What Does a Marketing Manager Do? A Guide

Marketing managers generate customer interest in products and services across various media channels. They often oversee the communication between a business and its customer base. 

Marketing management could be a good fit if you’re looking for a career where you can use your creativity and people skills to make a difference in a company. Take a closer look at what the job entails and how to become a marketing manager.

What is marketing management?

Marketing managers organise and manage marketing campaigns to raise awareness of and generate demand for products and services. This broad definition can encompass a wide variety of activities including:

• Designing, managing, and evaluating marketing campaigns

• Directing social media engagement strategies

• Managing budgets for marketing campaigns

• Collaborating with advertising and creative departments

• Reviewing advertising material for print and digital media

• Preparing advertising contracts

• Performing market research to find new opportunities

• Managing marketing department employees

• Analysing market trends and conducting competitor research

How much does a marketing manager make?

According to Glassdoor, the average annual base salary for a marketing manager in India is ₹12L, with expected bonuses and compensation to average ₹1,50,000 [1]. How much you make will depend on where you live, what company you work for, what industry you work in, and your qualifications and experience level.

Types of marketing managers

Marketing managers work in various industries, such as health care, hospitality, entertainment, finance, and technology. This means that no matter where your interests lie, you are likely to find marketing jobs in that industry. Some marketing managers focus on a specific area of marketing. These specialities include:

• Affiliate marketing managers focus on the relationships between an organisation and its marketing affiliates that earn commissions in exchange for driving traffic to a website.

• Brand marketing managers aim to increase brand awareness and the identity of a company or product.

• Content marketing managers oversee the production of content that drives traffic to an organisation’s website.

• Digital marketing managers supervise and implement marketing campaigns designed for online channels.

• Marketing communications managers monitor and evaluate the messaging used to market a brand or product.

• Product marketing managers oversee the positioning and branding of specific products.

• Social media marketing managers take charge of the company’s presence on social media platforms.

What’s the difference between marketing managers and PR managers? 

Marketing managers handle communication between a company and its customers (current and potential). On the other hand, public relations managers focus on maintaining a company’s positive reputation through earned media coverage.

How to become a marketing manager

A review of job postings on Naukri reveals that most companies look for candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree for management positions in marketing, although it is not essential. To put yourself above the competition, you may consider earning a degree in marketing, advertising, communications, or a related field. Make yourself even more appealing to hiring managers by pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) with a marketing concentration.

1. Build marketing manager skills.

Formal education in marketing helps you build a foundation for success in the field. In addition, marketing managers leverage various skills whilst on the job. As you pursue a degree or gain hands-on experience, look for opportunities to build these skills.

• Writing and public speaking skills help you present ideas clearly and effectively to customers, decision-makers, and private clients.

• SEO fundamentals help you decide how to direct campaigns on digital platforms.

• Analytical skills help you sort and analyse data to evaluate the success of marketing campaigns.

• Creative thinking empowers you to generate new ideas for compelling campaigns and marketing strategies.

• Interpersonal skills equip you to collaborate closely with advertising, public relations, and customer service departments.

• Project management skills prepare you to set goals, track progress, meet deadlines, and manage teams.

• Technical skills, particularly with project management, email marketing, SEO, and presentation software, can equip you to complete tasks more efficiently.

• Leadership skills help motivate marketing team members and delegate tasks to the right people.

Read more: 4 Ps of Marketing: What They Are and How to Use Them

2. Earn a certification or certificate.

Adding a relevant credential to your resume can validate your skills to potential employers as you develop key marketing skills. Learn at your own pace and get yourself job ready with the Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Professional Certificate.

3. Take relevant classes. 

Explore whether a career in marketing might be right for you by taking an introductory course in the field. Learn the basics with Fundamentals of Marketing Strategy from the University of London or develop your branding skills with Brand Management: Aligning Business, Brand, and Behaviour, also from the University of London.

4. Get hands-on practice. 

You don’t need a job to start earning experience. Put your skills to use by marketing yourself, finding an internship within a marketing department, or offering your marketing services to a non-profit group. 

5. Build a portfolio. 

Your portfolio should be a selection of your best work in the field. You can start building content for your portfolio whilst developing new skills by completing a Guided Project, designed to be completed in under two hours. A few options to get you started include Create a Business Marketing Brand Kit Using Canva and Use Canva to Create Social Media Visuals for Business.

Marketing manager career path

Marketing management is an in-demand field in India, with vacancies growing across marketing fields. Companies want to increase their market share and turn to marketing managers to help them reach those goals.

Since many management roles require work experience, many marketing managers start out as sales representatives, public relations specialists, brand managers, or marketing coordinators before moving into management positions. As you earn experience and further your education, you can set your sights on roles like VP of marketing or chief marketing officer.

Get started with Coursera

If a career in marketing aligns with your interests, get job-ready in as little as six months, even with no prior experience, by completing the Google Digital Marketing and E-Commerce Professional Certificate. Learn in-demand marketing skills such as running ad campaigns, reaching your ideal customer and tracking reach through analytics tools, and using marketing tools such as Google Analytics, Mailchimp, and Google Ads.