Are marketing roles in demand? Yes – here's why

For some, marketing is viewed as a minor player – an afterthought, cost or bolt-on to what really drives success (who needs it – customers will refer new customers, won’t they?). Yet, it’s crucial to success in modern Australia, often making the difference between hitting sales targets or explaining to the higher-ups why, actually, those sales target didn’t really matter...  

We can summarise why into just one question: If your business needs new customers after years of economic difficulty, where will you find them? Or rather ... how will they find you? There’s a lot of competition out there, and even more noise. 

Today, let’s take a look at the growth of digital marketing in Australia, why it’s so crucial to success, and most importantly – how to build a winning marketing team. 

The growth of digital marketing in Australia – a snapshot 

Australia’s marketing industry as a whole has a big impact on the economy – valued at over $20 billion in 2024 (some estimates from 2022 put it even higher, $53 billion), and expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9% through the next decade (EMR). 

Unsurprisingly given the industry’s upward trajectory, marketing has a healthy jobs market too. Job growth is up 11.4%, job satisfaction sits at nearly five out of six (both stats from SEEK), and candidate mobility is also high: 53% of marketers we surveyed for our Talent Guide 24/25 expect to change jobs within a year. 

What does this mean for businesses?  

Growth comes from demand – it means that your competitors are investing in digital marketing, which means you’ll need to as well if you want to keep up. In fact, 83% of Australian CEOs consider marketing a driver of revenue growth (ADMA). 

The good news is, though, that with so many great candidates thinking about shifting positions you’ve got an opportunity in 2025 to snap up some serious talent (if you can offer them a great deal – see final part of this article). 

What does this mean for marketing pros? 

2025 could be your year to switch things up and advance in your career. Your skills are in demand, so why settle for a role you aren’t happy with? 

That said, if you want the best deal then you may not want to wait all year. Of the 53% of marketers who are thinking about job hunting, only 29% are currently on the move – so there’s an opening right now to get in first. 

Top six digital marketing skills in demand for 2025 

1. Artificial intelligence 

2. Neuromarketing/buyer behaviour 

3. Customer experience/UX 

4. Experiential marketing 

5. Analytics and insights 

6. Influencer marketing 

Source: ADMA 

Not sure where to start? Talk to our team and we’ll help to find you a role that lets you shine. 

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Why digital marketing is critical to business success 

1. Because it works 

The results speak for themselves. 

• 90% of all website traffic comes from Google (StatCounter), and search engine optimisation can generate ROI as high as 1,389% (Firstpagesage). 

• 50% of B2B respondents say email marketing is their most impactful marketing channel, followed by social media (Zoominfo). 

• Online ads (pay-per-click, or PPC) generate around $1.55 for every $1 spent, and email marketing even more - $3.50 per $1 (FirstPageSage). 

The reality is, we live in a digital world and the most effective way to reach new customers is to reach them where they hang out. Nearly three quarters of the Australian population is on social media, and over 90% are on the internet generally (DataReportal). That’s a lot of potential audience. 

Word of mouth, print media, radio, newspapers, magazines – they will always have their place, but they’re just not as cost-effective as they used to be. See below. 

2. It's more cost-effective than other forms of marketing 

Comparing cost versus results, digital marketing tends to outperform traditional alternatives. 

Primarily this is because, using digital platforms, savvy marketers can hyper-target niche audience groups to fine-tune their results – showing their ads to the right people, in the right place at the right time. Compare that to legacy media, which typically relies on getting the word out to as many people as possible without always knowing who will see it (think about billboards). 

For platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn, the costs are tiny – on average you only need to spend around US$10 (AU$16) to reach 1,000 people on the former (Birch), or $5-8 (up to AU$13) for the latter (WebFX). By comparison, traditional magazines can charge up to AU$2,000 (Topdraw) - without the same audience targeting. 

3. It’s key to recovery after economic downturn 

It’s been a tough economy these past few years, and consumer spending is way down. 2025 is the year economists predict things will start to finally turn around, but buyers are weary – if you want their business, you have to go out there and convince them you’re going to help solve their problems. 

By using digital marketing tactics to gain more visibility now, engaging with your audience and building their trust, you’ll be poised to capitalise on returning customers when the market bounces back. 

4. It can help you to differentiate yourself from your competitors 

We’ve focused a lot on digital advertising, but marketing isn’t all about ads ads ads. Branding and design, building relationships, business strategy ... these are as core to digital marketing as the ads themselves. 

Building a high-performing marketing team doesn’t just allow you to get your message out to a wider, more cost-effective audience, it ensures that your message is well-crafted, creatively impactful and meticulously designed to draw attention away from competitors. 

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How to build a winning digital marketing team 

First, you need to know what great marketers want. This is something we asked as a part of our 24/25 Talent Guide, and our marketing respondents told us that the top three factors which would attract them to a new organisation are: 

1. Culture 

2. Values alignment 

3. Senior leadership 

Additionally, the top three benefits (after salary) that they’re after include: 

1. Flexible hours 

2. Flexible locations 

3. Career development 

Put that together and you’ve got a team that prioritises culture and values, and wants flexibility in their role.  

The next step is finding the best people Australia has to offer, and that’s where we come in. With less than a third of marketers actively hunting for new work, when you want top talent you need to find them, build a relationship and lure them out of their current role with a better opportunity. 

We already have those connections, and with decades of collective industry experience behind us, our specialist marketing recruitment team knows how to connect right-fit talent with your company to ensure a perfect cultural and values alignment. 

To learn more, check out how we help grow marketing teams here, or get in touch directly to talk about your business.