Best Marketing Skills to List on a Resume

Over 35,000 new job openings are expected in the US alone each year for the next decade. Highlighting the right marketing resume skills on your resume can help you catch the hiring manager’s eye and get your first big break in your marketing career.

If you plan to work in marketing, your prospects for building a successful career are quite high. According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, employment in fields like advertising, promotions, and marketing is projected to grow up to 10% from 2021 to 2031 (which is faster than the average growth rate for other occupations).

Here are some of the most in-demand skills to have on your resume and how to list them.

What Are Marketing Skills?

Marketing skills refer to the set of abilities and knowledge required to effectively promote products or services to potential customers. These skills include market research, advertising, communication, digital marketing, analytics – and more.

Marketing skills are crucial in today’s competitive business environment, as they help companies to increase sales and brand recognition, understand consumer preferences, and analyze competitor strategies.

Jobs That Require Marketing Skills

There are a lot of jobs that require at least a basic knowledge of marketing. Effective marketing is critical to the success of any business, and these roles are essential to achieving business goals and objectives. However, there are a number of jobs where marketing skills are absolutely essential.

• Marketing Manager
• Brand Manager
• Public Relations Manager
• Social Media Manager
• Advertising Manager
• Market Research Analyst
• Sales Representative
• Event Coordinator
• Content Marketing Specialist
• Digital Marketing Manager
• E-commerce Specialist
• Product Manager
• Business Development Manager
• Account Executive
• Customer Relationship Manager
• Communications Specialist

Essential Marketing Skills for a Resume

Here’s a list of essential marketing skills for a resume, along with a brief description of each skill and an example of how to describe it on a resume:

Technical Marketing Skills

Market Research and Analytics

Market research involves collecting and analyzing data on consumer behavior, preferences, and market trends to understand customer needs and preferences. Analytics involves using tools like Google Analytics and other data analysis software to track website traffic, user behavior, and campaign performance. This allows marketers to optimize their campaigns for maximum effectiveness, resulting in increased engagement, lead generation, and revenue.

• Understand target audience: Market research and analytics can help marketing professionals understand their target audience’s preferences, behaviors, and needs, enabling them to develop targeted and effective marketing strategies.
• Measure campaign effectiveness: Market research and analytics can help measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, using data and insights to optimize performance and achieve better results.
• Develop data-driven strategies: Market research and analytics can provide data-driven insights into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points, enabling marketers to develop effective marketing strategies that resonate with the target audience.
• Optimize pricing: Market research and analytics can help optimize pricing strategies, using data and insights to determine optimal price points, discounts, and promotions.

Example: “Conducted extensive market research to identify new market opportunities and consumer preferences, resulting in a 15% increase in sales.”

Digital Marketing

Effective digital marketing requires a deep understanding of customer behavior and preferences, as well as expertise in a range of digital marketing techniques and tools, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, content marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing. By leveraging digital marketing skills, marketers can reach a wider audience, increase brand awareness, and drive business growth.

• Develop a digital marketing strategy: Create a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that includes multiple digital channels such as social media, email, SEO, PPC, and content marketing.
• Create compelling content: Develop high-quality and engaging content, such as blog posts, videos, and social media posts, that resonates with the target audience.
• Optimize for search engines: Use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to optimize website content for search engines and improve website rankings.
• Use social media: Use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to engage with the target audience and promote products or services.
• Use email marketing: Create effective email marketing campaigns to engage with customers and promote products or services.
• Use paid advertising: Use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to target specific keywords and drive traffic to the website.

Writing

Written content can be used in a variety of marketing channels, including email marketing, social media, blogs, website copy, and advertising copy, to communicate with the audience and persuade them to take action. By leveraging writing skills, marketers can create compelling content that resonates with their target audience, builds brand awareness, and drives business growth.

• Develop a brand voice: Develop a consistent brand voice that reflects the values, tone, and personality of the brand and resonates with the target audience.
• Write effective copy: Write compelling and persuasive copy for various marketing materials such as websites, product descriptions, social media posts, email newsletters, and advertisements.
• Create engaging content: Create high-quality and engaging content such as blog posts, case studies, whitepapers, and e-books that provide value to the target audience and position the brand as a thought leader.
• Use storytelling: Use storytelling techniques to create emotional connections with the target audience and communicate the brand’s unique value proposition.

Audio and Video Production

Audio and video production is a marketing skill that involves creating dynamic and visually stunning content to promote products or services. Audio production can be used, for instance, to create podcasts, which have proven to be an efficient marketing tool. Video skills, on the other hand, can come in handy when working on producing a wide range of marketing content. According to a recent report by HubSpot, marketing is the number one tool that marketers use in their content strategy.

• Increase engagement: Video and audio production can be used to create visually and audibly appealing content that captures the audience’s attention, drives engagement, and communicates brand messages effectively.
• Build brand identity: Video and audio production can be used to develop a brand identity and personality, using storytelling, visual design, and audio engineering to create a unique and memorable brand image.
• Enhance social media presence: Video and audio production can be used to create content that is optimized for social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, increasing reach, engagement, and conversions.
• Communicate complex ideas: Video and audio production can be used to communicate complex ideas and information, using visuals and audio to simplify and clarify complex concepts, making it easier for the audience to understand.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams: Video and audio production skills can be leveraged to collaborate with cross-functional teams, such as sales, social media, and product development, to develop and execute successful marketing campaigns.

Example: “Developed and produced high-quality video content for social media and email marketing campaigns, resulting in a 20% increase in engagement and a 15% increase in website traffic.”

Advertising

The ability to create compelling advertising campaigns that reach the target audience through various mediums such as social media, television, radio, and print.

• Target specific demographics: Advertising allows businesses to target specific demographics, such as age, gender, location, interests, and behaviors, enabling them to tailor their messaging to the right audience.
• Drive sales and revenue: Advertising can be used to promote sales, promotions, and offers, incentivizing customers to make a purchase and increasing revenue.
• Enhance brand reputation: Advertising can be used to promote a business’s strengths, such as quality, reliability, and customer service, building a positive reputation and trust with customers.
• Educate customers: Advertising can be used to educate customers about a product or service, highlighting its features, benefits, and uses.

Example: “Designed and executed a targeted advertising campaign on social media, resulting in a 25% increase in website traffic and a 10% increase in sales.”

Soft Skills

Creativity

The ability to think creatively to develop innovative marketing campaigns and strategies that stand out in a crowded market.

Develop unique campaigns: Creativity can be used to develop unique marketing campaigns that stand out from competitors, grabbing the attention of the target audience and generating interest.

Create engaging content: Creative marketing professionals can develop engaging content, such as videos, images, social media posts, and blog articles, that capture the audience’s attention and encourage interaction.

Experiment with new ideas: Creativity encourages experimentation, enabling marketing professionals to try new ideas, techniques, and technologies, and continuously improve their approach.

Adapt to changing trends: Creativity allows marketing professionals to adapt to changing trends and consumer preferences, developing new campaigns and content that reflect the evolving market.

Develop brand differentiation: Creativity can be used to develop brand differentiation, creating a unique image, message, and value proposition that sets the brand apart from competitors.

Example: “Developed a unique and engaging marketing campaign that went viral, resulting in a 50% increase in brand awareness and a 25% increase in sales.”

Adaptability

The ability to adapt to changing market conditions and pivot marketing strategies as needed to achieve business objectives.

Respond to market changes: Adaptability is crucial in marketing as it enables professionals to respond quickly to changes in the market, such as new trends, emerging technologies, and shifting consumer behavior.

• Pivot strategies: An adaptable marketer can pivot their strategies as needed, shifting resources, messaging, and tactics to align with changing business objectives or market conditions.
• Embrace innovation: Adaptability encourages marketing professionals to embrace innovation, experimenting with new technologies, techniques, and ideas to stay ahead of the curve.
• Learn from failure: Adaptability encourages a growth mindset that views failure as an opportunity to learn and improve, rather than a setback.

Example: “Successfully adapted marketing strategies in response to changing market conditions, resulting in a 10% increase in revenue during a challenging economic period.”

Collaboration

Marketing professionals must collaborate not only with their team members but also with other departments in their organization, such as software engineers, data scientists, and salespeople. This collaboration may be necessary to develop new offerings for their target audience or to identify solutions for customer issues. Effective collaboration requires active listening, clear communication, and efficient teamwork.

Enhance problem-solving: Collaboration allows for more effective problem-solving, as team members can leverage their diverse skills and knowledge to identify and address challenges.

Facilitate knowledge sharing: Collaboration enables knowledge sharing among team members and departments, allowing for greater understanding and awareness of different perspectives and approaches.

Improve communication: Collaboration requires effective communication, which can help streamline the marketing process and ensure that team members are aware of expectations, goals, and timelines.

Build relationships: Collaboration fosters positive relationships among team members and departments, which can lead to greater trust, mutual respect, and support.

Increase accountability: Collaboration promotes greater accountability, as team members are more likely to take ownership of their work and contribute to the team’s success.

Achieve better results: Collaboration can lead to better results, as team members can leverage each other’s strengths, identify opportunities, and address challenges more effectively.

Example: “Worked closely with cross-functional teams, including sales, product development, and customer service, to develop and execute successful marketing campaigns that resulted in a 20% increase in sales revenue.”

Listening

Apart from conducting research on customers, it is equally crucial to pay attention to the feedback they provide. Understanding their pain points and preferences towards the latest products is crucial. Listening to customers’ feedback requires empathy, and it can help develop flexibility by staying open to suggestions that can modify the course of marketing efforts.

• Gather customer insights: Listening to customers can provide valuable insights into their preferences, pain points, and needs, enabling marketers to develop effective marketing strategies that resonate with their target audience.
• Improve customer experience: Listening to customer feedback can help identify areas for improvement and provide insights into how to enhance the customer experience, leading to greater satisfaction and retention.
• Adapt to changing customer needs: Listening to customers can help businesses stay attuned to changing customer needs and preferences, enabling them to adapt their marketing efforts accordingly.
• Increase flexibility: Listening to customers can help develop flexibility by staying open to new ideas and suggestions that can modify the course of marketing efforts, leading to greater success and adaptability.

Example: “Leveraged customer insights to develop targeted marketing strategies that addressed pain points and preferences, leading to a 30% increase in sales revenue.”

Project Management

Project management is a critical marketing skill that involves planning, organizing, and executing marketing projects to achieve specific goals and objectives.

Effective project management requires the ability to manage timelines, budgets, and resources, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and mitigate risks to ensure successful project completion. By leveraging project management skills, marketing professionals can optimize resources, foster collaboration, and achieve greater success in their marketing efforts.

• Ensure timely completion of projects: Project management skills can help marketing professionals set clear timelines, allocate resources, and monitor progress to ensure that projects are completed on time.
• Stay within budget: Project management skills can help marketing professionals manage budgets effectively, tracking expenses and making adjustments as needed to ensure that projects stay within budget.
• Manage stakeholder expectations: Project management skills can help marketing professionals manage stakeholder expectations, communicating clearly about project goals, progress, and outcomes to ensure alignment with business objectives.
• Identify and mitigate risks: Project management skills can help marketing professionals identify and mitigate risks that may impact project success, such as budget constraints, resource shortages, or unexpected challenges.
• Optimize resources: Project management skills can help marketing professionals optimize resources, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently to achieve maximum impact.
• Improve quality control: Project management skills can help marketing professionals implement effective quality control processes, ensuring that deliverables meet or exceed expectations and adhere to brand standards.

Example: “Managed a successful marketing campaign from conception to completion, staying within budget and exceeding campaign objectives.”

Empathy

The ability to understand and relate to the emotions, motivations, and perspectives of others, such as customers or colleagues enables marketers to develop effective marketing strategies and build positive relationships.

• Understand customer needs: Empathy can help marketing professionals understand and relate to the emotions, motivations, and perspectives of customers, enabling them to develop marketing strategies that address customer needs and preferences.
• Build customer relationships: Empathy can help build positive relationships with customers, demonstrating that a business values their opinions and cares about their experience.
• Tailor messaging: Empathy can help marketing professionals tailor messaging to resonate with the target audience, using language and visuals that reflect their values, aspirations, and pain points.
• Improve customer experience: Empathy can help identify areas for improvement and provide insights into how to enhance the customer experience, leading to greater satisfaction and retention.

Example: “Conducted in-depth customer research, actively listened to customer feedback, and leveraged insights to develop targeted marketing strategies that aligned with customer needs and preferences, resulting in a 40% increase in customer satisfaction ratings.”

How to List Marketing Skills on a Resume?

• Begin by creating a list that details all of your marketing expertise.
  Then, thoroughly examine the job advertisement, paying particular attention to the requirements for skills.
• Determine which of these marketing competencies match the skills you’ve listed in your skill list.
• Create a separate skills section in your resume and include the marketing resume keywords that match the job requirements.
• Additionally, scan the job description for the soft skills the company might value and mention them throughout your resume.
• Don’t forget to “sprinkle” your technical and soft marketing skills throughout your resume: add them to your resume objective, work experience, education, etc.

Marketing Resume Example

John Smith
123 Main Street
New York, NY 10001
(123) 456-7890
johnsmith@email.com

Objective:

A results-driven marketing professional seeking a challenging position to leverage expertise in developing and implementing successful marketing strategies.

Skills:

– SEO (increased organic traffic by 78% in 12 months)
– Analytics (HubSpot, Kissmetrics, and Google Analytics)
– Marketing Automation (increased efficiency and lead generation)
– Campaign Development and Execution (increased brand awareness, lead generation, and revenue.)

Experience:

Marketing Manager
ABC Company, New York, NY
Jan 2019 – Present

– Developed and execute comprehensive marketing campaigns, resulting in a 25% increase in leads and a 30% increase in revenue

– Conducted market research to identify customer needs and preferences, and develop buyer personas for effective targeting

– Managed social media advertising campaigns, resulting in a 40% increase in website traffic

– Implemented email marketing campaigns, leading to a 20% increase in email open rates and a 15% increase in click-through rates

– Collaborated with cross-functional teams, including sales and product development, to ensure successful campaign execution

– Monitored and analyze campaign performance using Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics to continuously optimize campaign effectiveness

Marketing Coordinator
XYZ Agency, New York, NY
May 2017 – Dec 2018

– Assisted in the development and execution of marketing campaigns, resulting in a 20% increase in website traffic and a 15% increase in leads

– Conducted market research and analyzed data to identify customer preferences and develop effective targeting strategies

– Assisted in the management of social media campaigns and email marketing campaigns

– Coordinated with cross-functional teams to ensure successful campaign execution

– Maintained project management tools to track progress and deadlines

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Marketing
New York University, New York, NY
May 2017

How to Develop Marketing Skills?

Developing marketing skills requires a combination of education, training, and practical experience. Here are some steps you can take to develop marketing skills:

• Get a formal education: Consider pursuing a degree or certificate program in marketing, communications, or a related field. A formal education can provide you with a strong foundation in marketing principles, consumer behavior, market research, and analytics.
• Attend workshops and conferences: Attend industry conferences, workshops, and webinars to learn about the latest marketing trends, tools, and techniques. This can also provide opportunities to network with other marketing professionals and learn from their experiences.
• Take online courses: There are many online courses available on marketing topics, such as digital marketing, social media marketing, and content marketing. These courses can be self-paced and affordable, making it easy to learn new skills at your own pace.
• Gain practical experience: Seek out internships, volunteer opportunities, or part-time work in a marketing-related field to gain practical experience and build your skills. This can also provide opportunities to network with professionals in the field.
• Read marketing publications: Stay up-to-date with the latest marketing news and trends by reading industry publications and blogs, such as AdWeek, MarketingProfs, and HubSpot.
• Practice and experiment: Practice your marketing skills by creating your own marketing campaigns or experimenting with different marketing tools and techniques. This can help you develop your own style and approach and identify areas for improvement.

Remember, developing marketing skills is an ongoing process. Be open to learning, be willing to try new things, and stay current with industry trends and best practices.

How To Prove Your Marketing Skills

To prove your marketing skills, you can take the following steps:

1. Build a portfolio: Create a portfolio of your best marketing work, such as campaigns you’ve managed, content you’ve created, or social media accounts you’ve grown. This can be a powerful way to demonstrate your skills to potential employers or clients.

2. Provide case studies: Provide case studies of successful marketing campaigns you’ve managed, highlighting the goals, strategies, tactics, and outcomes. This can help demonstrate your ability to drive results and solve problems.

3. Get certified: Consider obtaining marketing certifications, such as Google Analytics or Hubspot Inbound Marketing. These certifications demonstrate a level of expertise in specific marketing skills and can provide validation to potential employers or clients.

4. Use metrics: Use metrics to track and analyze the success of your marketing efforts. This can include website traffic, social media engagement, email open rates, and conversion rates. Use data to show the impact of your marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions.

5. Provide references: Provide references from past employers or clients who can speak to your marketing skills and accomplishments. This can provide additional validation of your expertise and abilities.

6. Continuously improve: Continuously improve your marketing skills by attending conferences, taking courses, and experimenting with new techniques. This can help demonstrate your dedication to the field and willingness to learn and grow.

By taking these steps, you can prove your marketing skills and stand out as a competent and effective marketer.