Marketing is a broad and exciting career perfect for creative people with analytical skills and a strong technological background. If you’re wondering, you can enter into the field via many different ways. You can start as a marketer straight out of college or transition from a different career.

No matter how you get into marketing, it remains to be one of the most lucrative careers around.  According to Salary.com, the average salary of marketing managers in the United States is $108,081 as of August 2021, but the range typically falls between $94,186 and $127,247. 

The salary you ultimately earn will depend on a number of factors including education, experience, location, employer, additional skills, certifications and more. The future looks great, too. Employment of marketers is projected to grow 10% from 2020 to 2030, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Whether you’re the perfect beginner, already in marketing or transitioning from a different career, you’ll love today’s post where we cover how to advance your career faster. In as few words as possible, we cover 7 top tips to take your marketing career to the next level.

Without further ado, let us get down to business.

Be Proactive in Seeking Opportunities

Marketers are proactive workers who are open to new ideas and opportunities. No matter whether you’re employed or freelance, it pays to actively seek out opportunities at any given time.

If you work for the man, check if there are any internal opportunities to join project teams or a management/leadership team. These new roles may mean learning new skills, but such roles will help you to advance your marketing career faster.

If your current employer doesn’t have internal opportunities, consider seeking out external opportunities. Perhaps you can start a side hustle as a part-or full-time freelancer. Taking such an initiative shows you possess good leadership skills, which translates to a bigger paycheck down the line.

Focus On a Niche

If you want to advance your marketing career, focusing on a niche pays better than being a jack of all trades and master of none. Marketers who specialize in a niche usually advance faster than marketers who juggle multiple fields.

According to Loomly.com, “…becoming an early expert in rising trends, such as social ecommerce, NFTs, digital clothing, AR/VR, or virtual restaurants is a surefire way of climbing marketing career ladder faster.”

Just ensure you’re not wasting your time on fads. Go after accepted trends. And don’t worry; marketing is a fast-paced field that sees the entrance of new trends and techniques regularly. That means there is always room for marketers who want to specialize in new and lucrative niches.

Upskill

Learning more skills will help you to advance your marketing career quickly. How? The more you understand your industry, the more you position yourself as an expert. As such, seek out every opportunity to upskill.

For example, attend conferences and workshops and sign up for training programs in your field of specialty. Look to the future and gain skills in the areas of marketing that are growing in demand e.g., business intelligence, marketing analytics, social media marketing and so on.

On top of that, focus on learning both soft and hard skills. That way, you will possess the perfect set of skills needed to advance your marketing career faster. 

Complete a Master’s Degree

This tip should have probably come first on our list. Earning a master’s degree whether it’s in communication, marketing or other related fields is a tried-and-true method for advancing your marketing career.

Many universities provide an online program, which means it’s incredibly easy to take your education one step further even if you lack the time to attend on-campus classes.

“For a wide variety of professionals, the online Master of Communication Management can be a catalyst for career development.” –USC Annenberg.

A Master’s degree will help you to gain the additional knowledge and skills you need to thrive in your field. Additionally, a master’s degree can open doors to leadership roles not available for non-degree holders.

Ask For a Promotion

We are all familiar with saying, “Ask and you shall receive.” Even if you’ve never heard of the saying before, getting ahead in your marketing career may be as simple as just asking.

It’s no secret that many people are afraid to ask for a promotion. It’s a daunting when you think of it at first, but with the right mindset and strategy, you can easily land any promotion and advance your career.

When you raise this with your boss, he/she will be aware that you’re looking to advance in the company. Be confident, choose the right time, and outline your track record to increase the likelihood of landing the promotion.

Grow Your Network

No marketer lives in a cocoon. After all, marketing involves a lot of communicating with others on a daily basis. As such, you cannot afford to isolate yourself since that will mean stagnation.

Networking is truly important, which is why it keeps coming up in every advice about career advancement. Regardless of where you’re in your marketing career, networking open doors to greater opportunities that you’d otherwise miss.

The more you expand your network and attend events within your field, the greater your chance of being in the right place at the right time. Who knows who you may meet and what opportunities may come your way? Don’t forget to network online as well.

Build Your Online Presence

Did you know that 80% of employers “Google” job seekers long before inviting them to interviews? Yes, that’s right, which makes having an online presence quite important. As a marketer, you can’t afford to not have an online presence, especially in the digital world we live in.

Employers will search for you online making an authentic personal brand a must-have. Building an online presence is the stuff of fourth graders nowadays since there are many beginner-friendly tools out there.

Start by launching your own marketing blog or website. On top of that, guest post on high-profile business and marketing websites, and be active on social media. In other words, build your brand and soar like an eagle on steroids.