Business English for Marketing and Advertising professionals

Introduction to Marketing and Adverstising

Dear professionals,

Today’s session will be very useful for those who work in the marketing and advertising fields. I would like to introduce you to some essential phrases and vocabulary that will help you communicate more confidently and understand professional conversations more effectively.

These expressions will be particularly useful in meetings, presentations, discussions, and everyday communication within the marketing and advertising industry.

Warm up:

1. Which of these activities are done in your company?

2. Which activities are the most important for your company?

3.  Which of these activities are you responsible for?

4.  Which activity do you spend the most time on?

5.  Have you ever presented your company or products at a trade fair?

6. Have you ever spoken to journalists or given an interview?

7.  What is the most difficult activity to do in English?

8.  Which activity is the most effective for attracting new customers?

9. Are there any marketing activities that your company should do more of?

10.  If you could introduce one new marketing activity in your company, what would it be?

👉Marketing & Advertising Job Positions — English / French

Before learning other things, one of the most important things is knowing how to describe your job title in English.

I have been teaching for nine years, and whenever I ask my students to describe their position and responsibilities, they often struggle to find the right terms.

That’s why I have created a list of some common marketing positions and job titles that you can learn and use in your professional communication.

You can also ask me if you think something is missing from the list. I’ll be happy to help you throughout your learning journey and support you in improving your professional English.

English job title	French equivalent	Description of position
Marketing Manager	Responsable marketing / Directeur marketing	Plans and manages marketing activities to promote products or services.
Marketing Coordinator	Coordinateur(trice) marketing	Supports the marketing team and coordinates campaigns and activities.
Digital Marketing Specialist	Spécialiste en marketing digital / Chargé(e) de marketing digital	Promotes products and services through digital channels.
Social Media Manager	Responsable des réseaux sociaux / Community Manager	Manages social media accounts and creates content for online audiences.
Content Marketing Manager	Responsable du marketing de contenu	Develops content such as articles, videos, newsletters, and guides.
SEO Specialist	Consultant(e) SEO / Spécialiste SEO / Référenceur(se)	Improves a website’s visibility in search-engine results.
Email Marketing Specialist	Spécialiste email marketing / Chargé(e) d’emailing	Creates and manages email campaigns.
Brand Manager	Chef(fe) de marque / Responsable de marque	Develops and manages a brand’s image and positioning.
Product Marketing Manager	Chef(fe) de produit marketing / Responsable marketing produit	Develops marketing strategies for a specific product.
Market Research Analyst	Chargé(e) d’études marketing / Analyste marketing	Studies customers, competitors, and market trends.
Advertising Manager	Responsable publicité / Directeur(trice) de la publicité	Plans and oversees advertising campaigns.
Account Manager	Responsable de clientèle / Responsable de compte	Manages relationships with clients and meets their needs.
Account Executive	Chef(fe) de publicité / Chargé(e) de clientèle	Coordinates projects between clients and the agency.
Copywriter	Concepteur-rédacteur / Rédacteur(trice) publicitaire	Writes advertising copy, slogans, headlines, and marketing content.
Art Director	Directeur(trice) artistique	Leads the visual direction of advertising campaigns.
Graphic Designer	Graphiste / Designer graphique	Creates visual materials for advertising and marketing campaigns.
Creative Director	Directeur(trice) de création	Leads the creative team and oversees creative concepts.
Media Planner	Media planner / Chargé(e) de média-planning	Plans where and when advertisements should appear.
Media Buyer	Acheteur(se) média / Responsable achat média	Purchases advertising space and negotiates media placements.
PPC Specialist	Spécialiste SEA / Consultant(e) SEA	Manages paid online advertising campaigns.
PR Manager	Responsable relations publiques / Directeur(trice) des relations publiques	Manages a company’s public image and media relations.
Influencer Marketing Manager	Responsable marketing d’influence	Works with influencers to promote brands and products.
Marketing Analyst	Analyste marketing	Analyzes marketing data and campaign performance.

👉Useful English phrases to talk about your Job role and responsibilities?

• A Marketing Manager is responsible for...
• A Copywriter’s main responsibility is to...
• I am in charge of...
• I work closely with...
• I develop and manage...
• I create and implement...
• I analyze...
• I coordinate with...
• I report to...
• I am responsible for meeting...
• My role involves...
• I need to have experience in...

Example for speaking practice

What does a Social Media Manager do?

A Social Media Manager is responsible for managing a company’s social media presence. They create content, plan social media campaigns, engage with followers, and analyze the performance of posts and campaigns. They usually work closely with the marketing, content, and creative teams.

⚠️ Common Mistake: “Responsible for,” NOT “Responsible of” Always remember: in English, we say responsible for, not responsible of. This is a common mistake for French speakers because in French we say “responsable de.” If you translate directly from French, you may be tempted to say responsible of. ❌ I’m responsible of managing the marketing team. ✅ I’m responsible for managing the marketing team. ❌ She’s responsible of the advertising campaign. ✅ She’s responsible for the advertising campaign. 💡 Remember: responsible for + noun / -ing    ( I’m responsible for + noun / verb-ing) responsible for the marketing strategy responsible for the advertising campaign responsible for managing the team responsible for developing new campaigns 👉 French: Je suis responsable de la stratégie marketing. 👉 English: I’m responsible for the marketing strategy. “How to say your Job Position”  2 different ways: I’m a/an + job title. I’m a Marketing Manager. I work as a + job title. I work as a Digital Marketing Specialist. ⚠️ However, “I’m a…” is generally the most natural way to introduce your profession in everyday conversation.  Rules: I’m a/an + POSITION. I work for + COMPANY/INDUSTRY. I’m responsible for + RESPONSIBILITY. I mainly work on + AREA.  Speaking Activity: Job title: Marketing Manager Main responsibility: __________ Daily tasks: __________ Works closely with: __________ Required skills: __________ Reports to: __________ Typical tools: __________ Job title: Brand Manager Main responsibility: __________ Daily tasks: __________ Works closely with: __________ Required skills: __________ Reports to: __________ Typical tools: __________ Job title: Account Manager Main responsibility: __________ Daily tasks: __________ Works closely with: __________ Required skills: __________ Reports to: __________ Typical tools: __________ Common Marketing & Advertising Skills Describing your skill set clearly and confidently is very important. I have seen many of my students struggle when interviewers or people at conferences ask them about their skills and areas of expertise. For this reason, I have created a list of marketing and advertising skills that you can use to identify and describe your own skill set. These skills can help you communicate your strengths more confidently and professionally during job interviews, networking events, conferences, and other professional conversations. A simple structure: “I am good at + skill” When someone asks you, “What are your skills?” or “What are you good at?”, you can use this simple structure: I am good at + [skill]. For example: I am good at market research. I am good at social media marketing. I am good at content creation. I am good at copywriting. 👉List of marketing and advertising skills 📢Digital Marketing Social media marketing → Marketing des réseaux sociaux / Marketing sur les réseaux sociaux Search Engine Optimization (SEO) → Référencement naturel (SEO) Search Engine Marketing (SEM) → Marketing sur les moteurs de recherche (SEM) Email marketing → E-mailing / Marketing par e-mail Content marketing → Marketing de contenu Influencer marketing → Marketing d’influence Digital advertising → Publicité digitale / Publicité en ligne Marketing automation → Automatisation du marketing Online campaign management → Gestion de campagnes en ligne 📢 Advertising & Campaigns Campaign planning → Planification de campagnes Advertising strategy → Stratégie publicitaire Brand awareness → Notoriété de la marque Audience targeting → Ciblage de l’audience Paid social media advertising → Publicité payante sur les réseaux sociaux Google Ads / PPC → Google Ads / Publicité au coût par clic (PPC) Media planning → Plan média / Planification média A/B testing → Tests A/B Budget management → Gestion du budget Campaign performance tracking → Suivi des performances des campagnes ✍️Content & Creative Copywriting → Rédaction publicitaire / Conception-rédaction Content creation → Création de contenu Storytelling → Storytelling / Communication narrative Creative thinking → Esprit créatif / Pensée créative Video marketing → Marketing vidéo Graphic design basics → Notions de conception graphique Social media content → Création de contenu pour les réseaux sociaux Brand messaging → Communication de marque / Message de marque Editing and proofreading → Édition et relecture / Correction de contenus 📊 Analytics & Strategy Google Analytics → Google Analytics Market research → Études de marché Customer/audience research → Études clients / Analyse de l’audience Data analysis → Analyse de données Marketing KPIs → Indicateurs clés de performance marketing (KPI) Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) → Optimisation du taux de conversion Competitor analysis → Analyse de la concurrence Marketing strategy → Stratégie marketing ROI analysis → Analyse du retour sur investissement (ROI) Reporting and presentations → Reporting et présentation des résultats 🤝 Communication & Professional Skills Communication → Communication Teamwork → Travail en équipe Project management → Gestion de projet Organization → Organisation Time management → Gestion du temps Presentation skills → Compétences en présentation / Aisance à l’oral Client relationship management → Gestion de la relation client Problem-solving → Résolution de problèmes Adaptability → Adaptabilité Attention to detail → Sens du détail / Attention aux détails 👉How Marketing & Advertising Have Changed? How Marketing and Advertising Have Changed? Marketing and advertising have changed a lot over the years. The way companies communicate with customers today is very different from the way they communicated in the past. In the past, companies used to advertise mainly on television, radio, newspapers and magazines. They used to create advertisements for a large audience, and customers usually had very few ways to respond. If people saw an advertisement on television, for example, they could not immediately tell the company what they thought about it. Today, things are very different. Companies have started to use social media and digital platforms to communicate with their customers. They have created new ways to promote their products, including Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, websites and email marketing. Advertising has become more interactive. Customers can now like, comment on and share advertisements. They can also write reviews and give their opinions about products. Because of this, companies have become more interested in what their customers think. The way companies target customers has also changed. In the past, companies used to target large groups of people. Today, they can use data to target people with particular interests, ages or online behaviors. For example, a sports company can show an advertisement for running shoes to people who are interested in sport and fitness. Social media has also changed the role of influencers. In the past, companies used to work mainly with famous actors, athletes or television personalities. Today, many companies work with social media influencers and content creators. These people can introduce products directly to their followers. Technology has made marketing faster. Companies can create and publish content very quickly. They can also see how many people have watched an advertisement, clicked on it or bought a product. As a result, marketing teams have become more dependent on data and analytics. However, some things have not changed. Companies still need to understand their customers and create interesting messages. They still need to be creative and communicate clearly. But the tools they use have changed significantly. Overall, marketing and advertising have become more digital, interactive and targeted. Companies have found new ways to communicate with customers, while customers now have a much stronger voice. The marketing world is continuing to change, and companies need to adapt to new technologies and new customer habits. ✌Grammar point : click here 👉Present Perfect 🔊Listening A Look at the History of Marketing If you're interested in how marketing has changed over the years, I found this video by MindSOLD particularly interesting: “The History of Marketing – How Marketing Has Evolved Over The Years.” It provides a useful overview of how marketing has developed from traditional methods to the digital approaches we see today. I thought it was a great visual introduction to the subject and a useful resource for anyone wanting to understand how marketing has evolved alongside changes in technology, communication and consumer behaviour. Watch the video on YouTube: The History of Marketing – How Marketing Has Evolved Over The Years by MindSOLD. 👉Writing task 1.Will AI make advertising more personalized and effective, or will consumers become overwhelmed by hyper-targeted advertising? ..................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................... 2. How will generative AI change the roles of marketers, advertisers, and creative professionals? ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................... 3. If AI can create ads, identify target audiences, and optimize campaigns automatically, what will the human role in marketing look like? ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................ I hope this session helps you better understand some of the key terms, concepts, and ideas related to marketing. 📚✨ Marketing is constantly evolving, especially with the rise of AI, digital transformation, and changing consumer behaviour. Staying curious and continuously learning is one of the best ways to keep up with these changes. 💬 Do you have any questions, thoughts, or experiences related to this topic? I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Let’s learn, exchange ideas, and grow together. I hope you enjoy reading and find this session valuable! 🚀 Keep learning!