Are you interested in a marketing career where you can put your analytical, communication, and research skills to work? Do you have an acute attention to detail and the ability to effectively interpret data? A marketing analyst is a great career choice that could be a good fit for you.
Marketing analysts assess market conditions to make informed decisions as to a company’s marketing strategies. They typically research and analyze existing trends and strategies and share their findings through reports or presentations. They use their insights to assist in creating better, more effective marketing campaigns. They use relevant tools to gather and analyze data and evaluate existing marketing campaigns to optimize them.
To be successful as a marketing analyst, you’ll need to be very good at sorting and analyzing data using common tools such as SQL or Python. A solid understanding of marketing strategies, sales analysis, and cost analysis is highly beneficial. Marketing analysts must have outstanding project management skills as well.
Sample job description
If you are a marketing analyst looking for an opportunity to grow, [Your Company Name] has an exciting opportunity for you! You will be responsible for providing actionable insights that drive marketing strategies. You will collaborate across multiple groups and share findings with technical and non-technical stakeholders at all levels of the company. As an ideal candidate, you have proven experience researching and identifying ways to build brands and acquire new clients, including tracking advertising costs, researching consumer behavior, and exploring market trends and opportunities.
Typical duties and responsibilities
- Performs market research analysis
- Utilizes online market research and catalogs findings in databases
- Develops and assesses the value of data collection methods such as surveys, questionnaires, and opinion polls
- Presents marketing plans to senior management or clients
- Interprets market data and makes marketing recommendations
- Collects and analyzes data on customer preferences, demographics, and buying habits using modern and traditional methods
- Prepares reports on findings
- Gathers and analyzes data on competitors
- Tracks and forecasts trends in sales and marketing
Education and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing or a related field
- 5+ years experience in marketing or related field
Required skills and qualifications
- In-depth knowledge of search engines, web analytics, and business research tools
- Good working knowledge of statistical packages, databases, and MS Office
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Significant knowledge of data warehousing and mining
- Familiar with various data collection methods, including polls, focus groups, and surveys
- Working knowledge with CRM programs
- Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
Preferred qualifications
- Previous experience in market research
- Knowledge of software applications including SAS and SPSS
- 2+ years of market analysis experience
- Experience with data collection methods
Typical work environment
Marketing analysts typically work in offices and can spend long hours in front of a computer while inputting data, analyzing information, and generating reports for clients and management. Part of the job for a marketing analyst might be working outside the office taking surveys, conducting polls, and interacting with the public.
Typical hours
Marketing analysts typically work 40-hour weeks during normal business hours. They sometimes are required to work evenings, weekends, and holidays to meet deadlines
Available certifications
Many institutions offer certifications to provide marketing analysts with a more in-depth understanding of marketing principles and practices. Here are some of the available certifications:
- Professional Researcher Certification (PRC). Offered by the Marketing Research Association, the PRC designation requires candidates to have at least three years of market research experience, belong to a professional marketing or research organization, and pass a certification exam. The PRC credential proves your awareness of the highest ethics and standards, your commitment to remaining up-to-date on new techniques and technologies, and measures your knowledge and proficiency in researching. The PRC must be renewed every two years and continuing education is required.
- Certified ANA Marketing Professional (CAMP). The CAMP certification, composed of a rigorous, 35-hour online program, covers the entire marketing process from brand strategy and brand activation to marketing implementation across digital and analytic applications. The program is administered by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and combines comprehensive brand marketing strategy with customer-centric techniques, as well as providing digital, data, and analytics training. Certification is good for 1 year. To maintain your certified status, you must earn 10 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) within 12 months of your certification date from the ANA by attending ANA conferences, training programs, and webinars, as well as downloading content from their marketing knowledge center.
- Certified Marketing Analyst (CMA). The American Academy of Project Management offers the CMA certification to candidates wanting to increase their marketing strategy and technology skills. The course teaches practical marketing techniques in areas such as the competitive environment, the role of marketing, customer behavior, and pricing strategies. By earning the CMA credential, you will better comprehend the changing marketing environment, understand the integral role of marketing in developing new products and services, know how to deal with increased competitive pressure, and better understand customer behavior, segmentation, and specific market and pricing strategies.
Career path
The path toward becoming a market analyst begins with earning a bachelor’s degree in marketing, market research, or a related field. Many companies offer internships to students where they can gain valuable experience. Some companies require a master’s degree or an MBA for upper-level positions, such as leadership or management roles. While earning a certification is not required to land an entry-level position as a marketing analyst, it can help boost your career by demonstrating an advanced level of competency.
US, Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job outlook
SOC Code: 13-1161
| 2020 Employment | 740,900 |
| Projected Employment in 2030 | 904,500 |
| Projected 2020-2030 Percentage Shift | 7% increase |
| Projected 2020-2030 Numeric Shift | 163,600 increase |
Position trends
Real-time marketing analytics is a surging trend, and organizations are scrambling to provide solutions to customer queries in real-time. Companies are moving toward low-latency customer data platforms, which not only allow marketing analysts to see the current position and the success of their marketing campaigns and strategies, it also helps them identify underlying threats and problems, known as SWOT analysis.
Data security is a major issue as companies strive to insulate market data against cybercrimes and cyber breaches. With data breaches on the rise and business infrastructures vulnerable, marketing analysts will need to invest more in technologies that facilitate encryption, access control, network monitoring, and physical security measures.
Protection of consumer and customer privacy is another rising issue that marketing analysts will have to find solutions to. How marketing analysts handle data will become more important.
Predictive analytics, which helps marketing analysts anticipate future outcomes, is based on the analyses of historical data of an organization. As the use of predictive analytics accelerates, by using software powered by machine learning, marketing analysts will be better able to identify prospects that are likely to turn into high-value customers.