Graduates entering the field of marketing must be familiar with a range of technologies - and be prepared to adapt to new forms of communication.

The rise of new technology is demonstrated by a new survey from the Online Marketing Blog, which asked 400 professionals in the sector to identify what will be their number one online marketing tool over the next six months.

Some 36% of those questioned said search engine optimization (SEO) - the use of keywords and tags to boost a website's position within a search listing - would be their primary tool for marketing.

Another 33% said they will use blogging, while email marketing was popular with 22% of respondents.

Marketing through social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn has also established itself among marketers, winning 21% of the vote.

Writing on OMB, Lee Odden said marketers have to constantly search for new ways to engage with customers - especially during tough economic times.

SEO is becoming increasingly popular because it is a "high impact, high value tactic" for contacting consumers online, he added.

Figures from the Department of Labor show there were 167,000 marketing managers working in the US in 2006. Their average median earnings in May of that year were $98,720, with variations by location and industry.