Communication is a powerful tool. When wielded effectively, it engages audiences and transforms strategy into results. The exchange of information affects nearly every aspect of the business. Learning how to craft compelling messages — and measure their impact — can help you deliver value to any organization.
What are Marketing and Communications?
Marketing and communications, or marcomms, is the practice of using a combination of channels and tools to communicate with the desired market for the purpose of brand awareness, sales, advertising, or promotion. Pursuing a path in marcomms allows you to leverage your creativity, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. There’s even a bit of psychology involved. Being a strategic communicator requires understanding what makes people tick (and click).
Marketing and Communications duties
Marcomm careers are rewarding and fulfilling, not only because they combine creativity with data and analytics but also because they allow you to make a measurable impact on your organization. Typical duties in this area of work include:
- Communication with the public
- Planning promotional campaigns
- Budgeting
- Creating marketing plans
- Contract negotiation
- Website analysis
- Market research
- Pricing strategy development
- Promotional and informational writing
- Managing media relations
- Fundraising
- Reputation management
Types of Marketing and Communications
- Advertising: From commercials to targeted ads on social media, modern business runs on advertising.
- Public relations: As a public relations professional, you will focus on creating and maintaining a positive public image for an individual or organization.
- Digital Media: Learning marketing and communications skills can position you to work in the fast-paced environment of media.
- Government communication: From federal branches to city offices, all levels of government need communication experts to keep citizens in the loop with important news and information.
Industry Outlook and Trends
Marketing is all about metrics. We can now measure and visualize the performance of our communication in real-time, and it’s changing the business world. Marcomm professionals have an array of tools and insights at their disposal — resources they can use to strategically segment their audience and identify the best ways to reach them. In this highly data-driven field, candidates with technical skills are rising to the top, and the overall communications job outlook is very positive. Here’s a brief look at where the industry is headed based on research conducted by Burning Glass Technologies:
Reliance on Hybrid Skill Sets:
Today's marketing and public relations professionals must build a hybrid skillset of creative and analytical skills to maximize their talent and performance. After all, communication is a science as much as an art. To thrive in this field, you need a blend of right-brain imagination and left-brain logic. The ability to apply soft skills to technical disciplines is also critical, with competency in interpretation, visualization, and research deemed most important.
Importance of Analytics and Technology Expertise:
The demand for metrics is no longer isolated to the finance and business analytics sectors. Marketing has become more data-driven than ever as businesses experiment with new methods of reaching their target audiences and converting leads into customers. Employers now expect their marcomms teams to be skilled in common web-based analysis tools such as Google Analytics and marketing automation software like Salesforce. Upskilling and reskilling in analytics software, web design, and other information systems will help you test different marketing and communications strategies to learn what works.
Why Work in Marketing and Communications?
Marketing and communications are considered one of the most important — and lucrative — career paths across all industries. Marketing and communications careers offer a range of benefits, some of which include:
Expanded Career Opportunities:
Embarking on a path in marketing and communications can lead to a variety of new possibilities. Organizations of all sizes, from large corporations to smaller startups and nonprofits, are looking for skilled communicators and marketing strategists to help them achieve their business objectives.
High Demand:
Growth across the marketing and communications industry is being fueled by the expansion of digital media. Marketers and communications specialists are able to reach a much broader audience than was previously possible using traditional media formats alone. This means that the scale of marketing and advertising campaigns is also much larger — creating a strong demand for those familiar with new methods for audience and customer engagement.
Varied Work Environments:
Professionals who hold a marketing and communications credential are finding work across a variety of industries, providing services that offer wide appeal. To give you some context, the five largest areas of employment for marketing managers include:
- Management of companies and enterprises
- Computer systems design and related services
- Management, scientific, and technical consulting services
- Advertising, public relations, and related services
- Credit intermediation and related activities
Sources:
- Marketing & Communications Industry: Definition & Trends: Pearson Pathways. Marketing & Communications Industry: Definition & Trends | Pearson Pathways. (2019). https://www.pearson.com/pathways/areas-work-study/marketing-communications.html.
- Burning Glass Technologies
