Marketing, Advertising and PR Career Guide

 

Potential Roles in Marketing, Advertising and PR

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Marketing, advertising, and PR jobs include graphic designers, account executives, digital advertising specialists (pay-per-click and social media advertising), copywriters, videographers, editors and more. Every role plays its own part in creating an end product that makes an impact for the client.

Marketing executives create campaigns across various media channels to increase visibility for a company or organisation. Marketing executive jobs involve coming up with ideas, managing a team of creatives, implementing, testing and refining.

Marketing professionals can work in an agency, in-house for a company, or alone as a freelancer or contractor. The work varies daily; you might be crafting social media posts, sending out a press release, analysing metrics and reporting back to a client, all in one day.

Social media managers manage social media accounts for businesses and organisations. Social media manager jobs involve creating and implementing a marketing strategy, posting to various channels, like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn, engaging with platform users, testing results and refining the campaigns. Large companies employ social media managers in-house as part of a broader marketing team, while smaller businesses often outsource their socials to an agency or freelancer.

Copywriters write copy (text) for businesses and organisations to use in marketing. A copywriting job requires knowledge of marketing approaches, selling techniques, buyer psychology and customer habits. Copywriters must have advanced writing skills and be able to adapt their writing style to suit the client and the desired outcomes.

 

Salary and Career Progression

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Every company relies on marketing to some degree, so there is plenty of work and scope for progression for talented professionals in the industry. However, the market is somewhat crowded, and there can be a lot of competition for senior positions. Junior and training roles can be low-paid, but earnings can be lucrative for marketers serving corporate and prestigious clients.

Marketing executives start at around £18,000 annually but can earn considerably more with experience. Marketing directors for large agencies or businesses can make upwards of £100,000. Career progression involves promotion to more senior roles, like marketing manager or director of marketing. Some marketing executives start their own agency when they have the relevant experience.

Social media managers typically start as junior members of a marketing team or freelancers working for small businesses. They can progress to team leader roles or choose to specialise in one area, for example, strategy development, social media advertising, or one platform or content type.

Full-time junior roles in a marketing agency start at around £18,000, rising to £50,000 to £60,000 for leadership positions. Freelance social media managers typically charge up to £325 per day.

Copywriters work in-house for a marketing or advertising team or work in a freelance or contracting capacity. Junior copywriters can earn around £20,000, rising to about £30,000 to £45,000 for midweight copywriters and significantly more for senior copywriters. Freelance copywriters typically charge up to £450 per day, but those who specialise in one field (for example, finance or healthcare) can charge considerably more.

 

Qualifications, Education and Experience

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Marketing executives often have a university degree, although this is not essential. Desirable qualifications, education and experience include:

• 4-5 GCSEs at grades 4-9 (C-A**)
• 2-3 A Levels
• A Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications or a related field
• Work experience in a marketing role or similar
• An industry qualification recognised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing

Social media managers do not need specific educational qualifications, as employers prioritise skills and experience. The following can also be useful:

• 4-5 GCSEs at grades 4-9 (C-A**) and 2-3 A Levels are not essential but may be required by some employers
• A Bachelor’s degree can be advantageous, particularly if in a marketing-related field
• A good understanding of the different social media platforms
• Good grasp of English and clear writing ability
• Experience running social media channels for a business or organisation
• Industry certification or an apprenticeship in digital marketing

Copywriters do not need a degree to find work, but many do have educational qualifications in English or journalism, for example. The following can be beneficial:

• 4-5 GCSEs at grades 4-9 (C-A**)
• 2-3 A Levels
• A Bachelor’s degree either in English or journalism or an industry specialism, like finance, medicine or business
• Experience creating copy can be advantageous, perhaps for a local newspaper or university newsletter
• A portfolio of work to demonstrate writing ability
• Industry certifications or courses in marketing or writing
• Some employers or clients may prefer native English speakers

 

Skills

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Marketing executives manage a lot of different projects at the same time, so they need a range of skills, including:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A good eye for design
• IT and social media skills
• Copywriting ability
• Leadership and project management skills
• Attention to detail
• Creativity
• Motivation and drive
• Good time management and ability to prioritise tasks

Social media managers often work on multiple accounts at once and manage several clients. They must have the following:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience using basic graphic design software and tools to create eye-catching posts. Additionally, a familiarity with various
  resources to download stock photos can assist in enhancing social media content.
• Some videography skills can be beneficial
• Understanding of key metrics
• Copywriting skills
• Knowledge of different platform features and how to use them for business (rather than personal use)
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Confidence in speaking with clients and presenting ideas and solutions
• Motivation and drive

Copywriters must have the following:

• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Awareness of grammar rules
• Ability to adapt writing styles according to client and project
• Willingness to take feedback and constructive criticism
• Research skills
• Knowledge of SEO (search engine optimisation)
• Good grasp of buyer psychology and sales techniques
• Time management skills
• Creativity
• An understanding of marketing and content strategy

 

Working Hours

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Jobs in marketing, advertising and PR typically involve working standard office hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, with evenings, weekends and bank holidays off work. Sometimes, you may be asked to work outside of office hours to meet a tight deadline or deliver a big campaign.

Freelancers and contractors can choose their working hours as long as they meet their deadlines.

 

Notable Locations

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Larger marketing agencies are often located in cities, although remote working is now very common. London is a hub of activity for marketing companies, and Manchester has emerged as a significant player in the UK’s creative industry in recent years. Some of the UK’s top agencies are located in:

• London
• Manchester
• Birmingham
• Leeds
• Sheffield
• Oxford
• Bristol

 

Notable Companies

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• MAKE Agency: creative London digital marketing agency specialising in web design, social media and creative content
• Passion Digital: a full-service agency based in Brixton, London, offering strategy, SEO, advertising, content marketing and more
• Soap Media: Manchester and Preston-based agency boasting Money Supermarket, Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Booths supermarkets among its clients
• John Lewis: UK retailer that employs an in-house marketing team to manage social media, newspaper, TV and radio advertising, email campaigns and more

 

Next Steps

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