A Guide to Marketing & Advertising Niches

FAQs ABOUT BREAKING INTO MARKETING & ADVERTISING INDUSTRIES

Here’s a little bit about where in the world I was before getting into marketing/advertising, as well as some basic info about the marketing and advertising industry.

What’s the difference between the Marketing and Advertising industry?

• First things first, let’s break down what the heck makes Marketing and Advertising different. According to American Marketing Association:
  • Marketing is the process of identifying customer needs and determining how best to meet those needs. (My words: AKA it gets the people going)
  • Advertising is the exercise of promoting a company and its products or services through paid channels. (My words: AKA it gets the people buying)
  • In other words, advertising is a component of marketing.
    
• Here’s another breakdown that also talks about sales, promotion, pr, marketing, and advertising, a little more.

Did you major in marketing/advertising?

• I want to start off by saying, I didn’t major in marketing or advertising. I want to further say, that if you’re interested in marketing or advertising, you don’t have to major in it either!

How did you get into marketing/advertising?

• I actually didn’t really set my sights on marketing or advertising. I just tried a lot of things that I thought looked interesting or sounded fun. Those things just happened to all fall under the marketing and advertising umbrella.
• I got my start working in a bunch of student organizations as a volunteer as some sort of marketer. I also was a bit technical (i.e. I knew how to code) so that helped. That helped me build up my portfolio and eventually led to full-time marketing roles.

Do you have any tips for someone who wants to work in marketing or advertising?

• SPECIALIZE IN SOMETHING: The biggest tip I’d give someone who’s trying to break into marketing/advertising is to try to specialize (i.e. digital marketing, SEO, social media, etc.) and set your sights on a specific industry (i.e. media, tech, fashion, etc).
  
  Personally, I liked working in events, design, and user interfaces at the beginning of my marketing career, so I used those interests to guide me. In terms of an industry, I really wanted to see what all the hype was about in tech, so that’s where I decided to work first!

• BALANCE IS KEY: Specializing will make it a little easier to get your foot in the door. BUT, after you’re in, don’t stay in a specialty for TOO long. People will try to type-cast/ pigeon-hold you in that one thing. I, unfortunately, fell into this trap and had to work really hard to change my career path. At some point, you want to either explore a new specialty or become a generalist so that you can expand your skillset.

• NETWORK: Talk to other marketers/advertisers so that you know what types of jobs are out in the market, what skills the market demands, and to build a support system. There’s no substitute for real work though, so once you choose a direction, you have to find a way to get real experience.

• VOLUNTEER: I think volunteering is really one of the best ways to get started because it’s low risk, it’s free, you can build up your portfolio, and it could eventually lead to full-time marketing roles. It also can get you skilled up faster in what’s hot on the market than the traditional education route, certificate programs, or boot camps.
  
• STUDY + GET “REAL” EXPERIENCE: Read books about the industry, follow people who are in the industry, consume a lot of content, make something creative, and actively work to get “real experience” with “real clients (doesn’t matter how big or small).

WHAT’S NEXT: EXPLORE DIGITAL MARKETING

Check out one of my past roles, a Digital Marketing Specialist!

Sticky Notes

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In this post, we explore what a digital marketing specialist does from the time they wake up, to the time they clock out.

Sticky Notes, ERG

Interview With: Deja White, Digital Marketing Specialist

In this Q&A we explore what it takes to land a digital marketing gig in the media industry, as well as the skills and tools you need to use to be successful.