If you love the idea of finding innovative and creative ways to sell products and learn about products and consumers, then a Marketing degree is the best option for you. Marketing focuses on promoting specific products or services with the aim of convincing consumers to buy these products and services. It is a field of study that involves helping organizations or companies to identify and understand their target audience.
If you wish to specialize in the marketing field, a marketing course is precisely what you need. Read on for more information about the course, possible career paths, and specialization.
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Basically, marketing encompasses all the activities undertaken by a company or organization to support the buying and selling of a product or service. It includes sales, advertising, and delivering products to customers and other businesses. It is a study that revolves around the establishment and management of client relationships while forecasting and satisfying market demands for products and services.
Students will cover precise marketing processes, concepts, and strategies to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge that can be applied in the job sector for marketing majors.
Generally, marketing degrees are offered under Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS). The significant difference between marketing under BA and marketing under BS is the fact that the former concentrates more on humanities while the latter focuses more on scientific, technological, and mathematical aspects of the discipline. Additionally, most business degrees provide students with a pathway to marketing. Find the best universities for a marketing degree here.
Requirements to study in this field differ depending on the country and the university you wish to enrol in. Some universities will require GCSE and A-level results. Generally, a high school diploma or GED certificate are required to qualify for a marketing program.
What are the key skills for Marketing?
Are you curious about marketing specializations and the possible career options marketing majors can venture into? Typically, marketing majors develop a wide range of skills and knowledge that can be applied in a variety of industries.
You can choose to specialize in a specific aspect of marketing from e-commerce to market research and analytics, among others. Typically, the first year of a marketing course focuses on equipping the student with a general overview and foundation in marketing. Here are some examples of the topics youu2019re most likely going to come across:
Below is a list of specializations
Market research and analytics
In this program, students learn various techniques of data collection (focus groups, surveys, qualitative interviews, social media listening or monitoring, etc.) and interpretation as well as how to use the information to determine if the products, services or messages are targeting the right consumers and performing effectively to meet the objectives of the marketing strategy.
Content marketing
In this program, students learn how to create content that serves a specific purpose beyond promoting or advertising a brand, product or service through blogs, tutorial videos, articles, posts on social media and so on.
Search engine marketing (SEM) and Social media optimization (SEO)
In this program, students learn how to effectively deliver advertisements to target audiences using search engines such as Google, Bing, among others.
Social media marketing
In this course, students will acquire all the relevant skills to effectively drive traffic, boost awareness, and increase customer loyalty of a brand or product on various social media platforms.
Advertising
In this program, students delve into advertising, which is sometimes referred to as product marketing, and learn all the information on how to deliver and create brand awareness for a product or brand. Additionally, they will learn how to collect data, interpret this data, and use the information to effectively communicate the brand to the public. This course will revolve around training students on how to strategically introduce new products, services or brands into the market using various techniques including guerilla marketing technique, which uses an element of surprise such as customized billboards, graffiti, flash mobs, promotional displays, as well as the traditional direct and indirect marketing techniques. They will learn practical and creative methods to use to meet various objectives, such as increasing sales or brand awareness.
Digital marketing
In this program, students will learn all about marketing efforts that revolve around electronic devices or the internet.
Public relations
This program equips students with the skills required to maintain a suitable public image of an organization, company or person. Here students learn how to analyze the target audience and identify the useful type of communication which can influence the targeted demographic and maintain a positive relationship between clients and businesses.
International marketing
In this program, students will cover marketing approaches on a global level, the different consumer needs, behavior and values across the world, among others. Here students will focus on franchising, export trade, joint ventures, full direct entry of a company into a new region and so on.
Consumer behavior
In this field, students will be trained through a combination of various disciplines, including psychology, economics, sociology, and others. The main aim of this program is to help students to understand the decision-making process of buyers. Topics that may be covered in this course will include consumer retention, relationship marketing, one-on-one marketing, consumer psychology, among others.
There are multiple industries marketing majors can venture into. However, this will depend on your set of skills, values, interests, personality traits and so on.
Generally, marketing majors are relied upon in all industries to plan and coordinate marketing activities and follow through on tasks to meet the overall marketing strategy. This means that marketers can venture into any industry. Below is a list of fields marketing majors can get jobs in:
1. Brand/ Product manager
These professionals are responsible for overseeing all aspects of marketing, marketing research, product development, advertising, and so on. They determine market demands, forecast the scope of present and future product lines by evaluating product specifications and requirements, making recommendations for packaging, and new product ideas, among others.
2. Market research analyst
Market research analysts are responsible for evaluating consumer preferences to help companies determine how to advertise, shape and market their products or services. Additionally, they keep track of industry trends and marketing trends as well as provide forecasting on these markets to offer organizations with recommendations and information about products, services, promotions among other data to assist them in managing their marketing decisions.
3. Media planner
Media planners are responsible for analyzing, and determining the forms of media an organization or company needs to attract customers or accumulate users. They provide plans for advertising campaigns to meet marketing objectives and choose suitable media platforms for the brand or product that needs to be advertised.
4. Public relations representative
Public relations representatives are responsible for building and maintaining positive public image between companies or organizations and the public. They create media such as press releases or social media messages that communicate the opinion of an organization and increase brand awareness.
5. Sales representatives
Sales representatives are responsible for selling products and services to consumers. They find and engage new clients through networking, cold-calling, referrals, among others while maintaining already existing relationships with their client base through meetings, follow-up emails, office visits and so on.
6. Social media manager
Social media managers are responsible for managing, planning, executing and monitoring a companyu2019s social media marketing campaigns to improve brand awareness, promote marketing efforts and increase sales. They create relevant content topics for the target audience as well as curate and manage already published content including images, videos, texts, audio and so on.
7. Marketing assistant
Marketing assistants provide support to marketing managers and executives on projects to maximize a companyu2019s profits as well as come up with sales strategies or marketing campaigns to drive revenue growth.
8. Media buyer
Media buyers are generally responsible for negotiating, buying and monitoring advertising airtime or space on behalf of companies or customers. Their main aim is to ensure the brand; product or service reaches the highest number of people in the segment audience at the lowest cost. These professionals can work in various industries, such as media and publishing agencies.
9. Event planner/manager
Event planners are responsible for planning, coordinating, and structuring a promotional, social or business event. They manage all aspects of an event from start to finish while ensuring that the segment audience is engaged and the event is appropriately marketed. They coordinate conferences, exhibitions, seminars, private parties and oversee the pre-planning and post-event evaluation.
10. Advertising executive
Advertising executives are in charge of coordinating advertising campaigns and effectively communicating the needs of the clients as well as oversee administrative and campaign duties to ensure deadlines are met within budget limits.
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