Practicing is preparing for success, and that term is never more apt than when talking about acing an interview. Smart companies and, more importantly, effective managers are always fthey ask and how they ask them. A lot is at stake with hiring decisions. There’s money on the line, deadlines to be met, and company morale to tend to. It’s got to be done right.
If you’re the interviewer, asking the right questions gets you to the information you need more quickly. They cut through the fluff and reveal who it is you’re talking to and what kind of experience they have. Effective marketing interview questions are also future-focused says Ross Kernez of Marble. They center around what that person or service provider can bring to the table to help your organization.
If you’re being interviewed, knowing the most popular marketing interview questions helps you know what’s coming. You go into an interview with the confidence you need, knowing that you’ve rehearsed what the best of the best are asking their job candidates.
No matter what side you’re on, learning what’s being asked and why it’s important to become more effective in an interview setting. Here we cover some of the most popular marketing interview questions out there.
Question 1 – Talk to us about one of your most successful marketing campaigns? How did you contribute?
This is a terrific question to start a marketing interview with because it lays the foundation for what happens later on. You’re establishing a track record and a frame of reference on which you can build. When you ask these questions, you’re allowing candidates to show off a bit and ease into the conversation by showcasing their strengths.
For candidates, this answer needs to be rehearsed and on point. You shouldn’t even hesitate with this answer. Go into a little detail about the campaign, but spend more time talking about what you did to contribute to its success. They’re less interested in the overall results of the campaign. They want to know how involved you were and they’re thinking about where they could place you in similar campaigns they run.
Question 2 – What marketing tools do you use for SEO and customer outreach?
Most interviewers won’t waste time before jumping into something more technical. Again, they’re building a frame of reference and trying to establish where you are related to their organization. They’re seeing whether your skillset is a good fit for what they’re doing. Even better if candidates are already using more advanced tools. They’re thinking whether this candidate or service provider has what it takes to take them to the next level.
If you’re on the receiving end of this question, you should be doing some research into the company you’re interviewing with to try and find out what tools they use and what type of marketing they do. Make connections between the tools you use and how it can impact what they are doing.
Question 3 – What kind of marketing KPIs do you use?
Measuring the impact of marketing spend and how successful certain channels, types of content, and audiences you target matter a great deal to companies. They want to know what sort of results you can deliver and how they’ll be able to tell whether their marketing campaign is a success. More than ever, companies want their marketing departments to align with the rest of their business in terms of measuring performance. Talk about things like lead conversion rates, cost of customer acquisition, and other metrics used to gauge success.
If you’re coming from a marketing background that emphasized KPIs, then great! If not, however, learn about popular marketing KPIs and talk about why they would have been effective in your past organization or team.
Question 4 – Tell us about a time you adapted to overcome a marketing challenge.
This is a great question because it offers insight into a candidate or marketing company’s resourcefulness. Do they show a tendency to simply shrug their shoulders when something that’s outside of their scope of work happens or do they contribute to the overall goals of the organization? You can also measure someone’s inclination to problem solve and understand what makes them tick. The answer can also tell you about how much they love or are passionate about what they’re doing.
People on the answering end of this question need to be mindful. When describing the challenge, avoid pointing fingers at the way things were done or any colleagues. Focus on the task and market conditions that made it challenging. Spend most of your time answering how you went above and beyond to get the results you wanted.
Question 5 – Share a time when you turned a “NO” into a “YES” with marketing
This is a behavioral marketing question that explores how a candidate or company focuses on customer needs and responds to them. It also gets into the details of real marketing. Marketing to existing customers and hot leads can, at times, be easy. How are you going to draw in and engage with people who aren’t interested in or even resistant to what you’re promoting? This is a time when candidates can talk about tools they use.
Answering this question is a great opportunity for candidates. If possible, use a real-life example of a time you won over a client with effective marketing. It shouldn’t just be a story about customer service, but rather how your expertise in your field led to the desired outcome.
These five questions will help you do most of the heavy lifting involved in marketing interview questions. They’re great starting points from which you can branch off into more detail and in-depth discussions. If you’re looking for work in the marketing industry, be prepared to answer these popular marketing questions to ace the interview. Remember, preparing for an interview and asking the right questions makes all the difference.
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