👈 BACK TO NEWS & INSIGHTSCareers in Paid Media, Paid Social & PPC: Why Now Is the Time to Dive In
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, few areas are as dynamic and in-demand as Paid Media (Paid Social & PPC). Whether you're a graduate exploring your first role or a seasoned marketer looking to specialise, these career paths offer exciting career trajectories, fast-paced environments, and the chance to make a measurable impact in either an agency or in-house setting.
What Do PPC, Paid Media & Paid Social Roles Involve?
Paid Media is the umbrella term for any marketing activity where you pay for placement to reach your audience. This includes search advertising, display advertising, paid social, programmatic, sponsored content, and more. It's all about driving traffic, leads, and conversions through strategic investment across multiple channels.
PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is a pricing model within paid media where advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad. While it's most commonly associated with search engine advertising like Google Ads and Bing Ads, PPC can also apply to display advertising, shopping ads, YouTube ads, and even some social media campaigns that use a cost-per-click model.
Paid Social refers specifically to advertising on social media platforms like Meta (Facebook & Instagram), LinkedIn, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Pinterest, and Snapchat. What makes paid social distinct is its ability to target users based on detailed demographics, interests, behaviours, and social connections. While paid social often uses a PPC pricing model, it can also work on CPM (cost per thousand impressions) or other bidding strategies depending on campaign objectives.
Why Are Performance Marketers in Demand?
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Data-Driven Decision Making: Brands want measurable ROI. Paid media roles offer clear metrics - clicks, conversions, ROAS - that make it easier to prove value.
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Platform Expansion: With new ad formats and platforms emerging constantly (hello, Threads and TikTok Shop), businesses need specialists who can keep up.
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E-commerce Boom: As online shopping continues to dominate, performance marketing is critical to driving sales.
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AI & Automation: Tools like Performance Max and Meta Advantage+ are changing the game, but still need human strategy behind them.
What Skills Do You Need?
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Analytical mindset: You’ll be working with data daily. PPC is an especially technical channel, if you can’t see yourself working with data everyday, a more creative, organic channel may more for you!
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Platform knowledge: Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, etc.
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Creativity: Especially in Paid Social, where assets and creative can make or break a campaign.
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Adaptability: Algorithms change, trends shift, and you’ll need to pivot quickly.
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Communication: Whether it’s reporting to clients or collaborating with designers, being able to explain performance clearly is key.
Performance Career Paths & Progression
Entry-Level
PPC / Paid Media Assistant, Digital Marketing Assistant
Mid-Level
Paid Media Executives / Senior Executive, Paid Media Manager, PPC Specialist, Paid Social Strategist
Senior-Level
Head of Performance Marketing, Digital Acquisition Lead, Growth Marketing Director
Many professionals also move into freelance or consulting roles, or even start their own agencies!
What Employers Are Looking For
At Forward Role, we’re seeing high demand for candidates who have:
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Hands-on experience with campaign management
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Deep understanding of attribution and conversion tracking
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Can work cross-channel (e.g., combining Paid Search with Paid Social)
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AI Tool Literacy - Familiarity with ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI assistants for tasks like ad copy generation, audience research, competitive analysis, and reporting. But crucially - knowing how to fact-check and refine AI outputs rather than just copy-pasting them!
Certifications like Google Ads, Google Shopping, Meta Blueprint, TikTok Academy and LinkedIn Marketing Labs are a great place to start for any juniors wanting to know the top level basics, or even more senior candidates who want to refresh themselves on the latest updates.
Performance MCR 2025 – What A Day!
We were so proud to sponsor the inaugural Performance MCR conference at the incredible Bridgewater Hall this year... and what a day it was! Getting involved in events like Performance MCR isn't just about sponsorship, it's about genuinely investing in the community we're part of every single day.
The Paid Media market has been London-centric for far too long, and while there's nothing wrong with the capital's thriving scene, the reality is that some of the most innovative, talented paid media professionals are right here in the North West, and we’re proud to be a part of showcasing that talent!
Our Performance Marketing Recruitment specialist Charlotte Battersby led the ‘Women in Performance’ panel alongside of the fantastic ladies at CAVU, and Forward Role Group Recruitment Director Phill Stott led the ‘Improving Outside of PPC – Beyond the Click’ panel, discussing what Paid Media professionals needs to be doing to stay on top.
There were so many incredible speakers throughout the day, sharing super actionable insights for the market, to put into action the very next day. Watch this space for 2026…
Ready to Make Your Move?
Whether you're looking to break into the industry or take your next step, careers in Paid Media and Performance Marketing offer a future-proof path with plenty of room for growth. If you're curious about current opportunities or want to chat about your next move, get in touch with Charlotte Battersby today!
