Core skills to launch your career in marketing

In an increasingly digital world, organizations rely on skilled marketing professionals to help them reach and engage their target audiences. Today, most marketers must be proficient in analytics, digital storytelling, and emerging technologies to thrive. Whether you’re just starting out or considering a career change, mastering the marketing essentials can set you up for success in a competitive and dynamic job market.

Explore the top skills you need to launch your career in marketing below.

Essential hard skills for marketing careers

While traditional marketing avenues like print and broadcast media are still relevant and useful, most of the top marketing skills employers value these days relate to digital or internet marketing. Fortunately, mastering these skills can also help you effectively create, optimize, and measure marketing materials across various types of media. These skills include:

Platform knowledge

In marketing, simply knowing how to use industry-standard platforms goes a long way. While the specific software you’ll use depends on your role and organization, you’ll want to at least be familiar with:

• Social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) — plus social media management tools like Sprout Social and Hootsuite.
• Generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.
• SEO tools like SEMRush, Ahrefs, Moz, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics.
• Content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Squarespace, and Drupal.
• Email marketing and automation platforms like Marketo, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact.
• Project management platforms like Asana, Trello, and Basecamp.
• Basic office tools like Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint) and Google Suite (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive).

According to leadership career coach and talent advisor Holly Lee, employers often place high value on practical work experience when considering digital marketing candidates. For Lee, this includes knowledge of digital marketing tools, the ability to run ads, and email marketing skills.

Lee also notes that the current digital marketing landscape increasingly requires AI skills like ad optimization, automation, and AI-based analytics.

Analytics and data interpretation

Knowing how to measure campaign performance is key to a successful marketing career. Knowing the different pieces and purposes of a variety of marketing materials (i.e., emails, social media posts, and landing pages) can be a helpful first step. Common metrics to analyze include:

• Click-through rate: The CTR is the ratio of people who click on a hyperlink or call-to-action (CTA) button relative to the number of people who have viewed a landing page, ad, or email.
• Engagement rate: The engagement rate measures how much an audience interacts (likes, comments, or shares) with social media content relative to total post reach or audience size.
• Conversion rate: The conversion rate is the percentage of website visitors who complete the desired action, such as making a purchase, booking a stay, filling out a form, or signing up for a newsletter.
• Bounce rate: The bounce rate is the percentage of website visitors who navigate (or “bounce”) away from the site after visiting one page.
• Traffic: Traffic represents the number of people who visit a webpage over a specific period. Traffic can be sorted into categories like organic, paid, and direct.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

SEO is closely related to marketing analytics and data interpretation. SEO basics involve keyword research, access to an analytics platform linked to the organization, such as Google Analytics, and content marketing best practices. Due to advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and frequent algorithm updates, SEO is an ever-evolving, multi-pronged skill that requires plenty of troubleshooting, research, and experimentation.

Important soft skills marketers need

While technical skills like platform know-how, data savvy, and SEO knowledge are crucial for many marketing roles, soft skills are often just as important. The top three soft skills that can help you thrive in a marketing career are:

Persuasive communication

The art of persuasion — especially in written and verbal communication — is key to effective marketing. If you plan to become a copywriter, content marketer, or digital content creator, you need to know how to convince your audience to do something without coming on too strong. Knowledge of tone, word choice, platform best practices, and your audience can help you hone your persuasion skills.

Cross-functional collaboration

Whether you aspire to be a content writer, email marketer, marketing manager, graphic designer, or SEO specialist, you’ll need the ability to work effectively across diverse teams and roles. Marketing teams often work together to align on strategy and communicate campaign results, so a strong sense of teamwork is essential.

Strategic creativity

Everything a marketer does requires a strategic and creative mindset. For example, an SEO specialist must select potential keywords based on the client’s ultimate goal, their preferred content type, and the current Google algorithm. A marketing manager must lead team initiatives with a broader marketing strategy and business objectives in mind. Content writers often brainstorm new, engaging ways to present their work to readers. Many marketing roles encourage out-of-the-box thinking and experimentation, so innate creativity and strategic thinking are helpful.

How to effectively demonstrate marketing skills

As you build a marketing career, it’s important to also know how to market yourself and your skills. Three ways to showcase your skills and increase your chances of getting hired are as follows:

Earn marketing certificates

Taking a marketing course and earning a Professional Certificate can be a great way to demonstrate your marketing knowledge. Certificates can be added to your résumé and LinkedIn profile, which can help you stand out in a competitive job market when applying for marketing roles. Some marketing certificates to consider include:

• An edX marketing professional certificate
• Google AdWords
• Google Analytics

Build a marketing portfolio

Building a portfolio of work is crucial, especially if you plan to pursue a creative marketing role. You can start by adding examples of your work to your LinkedIn profile, but many marketers create their own website to feature their examples in a more streamlined and visually appealing format. As you build your portfolio, be sure to include:

• Visual elements like screenshots or images from the campaign.
• The date you completed each project.
• Any successful results/metrics from each campaign or piece of work.
• Information about how you contributed to the project.

Engage with your network

Use your communication skills to engage with your network, both online and offline. Stay in touch with valuable connections like former professors, bosses, and recruiters — not just when you need a recommendation. Keep your accomplishments and skills up to date on professional networking sites like LinkedIn, especially if you’re searching for a job.

Where to learn marketing skills online

Fortunately, there are many ways to learn marketing online. As you browse various marketing courses, certificates, and degree programs, consider:

• Your professional goals: If you want to learn marketing basics, a course may be best. A professional certificate could help you showcase skills on your résumé. If you want to advance your career, a master’s or executive education program may make the most sense.
• How much time you have to learn: Depending on your goals, learning marketing can take anywhere from a few weeks to several years.
• Your budget: Many marketing courses are free, but more intensive programs and certificates can cost hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of dollars.

Take the next step in your marketing career

Whether you want to qualify for an entry-level marketing role or advance into a mid- to senior-level position, edX can help you reach your professional goals.

Browse marketing courses and programs today to get started.