Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Starting a Career in Advertising

If you have a passion for promotion and a desire to help others succeed, you may do well with a career in advertising. There are many careers to choose from within this field, and any one of them could turn out to be the perfect option for you. Whether you want to work in internet marketing or some other field related to advertising, you should be able to find success in this industry. Here is an overview of the work available in advertising so you can determine if this is the right path for you.


Positions in Advertising

There are many positions available in the advertising world, and they all have a slightly different impact on the industry. The job duties for these positions vary considerably, so you need to make sure you select the right one for you. Possible careers within this profession include:

  • Account Executive
  • Account Manager
  • Art Director
  • Copywriter
  • Creative Advertising Director
  • Graphic Artist
  • Project Coordinator

Employers for Advertising Experts

When you work in advertising, you have the opportunity to work under a number of employers. These employers all need help with their promotional campaigns in one way or another. Before you sign up for a job that you don't like, you may want to explore some of the people you could work for. Options may include:

  • Companies
  • Contracts
  • Foundations
  • Franchises
  • Government Offices
  • Non-Profit Organizations
  • Private Practice
  • Universities

Degrees for Advertising Careers

If you think you really want to pursue a career in advertising, you need to make sure you have the education you need to support this career. There are many options to choose from, and they can all lead to the same basic positions in the end. You can go to school online or through a traditional classroom, depending on what you want to do. Possible educational programs include:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Advertising
  • Bachelor of Arts in Communications
  • Bachelor of Arts in Economics
  • Bachelor of Arts in English
  • Bachelor of Arts in Film, Video & Media Studies
  • Bachelor of Arts in Journalism & Mass Communication
  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
  • Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication
  • Bachelor of Science in Business & Marketing
  • Bachelor of Science in Business Management
  • Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
  • Master of Business Administration
  • Master of Computer Science

Certifications for Advertising Experts

On top of a college degree, you may also want to consider getting a certification related to the advertising field. That way your employers know that you are capable of doing whatever it is you need to do. Common certifications for advertising professionals include:

  • Business Certificate
  • Certified Public Accountant
  • Cisco Certified Network Associate
  • Comptia A+ Service Technician
  • Human Resources Concepts
  • Microsoft Certified Professional
  • Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
  • Professional in Human Resources
  • Project Management Certificate
  • Sun Certified Java Programmer

Pay Rates for Advertisers

Once you start your career in advertising, you should be pleased to know that you can make a lot of money. This all depends on the circumstances surrounding your career though. If you have a good employer and a good education behind you, you will have a better chance of making good money. You just have to hope for the best. Here is a look at the salaries you may experience as an advertiser, just to make sure you know that this is the career for you:

Salary by Experience
  • Less than 1 year of experience: $32,835 per year
  • 1-4 years of experience: $38,927 per year
  • 5-9 years of experience: $55,188 per year
  • 10-19 years of experience: $72,096 per year
  • 20 years or more of experience: $82,626 per year

Salary by Company Size

  • 1-9 staff members: $40,445 per year
  • 10-49 staff members: $48,026 per year
  • 50-199 staff members: $56,395 per year
  • 200-599 staff members: $56,861 per year
  • 600-1999 staff members: $59,968 per year
  • 2000-4999 staff members: $60,323 per year
  • 5000-19999 staff members: $63,977 per year
  • 20000-49999 staff members: $76,444 per year
  • 50000+ staff members: $68,489 per year

Keep all of this information in mind, and you should be well on your way to an exciting career in advertising.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

How Small Businesses Benefit from Internet Marketing

Most small businesses do not see the need to get their names on the web because they are only dealing with local customers. Why would you need to promote your business if you work as a private investigator in a small town? Well, there are a number of benefits that come from internet marketing that you cannot get from traditional marketing practices. Before you rule out this idea completely, you really need to assess how well it could work for you. In this article, we will look at how small businesses benefit from internet marketing so you can determine if you want to invest in this in the future.


Local Exposure

The World Wide Web may reach out to the entire work, but that does not mean that people aren't using it in your area. I use Google as my phone book, so businesses that don't exist online don't exist for me. I know I'm not alone in this either. A lot of people use the internet to find out information about businesses in their area. If you cannot show up on a search engine, you may not be able to get all of the customers looking for you in the community.

Professional Appearance

Most businesses that have websites look more professional as a whole. There is just something about holding a place online that takes a boring business and makes it legit. I always get leery about working with businesses that don't have their own website because it makes me think that they aren't successful. I don't know why I think that way, but I do. If you want to present your business as a thriving place to be a part of, you really need to work on some internet marketing.

Approachable Image

If you set up social network accounts as part of your internet marketing campaign, you can create an image for your business that other people will be drawn to. You can make yourself seem like an expert in a certain area by answering questions that people write you online. You can also show that you are approachable, which will entice people to work with you. This is not always easy to do on a billboard because there isn't a conversational quality to it. The internet has that conversational quality ten times over. You just have to learn to use it.

Global Audiences

Even though you may run a local operation, there is nothing wrong with expanding that. You could attract a whole new set of customers from around the world if your website gets popular enough. The true key to success is establishing a business that makes a mark on its industry. You may be able to do that with a marketing plan on the internet. The traffic potential is incredible, so there is really nothing to lose on your end. You just have to hope that the world likes what they see.

Promotional Foundation

If you have a good internet marketing in place, you can basically just set it and forget it. The marketing will work on its own to keep your business in public eye, so all you have to do is let it generate traffic for you. You may have to spruce it up every now and then, but you will get more use out of this as a whole than you would out of another promotional adventure. With the low prices for internet marketing in the modern world, there is no reason why you couldn't at least give it a try. Look into your options today and see what you think.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Getting a Marketing Degree in College

If you really want to work in the field of sales and marketing, you really need to think about getting a formal education. This is something that you should do for any career you go into because it will give you the foundation you need to be successful from the start. Do you have to have a degree to work in marketing? No. Should you have a degree to work in marketing? Absolutely. I'll assume that my persuasion has gotten the best of you and that you now want to learn more about this degree you may be getting yourself into. A little preview can't hurt anything, right? Here is a look at what you can expect during and after your marketing degree.

The Components of a Marketing Degree

Most people choose to get a bachelor's degree in marketing, which takes about four years to complete. You can get this kind of degree online or on a traditional campus, depending on how you like to learn. You will probably spend about four years in school getting your degree, but you will spend more time if you plan on going to grad school. In the end though, you should have all the knowledge you need to be a bona fide marketer in the business world.

Common courses for marketing degrees include:

  • Intro to Marketing
  • Accounting
  • Business Finance
  • Project Management
  • Advertising
  • Human Resources
  • Public Relations
  • Marketing for the World Wide Web

The specific courses you take in your degree may not fall under the same name, but that gives you a good idea of what to expect. Almost all of the course work will be related to business and advertising, as those subjects will remain prevalent throughout your career.



The Aftermath of a Marketing Degree

After you complete your marketing degree program, you will have the chance to work in an array of industries. Most people look for a position in a marketing firm of some sort, but you could also choose to start your own business if you wanted to. That would give you a chance to work with clients one on one and rake in all of the profits that come with that. Wherever you choose to be, you can expect to use the knowledge you gained in college to get you through your career.

Common pay rates for marketing degree graduates include:

By Experience
  • Less than 1 year: $29,218 - $76,819 per year
  • 1-4 years: $31,206 - $71,818 per year
  • 5-9 years: $39,913 - $86,856 per year
  • 10-19 years: $45,192 - $108,847 per year
  • 20 years or more: $49,042 - $130,090 per year

By Industry
  • Financial Services: $40,467 - $106,308 per year
  • Manufacturing and Distribution: $39,372 - $88,035 per year
  • Marketing, Advertising & Media Management: $32,389 - $85,884 per year
  • Information Technology Services: $39,195 - $98,607 per year
  • Publishing: $38,585 - $75,838 per year
  • Retail: $36,065 - $97,193 per year
  • Software Applications: $41,579 - $93,020 per year

If you think that those pay rates are enough to support your family for years to come, you should look into a marketing degree near you. Whether you get your education online or through a local college, you can gain all of the advice you need to be a success. Your future may be a few short classes away.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Creative Marketing Ideas for Hair Salons

If you own a hair salon or you are trying to market one for a client, you may know how hard it is to draw in new customers for a place like this. After watching countless episodes of Tabatha's Salon Takeover, I have learned some creative techniques that I think any salon could benefit from. No matter where you are or what sort of clients you usually work with – you could benefit from the suggestions below. Here are some creative ways to market a hair salon so you could potentially take your business to the next level.

Bridal Boutiques

If you have any bridal shops in your area, you may want to see if you can partner with them to do their clients' hair for the big day. Most bridal boutiques are willing to work with local salons that they trust, but very few of them actually have a salon that they work with exclusively. You can talk to the men and women that own these boutiques to see if your salon could be the go-to place for weddings in the area. This could lead to a significant source of income for you and your staff because you can charge a lot for updos. You just have to find a place in your area that is willing to give you a chance.

Modeling Agencies

Sometimes you can partner with modeling agencies to do hair for fashion shows and photo shoots. This is something that will most likely take you away from your salon, but it could still help you make money in the end. You don't have to learn how to become a fashion designer to do this. You just have to show the modeling agency that you can do good work. If you happen to provide makeup services, spray tanning, or anything else along those lines, you could be the perfect one-stop-shop for the agency to call upon.

Hair Happy Hour

If you run a salon that caters to lower-income families, you may think about hosting a happy hour a few times a week. This will be a time when you drop the prices on your haircuts to something more affordable. Rather than charging $20 for a haircut, you may charge $10. You only have to do this for a limited time in the day, but it will give you a chance to get in new customers and help people out at the same time. With the way the economy is right now, people will flood in to get a low priced haircut any chance they get.

Sheer-a-Thons

A sheer-a-thon is an all day event where you basically try to fit as many haircuts as you can into a work day. You could do this to try to set a world record, or you could just do it for a fun promotion. Ideally, you need to drop your prices for this like you would for happy hour, but you can limit your cuts to just basic haircuts. If people want dye jobs or anything else, they will have to pay full price. If you make this seem like a real event and not just a ploy to get them through the door, you will have a much better success rate in the end.

The key to marketing a salon is understanding your customers and responding to their needs. If they need a great deal on a haircut, you need to give it to them. If they need a reason to get excited about haircuts, you need to give that to them too. Think about who you are working with and you are sure to be a success.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The Work of a Scheduling Coordinator

Scheduling coordinators are special people in the field of marketing that are responsible for keeping marketing campaigns on schedule at all times. They have to correspond with various people in a campaign to make sure that everyone stays on track. This is not always easy to do, but it allows people to get a feel for what it takes to work in marketing before they actually become professional marketers. If you have been looking for an intern-level position or something else along those lines, this is definitely an option worth considering. This article is designed to show you what life is like as a scheduling coordinator so you can figure out if it is a good position for you. Read on so you can start planning your future.


Job Duties of a Scheduling Coordinator

The work of a scheduling coordinator is pretty self-explanatory. You make schedules. Yep, that's it. I suppose there are a few other things that come with this kind of work though, so I'll go over the general job duties that you may have with this line of work:

  • Assessing the jobs that have to be done in a marketing campaign
  • Coming up with an order of work to make a project run smoothly
  • Checking in with workers to ensure maximum progress
  • Reporting results to executive marketers for assessment
  • Adjusting schedules to accommodate for unexpected delays

You may have to pick up some extra job duties in your place of work, depending on the other workers you have around you. This job may not seem like much at first, but it could land you some hire positions in the future. You just have to work your way up the marketing ladder to see that happen.

Salary Levels for Scheduling Coordinators

Scheduling coordinators make up some of the lowest positions in the marketing world, so they do not get paid a lot for what they do. That is not to say that you can't make any money as a scheduling coordinator. You can. You just may not make as much in this position as you would in others. Listed below are some common scheduling coordinator salary statistics that you may want to keep in mind.

Salary by
  • Less than 1 year: $28,814 - $49,996 per year
  • 1-4 years: $31,187 - $62,355 per year
  • 5-9 years: $35,450 - $69,765 per year
  • 10-19 years: $39,214 - $82,618 per year
  • 20 years or more: $42,479 - $88,682 per year

Salary by
  • 1-9: $30,391 - $47,166 per year
  • 10-49: $29,661 - $91,475 per year
  • 50-199: $31,912 - $65,713 per year
  • 200-599: $35,335 - $65,206 per year
  • 600-1999: $37,095 - $80,267 per year
  • 2000-4999: $39,179 - $72,363 per year
  • 5000-19999: $43,416 - $92,853 per year
  • 20000-49999: $32,911 - $106,680 per year
  • 50000+: $36,321 - $90,278 per year

How to Become a Scheduling Coordinator

Ideally, you need to be in pursuit of a marketing or business degree before you apply for job as a scheduling assistant. That will give you a chance to apply what you are learning directly to your work. You don't need a degree to do this kind of work, but most employers like to see that you are at least somewhat educated in the field of marketing. Executive-level schedulers often have college degrees, but they get paid more money because of that. Just look for marketers in your area that have a position like this available, and you should be able to snag a job in time.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Work of a Car Salesman

A lot of people connect the word "sales" with the automotive industry. Car salesmen are some of the most easily recognized members of the marketing world, and they are known for their abilities to convince people to buy cars they may not necessarily need. If you have been thinking about working in sales and you have a passion for cars, you may do well in this line of work. Before you can determine that though, you need to know what you are getting yourself into. Here is a look at the work of a car salesman to see if you are cut out for the job. There is a lot more to it than you may think.

Note: I use the term "salesman" as opposed to "salesperson" because the majority of these workers are men. Don't get the wrong impression ladies. Shove a "wo" in the middle of the words below if you are in fact offended by my lack of political correctness.


Car Salesman Job Duties

The main goal of any car salesman is obviously going to be selling cars. That is not the only job duty that comes with this profession though. You have to be prepared to take on a variety of other tasks if you decide to make this your source of income. Possible job duties for car salesmen include:

  • Answering phone calls that come into a dealership
  • Helping customers fill out financing applications
  • Scheduling shipments for cars going out of the area
  • Watching the parking lot for people who need your help
  • Learning about all the new cars that come into a dealership
  • Managing multiple customers at the same time
  • Helping people find the perfect cars for them

Car salesmen have to be willing to adapt to the ever-changing inventories on a car lot, and they have to quickly learn all the facts they need to sell a car. If you think you can pick up on that sort of information and relay it to the customers, you should do well in this line of work.

Car Salesman Pay Rates

Car salesmen don't get paid unless they sell cars. Some of them will make hourly wages, but the vast majority of them work on commission alone. The dealership will basically set up a certain percentage of the price of a car that a salesperson can earn, and then he or she will get paid that amount if he or she successfully sells the car. Here is a look at what the statistics suggest:

Salary by Experience

  • Less than 1 year: $31,177 a year
  • 1-4 years: $34,847 a year
  • 5-9 years: $40,901 a year
  • 10-19 years: $49,586 a year
  • 20 years or more: $52,579 a year

Salary by Company Size

  • 1-9: $32,007 a year
  • 10-49: $39,562 a year
  • 50-199: $45,276 a year
  • 200-599: $48,628 a year
  • 600-1999: $49,962 a year
  • 2000-4999: $59,937 a year
  • 5000-19999: $53,513 a year
  • 20000-49999: $44,500 a year
  • 50000+: $46,979 a year

Salary by State

  • California: $53,419 a year
  • Florida: $47,833 a year
  • Illinois: $43,508 a year
  • New York: $41,183 a year
  • Ohio: $37,366 a year
  • Pennsylvania: $36,986 a year
  • Texas: $43,114 a year

This may not be one of the best paying careers in the world, but it could be a profitable one for you in the end. You just have to take the time to get through it correctly so you can succeed.

How to Become a Car Salesman

You don't need any formal education to work in car sales. It may be nice to have a marketing degree or some sort of automotive education, but that is not a requirement. You just have to find a dealership in your area looking for sales workers, and then you can fill out an application for a job. If you make a good impression, you will be able to get all the training you need right from the dealership.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Work of an Internet Marketer

Internet marketing is one of the fastest growing sectors of the marketing world, and it is one that can prove to be highly rewarding in the end. I have worked in a sector of web marketing for several years now, and it has turned into one of the best careers that I have ever had the opportunity to work in. If you are thinking about a new position to explore, you may want to strongly consider a job as an internet marketer. This article is designed to show you what happens in the day to day world of web marketing, just to help you figure out if this is a good career for you. Read on to see if you are cut out for a cyber-career.


Job Duties for Internet Marketing

The job duties of an internet marketer will vary by site, by client, and by audience. Thus it is hard to say what you may have to do if you decide to work in this field. Common job duties for internet marketers include:

  • Consulting with clients about their marketing goals
  • Developing web content for search engine optimization
  • Making effective plans for link building, social networking, and more
  • Managing a team of lower-level marketers and content developers
  • Keeping track of a website's traffic and overall progress
  • Maintaining the marketing plans of a site

If you are familiar with the internet and like the idea of working in SEO, this could certainly be a career for you. You just need a little bit of training to get involved with it.

Salary Levels for Internet Marketing

There really isn't a limit to the amount of money you can make as an internet marketer. I recently had a client of mine offer me a $7,000 per month gig to write full time for him, just because he had the extra money to spend on his websites. If he was willing to pay me $84,000 a year just to write for the darn things, you know he has to be rolling in the dough. Nevertheless, there are times when internet marketers don't make that much money at all. Here is a look at some of the average salary levels internet marketers experience, courtesy of PayScale.com.

Salary by Location

  • California: $49,022 - $158,264 per year
  • Colorado: $48,980 - $94,250 per year
  • Florida: $29,154 - $122,813 per year
  • New York: $39,078 - $164,829 per year
  • Pennsylvania: $45,338 - $135,741 per year
  • Texas: $29,696 - $118,359 per year
  • Washington: $30,201 - $108,269 per year

Salary by Years of Experience

  • Less than 5 years: $24,463 - $74,190 per year
  • 5-9 years: $40,396 - $116,870 per year
  • 10-19 years: $58,466 - $142,213 per year
  • 20 years or more: $49,851 - $147,392 per year

Salary by Company Size

  • 1-9: $35,500 - $72,000 per year
  • 10-49: $30,201 - $126,440 per year
  • 50-199: $34,255 - $119,359 per year
  • 200-599: $42,835 - $124,179 per year
  • 600-1999: $90,017 - $122,084 per year
  • 2000-4999: $69,000 - $119,482 per year
  • 5000+: $69,489 - $142,980 per year

How to Become an Internet Marketer

If you think that internet marketing is your true calling, you could choose to get a marketing degree of some sort in college. This is not a requirement for the job, but it is definitely a plus. From there, you can either work with a company virtually or in the office, depending on what your plans are. You could also come up with your own website ideas and market them accordingly, after doing a little research into how this process works. There are so many options, and any one of them could lead you to a profitable career. You just have to take the time to find the right one for you.