At Pareto, we go above and beyond to find the right fit for both you and a prospective employer. Taking people of high potential and placing them in positions where they can excel.
Discover the vital steps you must take to ensure a marketing apprentice is set up for success in your business. Read our guide today.
By Pareto Team
Hiring a marketing apprentice is a great way for a smaller business to make their first marketing hire or for more established firms to bring in fresh talent that can solve immediate challenges from skills gaps.
Often the temptation is to bring in a generalist to ‘do marketing’, but for the greatest impact, you’ll need to set up a clear structure that aligns to your wider business goals. If you are considering bringing a marketing apprentice into your business for the first time, this guide will help you to define the role, set clear goals, and provide the tools and opportunities that will benefit both your apprentice and your company.
Proving a well-structured role is key to a successful marketing apprenticeship. You should start by identifying the main responsibilities your apprentice will take on. The area of focus will vary greatly within each business, the industries they operate in, and their target audience. However, there are some common areas that apprentices can contribute to:
Data Analysis and Reporting - Tasking your apprentice with tasks such as tracking KPIs, compiling campaign results, or analysing customer data is a great way for them to develop a commercial approach to marketing, whilst reducing the burden on other team members.
Campaign Support - Whether it’s an email campaign for a product launch or a big brand activation, apprentices can assist in the execution of campaigns, giving them excellent exposure to the end-to-end delivery of marketing activity.
Social Media Management - From TikTok to LinkedIn, your apprentice can manage scheduling, create posts, and interact with audiences to maintain an active social media presence on platforms where your audiences are most engaged.
If you want to discover more about how a marketing apprenticeship can boost your business’s social media, check out our guide ‘How a Marketing Apprentice can Grow Your Business’s Social Media.’
Content Creation - Writing blog posts, emails, or social media captions can be a beginner-friendly way for apprentices to learn the importance of brand and the role content plays in the marketing funnel.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) - Introduce them to tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and SEMrush to help optimise website content for search engines.
Our Tip: Align these tasks with the apprentice’s training curriculum. If part of an official apprenticeship programme, they’ll likely need hands-on experience in areas such as digital content creation, SEO, and campaign management.
Once the role is defined, it is important to establish measurable goals. A good way of doing this is by using the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to set clear objectives.
Examples of objectives include:
Increase Website Traffic
‘Increase organic website traffic by 15% over six months through SEO-focused blog posts’
Generate Leads
‘Support the email marketing team by creating templates that generate 50 new leads in the next quarter’
Build Social Media Engagement
‘Create and schedule 12 social media posts for Instagram that achieve an average engagement rate of 5% over the next month.’
Improve Email Open Rates
‘Increase email open rates by 10% by designing compelling subject lines for five upcoming newsletters over the next two months’
Assist in Event Promotion
‘Collaborate with the events team to promote our Q3 webinar to design social ads, emails, and blog content that increases webinar sign-ups by 25%’
In order for you to measure the impact they are having on the business, these goals need to be aligned to the wider marketing objectives and business strategy. This way you can see the contribution that they are making. This is particularly important for junior marketers, as it gives them context for the impact their tactical work contributes to the wider business objectives.
No apprentice can succeed without the right tools and resources, and it is your responsibility as a business to provide them. Here are some examples of essential tools a marketing apprentice needs:
Design and Branding - Tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Canva are a great way for junior marketers to quickly produce branding assets.
SEO and Analytics - Having access to tools such as Google Analytics will allow them to see how website traffic is performing, whilst tools such as Google Search Console and Ahrefs can help them research keywords and optimise your website for Google.
Campaign Execution - Allow them access to email marketing platforms and CRMs so they are able to execute and measure the impact of marketing activity. Tools such as Hubspot also offer social media management, meaning you can schedule and monitor posts and manage campaigns in one place.
In addition, consider giving your apprentice access to external training opportunities. Many of the platforms mentioned above offer the opportunity to gain certifications in their tools alongside wider marketing principles. You can also invest in specific skills courses and certifications, such as Google Ads Certifications.
Tip - Assign an experienced team member to mentor the apprentice through these tools, offering technical and strategic insights.
A successful apprenticeship balances practical day-to-day tasks with opportunities for creative growth. While scheduling social media posts or drafting newsletters builds vital skills, allowing apprentices to tackle higher-level projects boosts their confidence and develops critical thinking.
Examples of Routine Tasks:
Publishing blog articles
Tracking campaign analytics
Responding to comments on social media
Examples of Growth Opportunities:
Pitching a content idea to senior marketing staff
Leading a brainstorming session for an upcoming project
Analysing past performance data and making improvement recommendations
This mix of structured tasks, creative participation and opportunity to push themselves provides apprentices the opportunity to put their learning into practice and demonstrate how they are contributing to the business.
Developing collaboration early in the marketing apprenticeship is key to their development. As we’ve already touched on, mentoring is a great way of giving your apprentice someone from whom they can learn specific skills. Try to pair your apprentice with experienced team members who can share valuable insights and knowledge.
Also, be sure to involve them in team updates, strategy sessions, and cross-departmental meetings. This exposure helps them understand the broader role marketing has within the business and gives them the opportunity to contribute ideas.
At the same time, nurture their confidence by giving them small projects they own independently. For instance, ask them to complete a weekly performance report or to deliver a small-scale email marketing campaign. Gradually increasing autonomy allows apprentices to refine their decision-making abilities while taking pride in their contributions.
Structuring a marketing apprentice’s role effectively ensures they develop valuable skills while making a real impact on your business. By defining their responsibilities, setting clear goals, and providing the right tools, you create an environment where they can contribute meaningfully from day one. A well-supported apprentice will bring fresh perspectives, creative energy, and digital expertise that drive your marketing efforts.
Balancing routine tasks with growth opportunities is key to keeping them engaged and motivated. Encouraging collaboration with experienced team members while giving them autonomy over certain projects builds confidence and accelerates their professional development. With the right structure in place, your marketing apprentice can quickly become a vital asset helping your business stay agile, innovative, and competitive.
Get in touch if you’re ready to explore how hiring an apprentice can transform your team. We are leading experts in marketing apprenticeships and our tailored programmes are designed to nurture talent that fuels innovation and growth. Speak to their team today for information.
We get it - deciding on the right marketing apprenticeship for your business is a tough decision. Our expert team is here to support you in making that decision and guide you through the process of choosing a programme and how it will benefit your business.
