Patricia Baronowski-Schneider
Pristine Advisers
New York, NY
Patricia is CEO of Pristine Advisers, an IR/PR/Media Relations/Marketing firm with 33 years of experience working her way to starting her own Company a decade ago. She can be reached at pbaronowski@pristineadvisers.com
Over the years, the marketing field has grown into an immense industry with a variety of niche areas. Sometimes, it can be complex to understand the industry with the widespread digital marketing tactics that have created many types of market specializations to accommodate this profession.
With the ever-increasing complexity, we have created this guide to help you gain a true understanding of different types of market specializations.
Marketing Specializations
The following types of marketing specializations range from research to strategy to tactical execution. Each holds its own importance. Let’s talk about it in more detail:
Digital Marketing
If you are looking for a boundless specialization degree, digital marketing will work in your favor. Digital marketing specialization degree has benefited many in this technologically fast-paced world. Even later in the future, this specialization will hold its value. Having said that, it is necessary for employees to keep upgrading themselves with the new trends, tools, and techniques upcoming in this field.
The digital marketing specialization shelters all aspects of the companies online marketing strategy. This includes market research, social media, SEO, brand management, and conversion. This broad range of knowledge about various roles in marketing, employees have a choice to choose from specialized to general roles in their companies.
Social Media Marketing
Social media specialization covers communication techniques required to increase traffic on a company’s website. It also includes how to assess and implement social media strategies as well as create effective digital and social media campaigns.
Specialization in this field plays a huge role in the way a business is perceived; therefore, most of the work is concentrated in this department. So, specialization in this field can be fruitful and provides a lot of learning along the way.
Marketing Research and Analytics
With the increasing usage of Big Data, specialization in this department is gaining popularity. Market research and Database Marketing are a part of this specialization. Gaining specialization in marketing and research analytics, you will be able to collect, analyze and interpret data for your company. Moreover, this also includes information about target markets, identifying marketing opportunities, and monitoring marketing performance.
Integrated Marketing Communications
Specialization in IMC combines marketing strategies with communication platforms. Hence, it works as a holistic specialization to marketing and communication, covering advertising, public relations, direct marketing, social media, and sales promotion. Knowledge of IMC assists in maintaining consistent messaging in each marketing area using a cost-effective method. Specialization in IMC is the next big thing that should be focused on to maintain an exponential career path.
Public Relations
Specialization in public relations provides knowledge about the spread and management of information about an organization to the public. PR doesn’t overlap with advertising or marketing. However, it is a completely different platform used by marketers to disseminate information and create public interest without involving payments. The common responsibilities of the PR team are to write news releases, work with the press, arrange interviews and act as a spokesperson. Along with this, they also manage various internal communications and crisis management.
The need for a PR team is increasing with the change in customer requirements. Compared to past practices, customers now do not trust advertisements or campaigns, but they tend to have more faith in influencers promoting the brands. Hence, the need for experienced PR professionals is increasing the marketing industry who have in-depth knowledge about the brand and carefully choose influencers who can convert the audience into potential customers.
Final Thought
Specialization assists in gaining knowledge about a particular marketing niche, but it also provides cross-over potential between specialization areas. The increasing competition in the industry also requires employees to be knowledgeable about all departments in the marketing industry. Therefore, the more experience you gain, the more you may advance to other positions high up in the hierarchy.