By Mike Simpson

Marketers aren’t strangers to promotion. After all, their main job is to showcase the virtues of products or services and get people to buy. When you think about it, they should be naturals when it comes to answering marketing interview questions, right?

Highlighting their expertise should be right up their alley. Well, not necessarily.

Self-promotion isn’t always easy. Somehow, it’s different when you have to talk about yourself. You might worry about coming off as a braggart, causing you to hold back.

Plus, if a person decides to say no to an energy drink, streaming services, or anything else, that product or service isn’t going to “feel” rejected. But, if the hiring manager says no to you, you’ll experience that sting, and that’s scary.

Nerves get the better of a ton of candidates, causing them to struggle during interviews. They just aren’t sure how to sell themselves like they do anything else. Luckily, you can harness your skills in a way that leads to job search success.

Take our hand and let us show you the way.

How to Answer Marketing Interview Questions

Okay, we know that you’re looking for marketing interview question examples, and we promise we’ll get to that. But first, we want to spend a minute on something else that’s excruciatingly important: your interview strategy.

By learning the right approach, you’ll be ready to face expected interview questions and navigate ones that take you by surprise. After all, you can’t predict everything the hiring manager may ask; that’s simply not possible.

So, how do you prepare for the unpredictable? With research and proper technique.

When you’re prepping for an interview, information is your friend. By digging in, you’ll learn critical tidbits that can help you cover your bases and stand out from the crowd.

In an interview, the hiring manager wants to figure out if you have what it takes to excel in the job. Essentially, they need to know if you have the right skills and traits. Which ones are the right ones? Well, the ones in the job description.

So, scour the job ad, especially the must-haves list. It’ll tell you a ton about what the hiring manager wants to find. That’ll be your foundation.

But don’t stop yet. Keep your research cap on and head to the company’s website. There, look for the mission and values statements. Those little chunks of text are chocked full of clues about the kind of person that will mesh with the culture. Plus, they reflect the company’s priorities. If you can discuss those points a bit in your interview, you’re going to separate yourself from the pack.

Now that you know what to talk about, let’s focus on how to cover it. Crafting great answers to marketing interview questions doesn’t happen by accident. Instead, it’s a skill, one you can learn.

Usually, traditional interview questions are simple. It’s the behavioral interview questions that are tricky. Luckily, we have a technique for you.

Start by using the STAR Method, turning a blasé response into a compelling story. Then, it’s the Tailoring Method you want to use, allowing you to make your answer relevant.

Together, those techniques let you craft highly targeted and engaging responses, significantly increasing your odds of interview success.

We also wanted to let you know that we created an amazing free cheat sheet that will give you word-for-word answers for some of the toughest interview questions you are going to face in your upcoming interview. After all, hiring managers will often ask you more generalized interview questions along with their marketing specific questions!

Click below to get your free PDF now:

Top 3 Marketing Interview Questions

With a winning strategy by your side, it’s time to take it up a notch. Here are the top three marketing interview questions with example answers, allowing you to see how you can put your new skills to work.

1. When a next-generation product hits the market, how do you position a legacy product to ensure its long-term success?

When the newest version releases, companies don’t necessarily remove the legacy product or service from the market. Hiring managers ask this question to see how a candidate may ensure that prior versions remain successful. Plus, they want to know if you can leverage them, creating new interest.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“When the next-gen product enters the market, I strive to position the legacy option as a solution for price-sensitive consumers. My goal is to showcase it as a bargain, allowing it to serve as a lower point of entry for customers who may otherwise be priced out. For example, in my last role, I created a marketing campaign that showcased the legacy product as feature-rich yet budget-friendly. The combined approach kept interest in it high and also allowed us to position the next-gen product as a premium version, an approach that also yielded positive results.”

2. For social media marketing, which platforms do you prefer and why?

The social media landscape is always expanding, and many companies don’t know where to focus their energies. They may turn to their marketing experts to figure out which platforms need attention. With this marketing interview question, the hiring manager wants to learn more about how you decide between the slew of options.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“Each social media platform has its merits. Plus, they represent different audiences. As a result, I vary my approach based on the product and the ideal consumer. If the goal is to appeal to younger generations, I may favor platforms that resonate with the under-30 group, like Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. Facebook and YouTube can be excellent additions for reaching nearly any generation since they rate the highest in overall usage. However, Facebook is essentially a must for targeting adults over 30.

Ultimately, my goal would be to embrace platforms that the target market connects with, allowing me to showcase a product or service in a place they already frequent. That creates the widest reach while remaining relevant to the audience.”

3. Tell me about a marketing trend that’s caught your eye. What about it interests you?

Marketing, like many fields, is ever-evolving. If you aren’t staying on top of trends, your campaigns might not be as effective.

Hiring managers want to know that you’re vigilant about up-and-coming techniques and tools. That’s why they ask you to discuss trends. Additionally, candidates who follow industry news on their own time tend to be more passionate about the field than their less-informed counterparts, giving hiring managers another reason to dig into the topic.

EXAMPLE ANSWER:

“There are quite a few trends that I’ve kept on my radar recently. Shoppable posts have me particularly intrigued, especially on platforms like Instagram. The visual nature of the platform makes it ideal for showcasing certain products, and the ability for users to actively pursue those that interest them allows the initial connection to advance a user through the sales funnel with greater ease. It simplifies the buying process, shortening it dramatically, while also making use of a platform that users already frequent and trust. I think there is a significant amount of potential there, and believe it’s a trend that will quickly become a norm in the marketing industry.”

32 More Marketing Interview Questions

Here are 32 more marketing interview questions you may face when you meet with a hiring manager:

1. 1. What social media tools do you use and why?
   2. Is face-to-face marketing still valuable or necessary? Why or why not?
   3. How would you manage the launch of a new product or service?
   4. Describe the difference between direct and indirect marketing.
   5. What research techniques do you use to identify potential customers for a new product or service?
   6. Tell me about the biggest marketing challenge you’ve faced. How did you overcome it?
   7. Describe a time where you made a mistake with how you positioned a product or service. What did you do to fix the issue?
   8. When it comes to products or services like ours, do you think a hard sell or soft sell is the better approach? Why?
   9. Tell me about your all-time favorite campaign. What about it resonates with you?
   10. If you had to sum up our product or service in one word, what would it be? How would you use that to determine the direction of a campaign?
   11. What do you do when you present an idea for a campaign, and it’s rejected?
   12. Do you think that email marketing is still viable? Why or why not?
   13. If you could pick any slogan for our product or service, what would you recommend?
   14. When developing a campaign concept, do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team? Why?
   15. Can you tell me about your most successful campaign? What about it made it shine?
   16. Tell me about your least successful campaign? What went wrong, and what did you learn from the experience?
   17. The coronavirus pandemic forced many companies to rethink their marketing. What changes do you think yielded positive results? Do you believe some resulted in negative outcomes?
   18. Who do you think is our biggest competitor? How can we differentiate our product or service from theirs?
   19. Which traits are most critical for being a successful marketer?
   20. In your own words, what do you think is the goal of marketing?
   21. Why did you decide to launch a career in marketing?
   22. What about this marketing position appeals to you, and why?
   23. The marketing industry has changed dramatically in recent years. What changes do you think are on the horizon, and why?
   24. Can you describe your experience with paid advertising?
   25. What steps do you take to generate organic traffic?
   26. Have you created campaigns for products or services that are similar to ours?
   27. Tell me about a time where you achieved a marketing objective while dealing with a tight budget.
   28. Can you describe who you think our target market is?
   29. Are you familiar with our product or service? What about it stands out to you?
   30. Do you follow any brands on social media? If so, which ones, and why? If not, why do you choose not to?
   31. What resources do you turn to when you want to stay on top of industry trends?
   32. Do you think a social media presence is a must for companies? Why or why not?

5 Good Questions to Ask at the End of a Marketing Interview

As you wrap up with the last marketing interview questions, you’ll usually get a chance to ask a few of your own. This is an exceptional opportunity, so you need to have a few questions at the ready. That way, you’ll come off as more engaged. Plus, you’ll have a chance to discover details that let you know if the job is actually a good match for you.

If you don’t know what to ask the hiring manager, here are five great standby questions to use at the end of your marketing interview:

1. 1. Which of the company’s past marketing campaigns was most successful? Which one was the least successful?
   2. What does a typical day in this marketing position look like?
   3. Does this role focus on a single product or service, or will it be responsible for campaigns across the board?
   4. What are the marketing team’s greatest strengths? Are there any weaknesses that my skillset could cover?
   5. Has the company faced any unique challenges when it comes to engaging with their target market?

Putting It All Together

It’s true; even marketers can struggle when it’s interview time. But, by embracing the tips above and studying the marketing interview questions, you can make sure you’re ready to shine. After all, the interview is just a campaign about you. So, take a deep breath, have faith in your skills, and show that hiring manager that you’re an amazing candidate.

Good luck!

—

Mike Simpson( Co-Founder and CEO )

Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.

His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern and others.

Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page.