How to hire a promotions director

How to hire a promotions director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step promotions director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a promotions director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new promotions director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a promotions director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a promotions director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A promotions director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, promotions directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents promotions director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Promotions Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Promotions Director	Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. They work with art directors, sales agents, and financial staff members.	$26-68
   Marketing & Advertising Manager	A marketing and advertising manager is in charge of planning and directing advertising campaigns for companies. Their role is to collect and organize information pertaining to the advertising campaign, negotiate advertising contracts, come up with pricing strategies, conduct market research, plan advertising campaigns, work with department heads to create budgets and marketing plans, and oversee the marketing staff's daily activities.	$28-62
   Advertising Account Manager	An advertising account manager works at advertising agencies where they are in charge of communicating with clients and managing accounts, building positive client relationships in the process. They coordinate directly with creative teams, ensuring that operations adhere to the clients' budgets, preferences, guidelines, and project requirements... Show more	$24-53

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Photoshop
   • Giveaways
   • Radio Station
   • On-Air Promotions
   • FM
   • Promotional Materials
   • Press Releases
   • Promotional Events
   • Twitter
   • FCC
   • Station Website
   • Graphic Design
   • Live Events
   • Event Planning

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create and execute special events, manage DJ public appearances and the prize giveaway process for this leading adult contemporary station.
   • Execute promotional radio campaigns, create advertisements, manage social media accounts, coordinate DJ events and design innovative graphics.
   • Negotiate competitive pricing for station promotional materials and listener giveaways to maintain financial stability and increase ratings.
   • Increase Facebook fans from approx.
   • Record liners, promos, and sweepers, as well as host a bi-weekly music show.
   • Post videos to YouTube for clients and then a link to the video on their Facebook page.

   More promotions director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the promotions director job description is a good way to get more applicants. A promotions director salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a promotions director in North Dakota may be lower than in Nevada, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level promotions director. Additionally, a promotions director with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average promotions director salary

   $90,074yearly

   $43.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level promotions director salary

   $56,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average promotions director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$128,831	$62
   2	New York	$107,481	$52
   3	Maine	$103,182	$50
   4	Massachusetts	$98,263	$47
   5	Washington	$98,208	$47
   6	New Jersey	$98,157	$47
   7	Ohio	$87,111	$42
   8	Pennsylvania	$85,312	$41
   9	Texas	$83,430	$40
   10	Virginia	$82,156	$40
   11	District of Columbia	$81,087	$39
   12	Oregon	$77,894	$37
   13	North Carolina	$75,653	$36
   14	Tennessee	$74,763	$36
   15	Colorado	$73,782	$35
   16	Illinois	$71,503	$34
   17	Iowa	$65,362	$31
   18	Florida	$63,667	$31

   Average promotions director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bonneville International	$113,845	$54.73	3
   2	Urban One	$113,484	$54.56
   3	Generac Holdings	$108,779	$52.30
   4	Townsquare Media	$108,611	$52.22	3
   5	Beasley Media Group	$108,307	$52.07	6
   6	Johnson & Johnson	$107,634	$51.75	4
   7	Cumulus Media	$107,513	$51.69	14
   8	Saga Communications	$107,409	$51.64	3
   9	Sinclair Broadcast Group	$107,043	$51.46
   10	iHeartMedia	$105,499	$50.72	37
   11	Healthpoint	$99,411	$47.79
   12	Audacy	$97,020	$46.64	39
   13	Bertelsmann	$83,933	$40.35
   14	Cesar Chavez Foundation	$82,948	$39.88
   15	Nexstar Media Group	$75,674	$36.38	2
   16	Robert Half	$74,979	$36.05	4
   17	Longwood University	$73,476	$35.33
   18	Syracuse University	$63,780	$30.66
   19	The Salem News	$58,389	$28.07
   20	Iowa Department of Transportation	$53,442	$25.69

4. Writing a promotions director job description

   A job description for a promotions director role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a promotions director job description:

   Promotions director job description example

   CUMULUS MEDIA | Knoxville is looking for an experienced Promotions Director to coordinate and implement on and off-air promotions and events in order to promote the stations' image and presence in the marketplace to our primary demographic while maintaining a winning onsite image. This position requires a high degree of organizational skills, attention to detail, time management, a personal disposition that works well with creative co-workers in both programming and sales and most importantly, has a passion for radio.
   
   Who We Are:
   
   CUMULUS | Knoxville, TN is home to three of Knoxville's favorite radio stations - WIVK 107.7, WOKI NewsTalk 98.7 and Sports Radio WNML AM990/FM99.1. At Cumulus Knoxville we are Home of the Tennessee Volunteers and are located near downtown Knoxville.
   
   Key Responsibilities:
   

   • Create and execute promotional events and contests within departmental budget
   • Negotiate and purchase collateral and other promotional items
   • Develop strategic relationships with entertainment and event venues to benefit the stations
   • Work with local charities to the mutual benefit of the community, the charity and the stations
   • Provide regular coaching and performance feedback to staff
   • Coordinate and draft all sales and station promotions from conception to facilitation
   • Contests, giveaways, station websites and on-site events and appearances including paid client events and charity endeavors

   Qualifications:
   

   • Knowledge of all applicable FCC rules and regulations
   • Understanding of stations' programming strategies
   • Computer literacy in Photoshop, HTML, Microsoft Office including PowerPoint, Media Span and Promo Suite
   • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
   • Problem-solving ability and skill in prioritizing
   • Ability to interact with management and staff at all levels
   • Ability to multi-task and handle pressures and deadlines
   • Must possess valid state driver's license
   • Must have a flexible schedule and be available to work days, nights, weekends and holidays based on station events

   What we offer:

   • Competitive pay
   • Professional growth and career path
   • Focused, responsible and collaborative work environment with the ability, to ask "what if" and try innovative solutions
   • Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance coverage
   • 401K with company match to plan for the long-term
   • Paid Vacation & Holidays

   For immediate consideration, please visit [Link available when viewing the job]
   
   For more information about CUMULUS MEDIA, visit our website at: [Link available when viewing the job]
   
   CUMULUS MEDIA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find promotions directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any promotions directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level promotions directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your promotions director job on Zippia to find and recruit promotions director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with promotions director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new promotions director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the promotions director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a promotions director?