. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for advertising, promotions and marketing managers was $156,580 as of May 2023.³

Marketing Manager: Skills Required

When you work toward a marketing and advertising degree, you will have opportunities to acquire the skills and qualities needed to become successful in this field. Work experience will enable you to continue to refine your skills throughout your career.

The following skills and qualities are particularly important for marketing management professionals:^4,5

• Communication: Marketing is a field centered on strong communication. Marketers must be able to clearly communicate a brand’s value to consumers. Management professionals need strong communication skills as they must collaborate with their team members and with cross-departmental staff, such as art directors and finance professionals. Those who work in an agency setting must communicate effectively with clients.
• Organization: Managers often work on multiple projects simultaneously. It is essential to keep track of each project’s progress. Successful project management requires good organization and time management skills, as well as prioritization and delegation.
• Problem-Solving: No project will proceed exactly as expected; there will always be last-minute snags and unexpected problems that crop up. With good problem-solving skills, marketing managers can creatively brainstorm solutions.

Additionally, effective managers tend to be influential and empathic leaders and team builders. They are committed to their own professional and personal growth and nurture the growth of their team members within a positive, collaborative environment.⁵

Technical Skills for Marketing Managers

In addition to the above soft skills like organization and communication, aspiring marketing managers will need a number of hard or technical skills.

Some of the most helpful technical skills include the following:⁵

• Data analytics
• Search engine optimization (SEO)
• Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
• Social media marketing and analytics
• Video production and marketing
• ROI analysis and marketing performance metrics

Working Toward a Marketing Management Career

Marketing management is not generally an entry-level job. Rather, these professionals typically begin their careers by working as non-supervising employees at a marketing agency or in-house marketing department. First, however, it’s typically necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree.⁴

People come to this profession with a range of academic backgrounds, including degrees in communications, marketing or other business-related areas.⁴ If you’re positive that a career in marketing is right for you, it may be best to choose a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Advertising degree.

While you can get started working in the field with just a bachelor’s, climbing the ladder may require earning a master’s degree. For example, you might consider earning a Master of Business Administration with an Emphasis in Marketing.⁴ A master’s degree could enhance your career qualifications and help you position yourself to potentially seek a job in marketing management.

After gaining work experience on a supervisory level, you may eventually decide to launch your own marketing firm. Individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset will need to work hard to build their own agency by attracting brands that need assistance with promotional efforts.

Recommended Books for Aspiring Marketing Managers

While you’re working toward your degree(s) and gaining entry-level experience in the field, you may find it helpful to supplement your education and professional development with ancillary reading materials.

There are a number of books on marketing and leadership that you may find insightful, including the following:

• “Breakthrough Advertising” by Eugene M. Schwartz
• “Content Design” by Sarah Richards
• “Epic Content Marketing” by Joe Pulizzi
• “How to Launch a Brand” by Fabian Geyrhalter
• “This Is Marketing” by Seth Godin
• “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products” by Nir Eyal
• “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in the marketing field, you can explore core marketing and advertising competencies at Grand Canyon University. In addition to our marketing and advertising degree, the Colangelo College of Business is pleased to offer a variety of marketing-related degrees for aspiring marketing management professionals.