Marketing Automation Specialist Career Guide

Digital marketing typically involves sending emails, publishing ad campaigns, and posting regularly to social media. Marketing automation software reduces the manual effort required for these actions by providing structures to automate them efficiently.

A marketing automation specialist creates specific processes using marketing automation software. They are typically well-versed in different marketing technologies and work with a larger marketing team to implement email, advertising, and social media campaigns.

If you’re considering working in marketing and advertising, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that 34,000 jobs will become available each year from 2022 to 2032 [1].

Read on to explore the day-to-day responsibilities of a marketing automation specialist, the average salaries you can expect to earn in the field, and how to begin a career in marketing automation.

Read more: What Is Digital Marketing? Types, Skills, and Careers

What is a marketing automation specialist?

A marketing automation specialist uses software to create automated processes that replace manual marketing actions, such as sending emails, personalizing ad campaigns, or posting to social media platforms. Marketing automation specialists are usually part of a larger digital marketing team and work with other sales and marketing professionals who help nurture leads, develop a company brand, understand consumer behavior, and analyze data.

Businesses use marketing automation to save time and provide personalized content throughout the customer lifecycle. The software is adept at tracking customer behavior, insights, and preferences, which helps create more effective marketing campaigns and strategies. The workflow design directs customers toward content that is valuable to them personally. Plus, these processes function in a way that allows marketing professionals to use their skills for data analysis and strategy rather than spending time on manual actions like posting to social media every day.

What does a marketing automation specialist do?

Marketing automation specialists use marketing automation software to create processes that streamline a marketing team’s efforts, such as workflows, emails, and social media posts. These professionals identify ways to reach customers in a personalized manner that helps build a relationship with those customers, which can grow into opportunities for repeat business.

Your specific tasks as a marketing automation specialist tend to vary based on your employer, but some typical responsibilities include the following:

• Collaborate with other marketing professionals in research and planning

• Drive marketing campaigns across a variety of digital channels by scheduling social media posts and advertisements

• Design and build email campaigns

• Monitor campaigns, review results, and create analytic reports for ROI

• Develop suggestions for improving ad campaigns

• Discover methods for using data to enhance the personalization of marketing strategies

• Troubleshoot any software issues as they arise

• Manage lead generation and lead nurturing while developing a system for scoring leads

• Communicate with other departments about marketing strategies

• Remain current on the most effective practices and strategies within the industry

• Work with MS Office and apply search engine optimization

• Utilize marketing platforms such as HubSpot, Marketo, or Pardot

Marketing automation specialist salary

According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary for a marketing automation specialist in the US is $67,642 [2]. Some companies offer additional pay in the form of bonuses or commissions. The top-paying industries for a marketing automation specialist include information technology as well as media and communication.

How to become a marketing automation specialist

Marketing automation specialists typically require a strong background in technology and marketing. You can develop these skills and knowledge during a four-year degree program, but online credentials, such as Meta Marketing Analytics Professional Certificate and on-the-job experience, are also good ways to prepare for this career.

Required skills

To succeed as a marketing automation specialist, having a well-developed set of analytical and creative skills is key. You’ll need to be able to analyze the data sets and the different workflows and processes collected so that you have the opportunity to contribute to strategic planning and marketing strategy. Creativity is important when you are tasked with designing content, like emails and ad campaigns, because you’ll want it to be valuable and engaging.

Some skills a marketing automation specialist needs to meet their role’s expectations include:

Technical skills

• Experience and familiarity with workplace automation software and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like Creatio, Salesforce, or freshsales

• Ability to extract insights from data

• Ability to perform A/B testing, conversion optimization, and data analysis

• Experience with CSS, Google Analytics, and InDesign

Workplace Skills

• Critical thinking

• Time management skills

• Organization

• Project management skills

• Multitasking ability

Education required

Businesses tend to prefer marketing automation specialists who have a bachelor’s degree. Degrees in business, computer science, marketing, or information technology are all helpful disciplines for learning the fundamentals needed to succeed in this role. However, a degree isn’t always required, and you can learn relevant skills through online certifications and certificates.

To demonstrate your expertise, with or without a degree, consider developing a portfolio that demonstrates your ability to create marketing campaigns and workflows. Portfolios are helpful for showing a prospective employer that you have the real-world experience needed to perform well in a marketing automation specialist role. 

Marketing automation specialist certification

One way to sharpen your marketing automation skills and set yourself apart from others in your field is by gaining certification in automation software, such as HubSpot or Pardot. These certifications show you have a solid understanding of the software, which makes you an asset to any marketing team.

Career path and job outlook

Once you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree in a field appropriate for this position, you will typically begin your marketing career in an entry-level role. These positions include marketing assistant, marketing analyst, SEO specialist, and email marketing manager. 

You can begin pursuing a marketing automation specialist position after one to two years in an entry-level role. Eventually, upon gaining more experience, you might find yourself working as the marketing automation manager within your company. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), managers in the advertising, promotions, and marketing industry have a projected growth of 6 percent from 2022 to 2032 [1].

Getting started in marketing automation with Coursera

As a marketing automation specialist, you can help companies build automated marketing systems to reach their company goals. To start in this field, you can build relevant skills through a bachelor’s degree, certificate program, and entry-level job experience. 

If you’re ready to take the next step and sharpen your marketing automation specialist skills, consider an online course on Coursera to help you gain a better understanding of this field. Options like Google’s Think Outside the Inbox: Email Marketing can provide information about writing emails, analyzing email marketing, and developing strategies for marketing through email.