How to start a career in performance marketing?

Performance marketing is a part of digital marketing wherein a company pays only when it achieves favorable results. In other words, this marketing strategy is controlled by Top skills, certifications, and basics of starting a career in performance marketingresults. The company does not pay for ads the traditional way. It pays based on the ad’s performance, such as clicks, likes, or shares. This performance marketing beginner guide helps you how to build a career in performance marketing and the relevant skills required for a performance marketing job. 

Understanding the basics of performance marketing 

When an organization puts out an ad through a medium, it assesses performance based on a few parameters such as:

• Cost Per Click (CPC): The organization pays depending on the number of times an ad is clicked.
• Cost Per Impression (CPM): Payment is made based on the number of impressions or views on the ad placed.
• Cost Per Sales (CPS): This refers to the cost to the company after a sale has been made.
• Cost Per Lead (CPL): Payment is made by the company once a prospective customer signs up for a newsletter or webinar. 

Performance marketing includes different types of marketing. Some of the most notable ones include:

1. Pay-Per-Click (PPC): This refers to payment made by the company for every click that leads the user to the company’s website.

2. Affiliate Marketing: In this marketing strategy, an organization pays its affiliates. Once a consumer-directed from an affiliate’s marketing tactics makes a purchase, a part of the sales or commission goes to the affiliate.

3. Email Marketing: Email campaigns are popularly used for marketing. The content, Call to Action (CTA), click-through rate, or conversion rate are used to assess the performance of the campaign. 

4. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is an organic marketing strategy that relies on search engine algorithms to rank the company on top of the search results page. 

5. Social Media Advertising: Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn are used for advertising to reach the target audience. Their performance is assessed by clicks, impressions, conversion rates, and user engagement.

Steps to start in performance marketing

Here’s an overview of how to start a career in performance marketing.

Pursuing a relevant degree

Taking up a formal course in this direction is among the first logical steps to start in the performance marketing career path. These courses are fast gaining popularity and are offered by several institutions that impart Digital Marketing degrees. Let’s take a look at some of the popular degree programs and certifications that can help you take the first step to start in performance marketing:  

• Online MBA – Marketing

Sikkim Manipal University offers a two-year online MBA program in Marketing. Essential topics include digital marketing, market research, consumer behavior, and branding. The program is offered on the renowned Online Manipal platform in 100% online mode to offer the maximum convenience to students and working professionals.

• Online MBA in Digital Marketing 

Manipal University Jaipur offers a specialized MBA in Digital Marketing covering e-marketing, digital marketing, IT in business, and entrepreneurship. The two-year degree program is imparted on the Online Manipal platform.

• Coursera: Google Digital Marketing & E-Commerce Professional Certificate 

This certification course is available on Coursera and teaches learners ways to measure marketing performance, attract customers via digital marketing channels, and build e-commerce stores.   

• Google Ads Certification

This certification course can be pursued alongside a degree program. It helps improve your marketing skills and offers in-depth knowledge on how to achieve better results with running ad campaigns on Google. 

Performance management career path 

Now that we have discussed various courses and certifications to start your career in the domain, let us explore your first job in performance marketing. The role may vary depending on your skills, education, and experience. 

The job profiles after completing a course in performance marketing may range from Executive or Consultant to Manager, depending on expertise and skills. Some of the key job roles include:

1. Digital Transformation Manager

Average annual salary: INR 10 lakh – INR 34.8 lakh per annum 

Roles and responsibilities: This is the first job in performance marketing on our list of career roles in the domain. Digital Transformation Managers handle the planning and execution of digital initiatives that help the company stay relevant in emerging market trends. 

2. Market Research Manager 

Average annual salary: INR 7 lakh – INR 15.5 lakh per annum

Roles and responsibilities: They gather data using statistics or software such as surveys, online research, and interviews. It helps identify the market trends and patterns. 

3. Performance Marketing Manager 

Average annual salary: INR 7 lakh – INR 14 lakh per annum

Roles and responsibilities: They handle the planning and execution of marketing strategies on different channels and measure their performance. 

4. Digital Marketing Manager 

Average annual salary: INR 6 lakh – INR 16 lakh per annum

Roles and responsibilities: They use digital channels to promote products and services. The profile includes planning and scheduling campaigns, content creation, and assessing customer feedback.

5. Affiliate Marketing Manager 

Average annual salary: INR 4 lakh – INR 9 lakh per annum

Roles and responsibilities: They develop strategies to increase leads and sales through affiliate partners. They also provide support and maintain relationships with these partners. 

Key skills for performance marketing jobs 

Some of the top skills for performance marketing jobs are as follows:

1. Analytical skills

Candidates are required to have strong analytical skills to succeed in this career path because they will be handling budgets for campaigns. They should be able to gain insights from statistical data and make informed decisions to maximize profits for the organization. 

2. Decision-making skills 

Strong decision-making skills help analyze the campaign performance. You need to decide if something needs improvement or should be discontinued to prevent losses for the organization. 

3. Strategic skills

They are one of the most important skills for a performance marketing job. These include exploring new marketing opportunities, researching competitors, or leveraging customer insights. 

4. Technical skills 

Familiarity with tools such as GoogleAds, Tableau, Microsoft Excel, Google Analytics, Adwords, Facebook Ad Manager, and HubSpot can be beneficial for your career growth.

5. Collaborative skills

The ability to coordinate with various teams to successfully conduct campaigns is crucial for Performance Marketing professionals. 

Performance marketing vs digital marketing

These two terms are often used interchangeably. Let us understand the key differences between the two through the table below: 

Parameters	Performance Marketing	Digital Marketing
Definition	A subset of digital marketing	Used for the promotion of products or services
Payment	Paid based on the performance of ads	Fixed fee payable
Metrics	Conversion rateCost Per Click Cost Per Lead	ImpressionsClicksConversion Rate
Duration	Usually short-term	Can be short-term or long-term
Results	Usually quick results	May take longer to achieve the desired results

Conclusion

Performance marketing is a rapidly evolving domain that requires skill and caliber to progress and succeed. This performance marketing beginner guide is aimed to help you better understand the domain and pursue a bright career in performance marketing. Pursuing a relevant course or certification can significantly help improve career prospects. 

The online MBA in Marketing by Sikkim Manipal University is a two-year postgraduate course imparted in four semesters. The course imparts the required expertise to learners for developing effective marketing strategies, driving business growth, and increasing user engagement.