How to start a career in marketing: 5 steps without the chaos
Marketing is one of the most popular professions to start with, and that’s exactly why so many people get lost: there are hundreds of courses, even more tools, and no clear idea of where to begin. Here are five steps I recommend to everyone just entering the profession.
1. Understand the fundamentals, not the tools
Social media ads, SEO, email — these are just channels. Without the fundamentals, they don’t work. First, figure out:
- who your audience is and what problem they’re solving;
- how the product differs from competitors;
- how a person goes from “first heard about it” to “bought it”.
Whoever understands these things will quickly master any tool.
2. Pick one area to start with
Don’t try to become a paid social specialist, an SEO specialist and a content marketer all at once. Choose one channel that interests you and go deep. Breadth comes with experience.
3. Learn to count
Marketing without numbers is guesswork. Get to grips with the basic metrics: conversion rate, cost per lead, customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend. Being able to speak the language of numbers is what separates a marketer from “someone who runs ads”.
4. Get your first real experience
The first job is the hardest, because everyone wants experience. The way out is to create it yourself:
- help a friend’s business or a local project with marketing;
- run a small ad campaign with a minimal budget;
- write a breakdown of a well-known company’s marketing and add it to your portfolio.
One real case with results in numbers is worth more than three certificates.
5. Find someone to learn from
The people who grow fastest have an experienced person beside them: someone who points out mistakes, suggests a direction and doesn’t let you spend months going the wrong way. It could be a manager, a colleague or a mentor.
If you’re just starting out and want to get through this path faster, see how mentoring works.