If you’re looking for a brand new challenge, you could look into a career in Marketing Management. With over 300,000 jobs available worldwide and an increasing demand, it’s a great option to consider.

What is marketing management and why should you consider it?

Put yourself in the shoes of a manager for a moment. You are responsible for the entire marketing function of a company, from brand awareness to conversion. Your overarching goals are to grow sales and drive profit. You are tasked with identifying key performance indicators to measure your progress and determine if you are meeting your goals.

Now, imagine you’ve been appointed to this role with little to no marketing experience. How would you go about taking on such a role? More importantly, how would you measure your success?

You would most likely begin by looking at what your predecessor set up and determining how you can improve on it. You would then set about gauging the effectiveness of your campaigns, analysing what worked and what did not. From there, you can determine what changes you need to make and how best to achieve your goals.

Considering the nature of the role, you would ideally want to get a job in an already established firm. Instead of applying directly for the role, you may want to consider doing so through a recruiter. The added hands-on-approach of a recruiter can help you navigate the application process, interview and beyond.

The Role Of A Marketing Manager

Depending on the specifics of your role, you may be solely responsible for marketing strategies, including all aspects of brand management. You may be expected to analyse the competitive landscape and formulate strategies to achieve superior position.

Alternatively, you may be tasked with the creation and implementation of marketing plans. In this case, you would be expected to create and manage a portfolio of marketing activities that contribute to the growth and profitability of the company.

Whether you’re creating a marketing plan for a company or acting as a brand manager, your role typically entails the following activities:

• Creating and maintaining brand image
• Developing marketing strategy
• Liaising with sales to ensure they are aware of marketing plans and strategy
• Analyzing results of marketing efforts and make process improvements
• Determining what worked and what did not, and making changes accordingly

To begin with, you would need to establish your personal brand. What is your personal brand and how can you make it exceptional?

You need to ensure that your personal brand is consistent across all platforms, whether that’s written content, social media or even your body language. Establishing a brand voice that is both memorable and authoritative is essential.

To that end, you may want to consider using HubSpot’s marketing playbook, the Four Steps to Building a Better Brand.

The steps are simple but effective, making it easier for you to implement and maintain. Consider using them to establish and strengthen your personal brand:

Step one: Define your brand’s values and purpose

You can think of your brand as a combination of the following:

• The products or services you provide
• Your customer experience
• The way you present yourself
• Your social mission or cause
• Your company culture
• Your pricing

To define your brand you should start by pinpointing the essence of your business. What sets you apart from other companies? What does your product or service offer that others do not?

By understanding your customers’ needs and wants, you are better placed to craft compelling solutions that grow your business and make you stand out from the crowd.

From here, you can build on this foundation by defining your brand’s purpose and values. What are you trying to convey with your brand? Are you pursuing an image of sophistication, power and authority? Or do you want to project an adventurous and fun-loving image?

Step two: Research the meaning and perception of your chosen key words and phrases

With your brand’s definition in mind, you can begin to incorporate this into the content you create. Begin by choosing three or four words or phrases that you think best represents your brand. Make sure these words are part of your everyday language and that they are easily recognised and associated with your brand.

Once chosen, re-read them each time you draft an email, blog post or social media content. Seeing these phrases and hearing them pronounced by you will help your readers, viewers or followers connect the dots between your brand and the words you have chosen. Ensure these words are used consistently throughout your content.

Step three: Create a vision statement for your brand

Crafting a vision statement is the first step in defining your brand. A vision statement will help you communicate your unique identity and offer a succinct summary of your business goals and objectives. Consider using the following structure:

Vision:

The vision of your brand should be easy to understand. What is it that you are trying to achieve?

Objectives:

These are the achievements you are striving to make. What are your plans for making your vision a reality?

Values:

Your values play a crucial role in defining who you are and the way you conduct business. What are your guiding principles and how do they influence your daily work?

Your values should be both practical and ethical. Answering these questions will help you find a balance; demonstrating outstanding values and being an ethical business are essential to gain trust and respect.

Step four: Make a shortlist of memorable phrases or words that represent your brand

Having defined your brand’s meaning and purpose, you can begin to incorporate these into the content you create. Incorporating a brand’s values and messaging into the content you create can prove powerful, helping to establish your expertise and authority while still keeping your readers interested and engaged.

Make a shortlist of three to five phrases that you think best represents your brand. Ensure these phrases are used frequently and consistently throughout your content. Incorporating your chosen key words and phrases into the text of your blog posts, social media posts and emails will make your content more effective and memorable.

To sum up, the role of a marketing manager is to plan and implement marketing strategy while also building a brand. The better you understand your customers’ needs and wants, the more you can tailor offerings that they value. This, in turn, can drive growth and profitability.